They glue themselves to streets, block traffic, occupy airfields, and sully precious works of art: climate activists have caused havoc in many major European capitals over the past few months. They call themselves ‘The Last Generation’ and defend the sticky character of their protests as a strategy for bringing attention to the ‘climate catastrophe.’ They demand drastic actions against ‘climate change,’ including a cessation of oil drilling operations in the North Sea, an end to all fossil energy consumption, and new ways to limit food waste.
However, what’s taken place over the last few months, indeed, what looks like a passionately sincere—albeit loudmouthed—generational trend is actually a well-funded plan executed by a well-organised association. The ‘Last Generation’ is no exception. Recruiters and NGOs for climate activism advertise lucrative ‘jobs’ as protestors, offering €520-1,300—plus benefits. The jobs are “part-time” or “full-time,” as reported by Welt am Sonntag.
Focus reports that the money stems from a Berlin-based association called ‘Wandelbündnis’ (Alliance for Change), which stipulates their work contracts. According to reports, the Alliance currently boasts 30 contractors. The origin of the financial support is traceable back to big money in the U.S., specifically the Climate Emergency Fund.
According to their own statements, the Climate Emergency Fund funds “disruptive, on-violent” activism and claims to have supported 94 organisations with over $5.3 million and trained over 22,000 climate activists. Over 1 million activists were purportedly mobilised, states the website. Their ‘Theory of Change’ states that “Gradualism has failed. Activism works,” and commits to “supporting disruptive activism because it is the fastest way to create transformative change.” Their activism intends to mobilise against a “6th mass extinction.” The 6th Mass Extinction or ‘Holocene extinction’ is a debated theory, with no general agreement on when it begins and what the causes may be. For the “Climate Emergency Fund” however it becomes the prime cause to “force policy change.”
Founded in 2019, the Climate Emergency Fund has—according to their own statements—financed 94 organisations and mobilised millions of activists. American philanthropist, Aileen Getty of the Getty oil tycoon family provided initial funds. The film producer, Adam McKay, and Rory Kennedy, daughter of the ex-US senator, Robert Kennedy, and niece of John F. Kennedy are among the other sponsors. The fund is registered in California.
Across the Atlantic, in Germany, as part of the larger Climate Emergency Fund, the Wandelbündnis (an organisation dedicated to supporting socio-ecological change in Germany) lures young people into militant climate activism with the promise of earning “some money on the side.” In organised “entry-level payment evenings” young recruits are offered the perspective of a steady income for work that in their eyes is righteous and just. Given the financial backing, the Wandelbündnis has the means to invest money in ever-more ‘creative’ ways to disrupt society, cause damage to cultural goods, and stir media coverage. And the strategy pays off: allegedly over 15,000 news pieces have been written on their activism.
The well-organised financial network behind the seemingly haphazard and sporadic activism is shocking even to politicians. Berlin’s Senator for Internal Affairs, Iris Spranger (SPD), (not known for her conservative views), expressed her bewilderment in the Berliner Morgenpost upon learning about the money webs behind the activism. She called out the “high degree of professionalisation of the climate protection movement” and added: “What we are dealing with here is a comprehensively organised association of people who commit criminal acts in order to push through their political goals.” Spranger is now pushing for harder punishments in the form of cash fines up to €2,000.
Nevertheless, despite such protests even from the Left, the ‘green’ legislation most recently implemented in some parts of Germany certainly appears congenial to the violent activism supported by the Wandelbündnis. Already on trial in multiple venues, activists defend themselves on the basis of a past legal precedent set by the German Federal Court. They specifically mention a Berlin judge’s ruling in October 2022 that concluded the climate crisis to be an “objectively urgent situation” and “scientifically undeniable.” The activists call on politicians to respect and protect the rights of future generations when it comes to climate protection and thus feel their actions justified.
It is not the first time that big money has been caught financing terrorist protests while appearing on the surface to be random and improvised. Dubious financial networks, for example, have been shown to finance at least some of the riots in the U.S. after the death of George Floyd, and groups such as Antifa have received money from well-organised foundations. Indeed, some parts of Antifa have received financing from German education money.
