Hesse's Justice Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) calls for tougher action by the judiciary against crimes committed by climate demonstrators of the so-called "last generation".

He also considers tightening the penalties worth considering.

“First of all, the law enforcement authorities are called upon to consistently apply the applicable criminal law.

For this purpose, offenses ranging from coercion to resistance against emergency services to, under certain circumstances, terrorist offenses are available," the Minister of Justice in Wiesbaden announced.

In justification, he said that the actions of the climate activists had reached a dimension that made consistent action by the state necessary, because blockades that affected many people and caused life-threatening situations should not be accepted.

Poseck was convinced that the special dangers that would be triggered by the new type of protest actions could be countered more precisely by tightening the penalties.

As an example, he named increased penalties for the "careless blockade" of escape routes.

The background to Poseck's statements is also the discussion about a road blockade by climate activists in Berlin, through which an ambulance was only able to help an injured woman with a delay.

The woman later died as a result of her accident.

According to the Berlin fire department, the traffic jam caused by the climate activists should not be responsible for the woman's death.

Sharp criticism of Poseck's considerations was expressed by Ulrich Wilken, the spokesman on legal policy for the Left Group in the Hessian state parliament.

As soon as protests had an effect, tightening of criminal law would be called for.

However, this is not a tried and tested means of solving social conflicts.

"The statement that if the applicable criminal law were to be applied, terrorist offenses might also be available leaves one speechless," said Wilken.

He accused Poseck of his opinion that climate activists should be treated like terrorists by al-Qaeda or the NSU.