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Glued hand of a Last Generation activist (symbolic image)
Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS
A Berlin court has sentenced a Last Generation activist to eight months in prison – without parole. This was announced by the group, and a spokeswoman for the court confirmed the verdict to SPIEGEL. The activist was convicted of attempted coercion as well as coercion and resistance to law enforcement officers. "This is the highest prison sentence to date for a sit-in blockade for a supporter of the Last Generation," the group writes in a statement.
According to the spokeswoman, 41-year-old Caroline Schmidt is accused of participating in three cases of road blockades by the group "Uprising of the Last Generation" last year. In two cases, she had attached herself to the road with glue, in one of the cases it had remained with the attempt. The public prosecutor's office had requested a total fine of 90 daily rates, the court now went beyond that. The verdict is not yet final.
The reason for the sentence, as the "Last Generation" reproduces from the trial, was, among other things, that Schmidt had shown no insight. Instead, she stated in court that she wanted to continue protesting. "It is precisely because I show insight that I protest," Schmidt is quoted as saying in the statement after the verdict was announced. "We can't duck away from reality forever, as Chancellor Scholz is trying to do right now." On Instagram, the group writes: "We will continue until the government fulfills its obligation to protect our livelihoods."
The activists are calling on the German government to be more committed to climate protection. With their actions, they also repeatedly cause criticism because, for example, they spray private jets with paint or block important roads during rush hour.
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