The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, does not see the climate activist group "Last Generation" as a case for observation by his authority.
"In any case, I do not currently see that this group is directed against the free democratic basic order, and in this respect it is not an object of observation for the protection of the constitution," said Haldenwang on Wednesday evening at a discussion event of the SWR and the Hambach Castle Foundation.
The activists were committing crimes, he said, citing road blockades and attacks on artworks.
"But committing crimes doesn't make this group extremist now."
Haldenwang criticized statements by CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt, who had demanded in connection with actions by the last generation that the emergence of a "climate RAF" must be prevented.
"When I hear this comment from Mr. Dobrindt, I can only say, from my professional perspective: I call it nonsense," said Haldenwang at the Hambach Castle in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse.
Dobrindt used the expression to refer to the Red Army Faction (RAF), which for decades was the epitome of terror and murder in the Federal Republic.
With regard to the actions of the last generation, Haldenwang said that criminal offenses must be punished and that is what the courts are there for.
"It doesn't work that way, you can't impose your will on the general public with such instruments.
It is also not the essence of democracy that one side imposes something on the other side, but you have to discuss it with one another in discourse.”
However, he objected that extremism is when the state, society, the free democratic basic order is called into question - "and that's exactly what people don't actually do".
He pointed out that the group's climate activists are calling for government action.
"So there's really no other way to express how much you actually respect this system when you're asking the officials to act."