A member of the climate alarmist group Letzte Generation (Last Generation) has been sentenced to eight months in prison, the longest prison sentence handed out to a member of the group so far.
The 41-year-old woman from Cologne was sentenced by the Tiergarten District Court in Berlin after participating in three blockades in the city between October 10th and 19th last year, during which she glued herself to the street during two protests, Die Welt reports.
Initially, the woman had only been subjected to fines for her actions but later faced trial after she decided to appeal.
The court is said to have given her an especially long sentence as she did not show any remorse for her actions and stated she wanted to carry on protesting with the group. The sentence also came despite the prosecution only asking for a €1,350 fine.
Last Generation continues its protests in Berlin despite the fact that there are over 270 pending criminal charges against members of the group for blockading roads in the German capital, along with other offences, such as resisting police officers.
Just this week, climate alarmists have been taking part in “running blockades” which see members of the group walk out in front of vehicles on the road. They have carried out around 20 such actions across Berlin.
In one instance, during a protest at Tempelhofer Damm, motorists tired of the protests blocking the road took action and attacked the members of the group, a move that was condemned by Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner who stated, “Vigilante justice is not the right answer. We must now remain calm.”
“The mood on the streets of Berlin has reached a new level. Berliners are really annoyed,” Wegner said and added, “That’s why we have to do everything we can to ensure that the police and the judiciary act hand in hand and show that the rule of law is serious.”
Earlier this week, members of Last Generation made headlines after spraying the famous Brandenburg Gate with orange paint, using fire extinguishers filled with paint. A total of 14 members of the group were arrested by police following the stunt.
Governing Mayor Wegner commented on the vandalism saying, “They are messing up the mood for more climate protection,” and added, “That’s why we say very clearly: Everyone who is serious about climate protection, including in this House, must distance themselves from such provocations.”
The ongoing protests, according to broadcaster Deutsche Welle, are expected to go on for several more weeks as members have demanded an end to fossil fuel usage by 2030.
According to a report, members of Last Generation have carried out over 580 potential criminal offences since 2022.
The Berlin Senate Justice Department launched a review into the group’s activities after Justice Senator Felor Badenberg called for the review in May of this year, the same month as several raids were made by police on Last Generation members’ homes.
In July, however, the Berlin Senate Justice Department announced it would not be classifying Last Generation as a criminal organisation following the review.
Most of Last Generation’s protests involve blocking traffic or glueing themselves to objects and roads but the group has been accused of engaging in more extreme activity, including allegedly trying to sabotage an oil pipeline in Schwedt.
Several of the group’s activists made attempts to stop the flow of oil by allegedly interrupting pumping stations to the PCK Schwedt refinery, one of the most important in Eastern Germany, in Western Pomerania and Brandenburg.
In total, 2,458 members of the Last Generation have had charges brought against them along with 402 members of another climate alarmist group Extinction Rebellion. At least 820 of those prosecuted have been convicted of the same crime before.
