German climate activists block streets in Berlin, Cologne
Last Generation group vows to continue protests, road blockades during summer months
BERLIN
Environmental activists blocked roads in several German cities on Monday to increase pressure on the government to take action against climate change.
In Berlin, members of the Last Generation group glued their hands to asphalt at the Frankfurt Tor square and blocked traffic for several hours during the morning rush hour.
“We are interrupting everyday life today in Berlin and other cities so that the climate catastrophe would not disappear behind football games and celebrity news,” the group said on Twitter.
In the northwestern city of Cologne, climate activists blocked one of the busiest roads in the Deutz district, close to the Cologne Fair exhibition center.
The group has announced that starting from this week, they will stage sit-in protests every Monday in various German cities to protest the government's inaction on climate change.
The climate activists are heavily criticizing the government for not taking serious measures to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), but further investing in fossil fuel infrastructure, endangering the future of humankind.
They are demanding that the government convene a Citizens Assembly, which would decide on the necessary measures to achieve zero emissions in Germany by 2030.