Far-left extremist climate activist group Letzte Generation’s Austrian branch is ending its radical forms of protest because they “no longer see any perspective for success.” They blasted Austrian society for being “ignorant” of the impact of fossil fuels, and “accept[ing] that it is jointly responsible for the deaths of billions of people.”
Letzte Generation (Last Generation), which is mostly active in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Poland, has severely disrupted the lives of everyday citizens by organising protests to raise awareness of climate change. Their activists have blockaded highways, glued themselves to busy roads and airport runways, and defaced buildings, famous statues, and paintings. Their actions have resulted in considerable financial damage, and they have even endangered lives. Last year in Vienna, an ambulance did not make it in time to save a dying person because of a road blockade.
“Society has failed. This makes us infinitely sad,” Letzte Generation Austria said in a press release, announcing that it would cease its protests, thereby acknowledging that the group’s harmful antics have not had the intended effect on Austrians. According to a survey published in December, 72% of Austrians were in favour of punishing climate activists, either via fines or prison sentences.
However, it is too early to breathe a sigh of relief, because although the protests will end in their current form, the group has promised that “space is being made so that something new can emerge.” For the time being, the group is focusing on financing legal costs related to its harmful activities.
The German branch of Letzte Generation has no similar intention of quitting. In a post on their X social media page, the group expressed its sadness about the announcement of their Austrian friends, but vowed to continue with their own disruptive actions, such as their “airport campaign.”
In February 2022, the group’s activists blocked roads leading to Germany’s three biggest airports in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin. In November of that year, they blockaded runways at Berlin Brandenburg Airport for almost two hours. In December 2022, their activists glued themselves to the tarmac at Munich Airport and Berlin Airport. Last May, the group spray-painted a private plane at the Berlin Airport, causing an estimated €72,000 worth of damage to the aircraft. In July 2023, planes were delayed and diverted at Hamburg and Düsseldorf after protesters blocked access to the runways during the busy school holiday period. In May of this year, six activists glued themselves to the access routes leading to runways at Munich Airport. During the two-hour disruption, sixty flights were cancelled. A few weeks ago, the group’s activists entered Cologne Bonn Airport and Frankfurt Airport by cutting fences, reaching the runway, and causing hours-long interruptions.
Despite the major disruptions, police issued a fine of only €6,400 for three previous incidents at Berlin Airport. The state of Berlin, however, is suing the climate activists for €142,000 for spraying paint on the Brandenburg Gate last September. It took extensive cleaning work, costing over €100,000, to eliminate the paint that had penetrated the sandstone. Three activists aged between 22 and 64 were handed suspended eight-month prison sentences.
