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Activist, police officer: "We are doing this because we are in an emergency"
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa
Shortly before the start of the marathon in Berlin, the last generation poured paint on the running track. However, the activist group's attempt to disrupt was quickly stopped, and the start of the running event is not delayed.
According to a police spokeswoman, a total of eight people came from two sides to the street of June 17. They would have had banners of the group Last Generation with them. According to the police, the emergency services intervened before the activists could glue themselves. The Last Generation did not mention any bonding attempt in its press release.
The police are now determining the personal details of the troublemakers, the activists are initially limited in their freedom, the spokeswoman said. The police had applied for judicial permission to keep the disturbers in custody until 18 p.m. in order to prevent further actions.
On a video posted by the Last Generation, among others, you can see the scene: law enforcement officers pull the activists off the street. "We're doing this because we're in dire straits. In existential danger!«, the group wrote.
"We are just as sorry to interrupt the everyday life of the craftsman who drives to work as we are sorry to prevent runners from participating in the marathon undisturbed," spokesman Rolf Meyer wrote in a press release. "But we are in dire straits. We can't afford to carry on as if nothing happened."
Brandenburg Gate sprayed with paint
The Last Generation is calling for Germany to abandon fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas from 2030. The German government wants to operate in a climate-neutral manner from 2045.
More on the subject
Who leads them, what they are planning, what drives them: Insights into the inner workings of the last generation
Fight against climate change: How punishable is the last generation? A column by Thomas Fischer
Dealing with the Last Generation:The Climate Discourse Is StuckA Column by Samira El Ouassil
The group had previously announced its intention to disrupt the event. "Yes, we're interrupting the Berlin Marathon. We cannot run away from climate catastrophe," the climate group wrote in a press release on Friday.
Members of the group protested throughout the week with actions in Berlin. A week ago, activists sprayed paint on the Brandenburg Gate near the marathon finish.
The police and Berlin's Senator for the Interior, Iris Spranger (SPD), had announced a consistent approach – and were therefore deployed with more than 1000,<> police officers.
slü/dpa/AFP