Climate Activists Receive Funding for Cultural Destruction
They glue themselves to streets, block traffic, occupy airfields, and sully precious works of art: climate activists have caused havoc in many major European capitals over the past few months. They call themselves ‘The Last Generation’ and defend the sticky character of their protests as a strategy for bringing attention to the ‘climate catastrophe.’ They demand drastic actions against ‘climate change,’ including a cessation of oil drilling operations in the North Sea, an end to all fossil energy consumption, and new ways to limit food waste.
However, what’s taken place over the last few months, indeed, what looks like a passionately sincere—albeit loudmouthed—generational trend is actually a well-funded plan executed by a well-organised association. The ‘Last Generation’ is no exception. Recruiters and NGOs for climate activism advertise lucrative ‘jobs’ as protestors, offering €520-1,300—plus benefits. The jobs are “part-time” or “full-time,” as reported by Welt am Sonntag.
Focus reports that the money stems from a Berlin-based association called ‘Wandelbündnis’ (Alliance for Change), which stipulates their work contracts. According to reports, the Alliance currently boasts 30 contractors. The origin of the financial support is traceable back to big money in the U.S., specifically the Climate Emergency Fund.
According to their own statements, the Climate Emergency Fund funds “disruptive, on-violent” activism and claims to have supported 94 organisations with over $5.3 million and trained over 22,000 climate activists. Over 1 million activists were purportedly mobilised, states the website. Their ‘Theory of Change’ states that “Gradualism has failed. Activism works,” and commits to “supporting disruptive activism because it is the fastest way to create transformative change.” Their activism intends to mobilise against a “6th mass extinction.” The 6th Mass Extinction or ‘Holocene extinction’ is a debated theory, with no general agreement on when it begins and what the causes may be. For the “Climate Emergency Fund” however it becomes the prime cause to “force policy change.”
Founded in 2019, the Climate Emergency Fund has—according to their own statements—financed 94 organisations and mobilised millions of activists. American philanthropist, Aileen Getty of the Getty oil tycoon family provided initial funds. The film producer, Adam McKay, and Rory Kennedy, daughter of the ex-US senator, Robert Kennedy, and niece of John F. Kennedy are among the other sponsors. The fund is registered in California.
Across the Atlantic, in Germany, as part of the larger Climate Emergency Fund, the Wandelbündnis (an organisation dedicated to supporting socio-ecological change in Germany) lures young people into militant climate activism with the promise of earning “some money on the side.” In organised “entry-level payment evenings” young recruits are offered the perspective of a steady income for work that in their eyes is righteous and just. Given the financial backing, the Wandelbündnis has the means to invest money in ever-more ‘creative’ ways to disrupt society, cause damage to cultural goods, and stir media coverage. And the strategy pays off: allegedly over 15,000 news pieces have been written on their activism.
The well-organised financial network behind the seemingly haphazard and sporadic activism is shocking even to politicians. Berlin’s Senator for Internal Affairs, Iris Spranger (SPD), (not known for her conservative views), expressed her bewilderment in the Berliner Morgenpost upon learning about the money webs behind the activism. She called out the “high degree of professionalisation of the climate protection movement” and added: “What we are dealing with here is a comprehensively organised association of people who commit criminal acts in order to push through their political goals.” Spranger is now pushing for harder punishments in the form of cash fines up to €2,000.
Nevertheless, despite such protests even from the Left, the ‘green’ legislation most recently implemented in some parts of Germany certainly appears congenial to the violent activism supported by the Wandelbündnis. Already on trial in multiple venues, activists defend themselves on the basis of a past legal precedent set by the German Federal Court. They specifically mention a Berlin judge’s ruling in October 2022 that concluded the climate crisis to be an “objectively urgent situation” and “scientifically undeniable.” The activists call on politicians to respect and protect the rights of future generations when it comes to climate protection and thus feel their actions justified.
It is not the first time that big money has been caught financing terrorist protests while appearing on the surface to be random and improvised. Dubious financial networks, for example, have been shown to finance at least some of the riots in the U.S. after the death of George Floyd, and groups such as Antifa have received money from well-organised foundations. Indeed, some parts of Antifa have received financing from German education money.
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