The organizers deliberately chose the start of their demonstration on Saturday morning at half past ten.

At this time, four candidates for the vacant post of Frankfurt mayor are arriving at the DGB building in the Bahnhofsviertel: Manuela Rottmann from the Greens, Uwe Becker from the CDU, the FDP politician Yanki Pürsün and Daniela Mehler-Würzbach, who are responsible for the left.

The trade union federation's New Year's reception is coming up, a must for local politicians.

Alexander Juergs

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The demonstrators brought the politicians letters and a branch from the Fechenheim forest.

"We need the forest" and "Fecher stays" is written on the piece of wood.

Several speakers make it clear what they expect from the politicians: They should ensure that the forest in the Riederwald district, for which they have been involved for many years, is not cleared.

They are intended to prevent the Riederwald Tunnel, which has been planned for decades and is intended to connect the A 66 and A 661 motorways in the east of Frankfurt, from being built.

And they should ensure “a real traffic turnaround” at the expense of car traffic.

This is the only way, the demonstrators argue, that Frankfurt can achieve the climate protection goals it has set itself.

Only the left-wing candidate, Mehler-Würzbach, is entirely on her side.

She encourages the demonstrators to continue with their protest against the clearing in the Fechenheim forest and calls for a “motorway moratorium” from the federal government: In view of the climate crisis, it is time to put all expansion projects to the test.

The Greens politician Rottmann also expressed a lot of sympathy for the protest.

But she also says that the construction of the Riederwald Tunnel is actually unstoppable.

The CDU politician brings a plastic heart

The CDU politician Becker, on the other hand, takes sides for the motorway project.

He brought a white plastic heart with him, his "heart for the people in Riederwald".

Closing the gap between the A 66 and A 661 is important because it frees the residents of the district from “permanent traffic jams”, says Becker.

And is booed by the demonstrators for it.

The FDP candidate Pürsün, who is also defending the expansion, has a similar experience.

"What was decided a long time ago is now being carried out because it is right," says Pürsün - and is met with loud opposition.

After the exchange of blows with the candidates, the demonstration march sets off.

A good 500 demonstrators have come and are heading towards the city centre.

A striking number of families with young children are there, but also some graying "citizens' movement".

You can see many self-painted posters, but no party flags.

Some have put on white protective suits, like those worn by the activists in Lützerath these days.

A demonstrator has strapped a jukebox to his cargo bike and blasted the rally with punk rock.

A man with long Rasta curls is walking at the very back, carrying the black and red flag of the anarchists on his shoulder.

The train stops at Willy-Brandt-Platz: there the protesters form a human chain across the square.

Katja Böhne, who came to the demonstration from the Dornbusch district, says that it annoys her that it is now often said that the climate movement is being led by radical activists.

"That's wrong," she says.

She considers the motorway expansion to be “a forced enforcement of political positions”.

Instead, she would like a broad, social debate to argue about a “good overall concept” against the climate crisis.

"Especially after this summer of drought, I think it's irresponsible to simply give up an important drinking water reservoir like the Fechenheim Forest," she says.

Friedrich-Wilhelm Höper, who organizes walks through the forest, also calls the planned clearing a "fatal mistake".

Climate change will also increasingly lead to extreme weather and heavy rain in Frankfurt in the future.

"In a situation like this, you can't seal additional areas."

At the end of the rally, one of the activists who occupied part of the Fechenheim forest and built tree houses there spoke.

“We have to keep going now,” he says.

However, that might be wishful thinking: the police are supposed to start clearing the protest camp in a few days.