German leader urges climate activists not to endanger others
BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged climate activists Monday to show “creativity” and avoid endangering others after attacking art works and setting up road blockades that allegedly delayed the arrival of a specialist rescue crew at an accident scene.
Germany, like several other countries, has seen a string of high-profile protests in recent months against what activists say is a government failure to properly address the threat of climate change.
Actions by the group Last Generation have included blocking streets, throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting at a museum in Potsdam, and an incident Sunday in which two activists glued themselves to a dinosaur display at Berlin’s Natural History Museum.
On Monday, the group blocked several roads in Berlin, including a major highway. Fire service spokesman Rolf Erbe said the blockades resulted in officers with special rescue equipment to get stuck in traffic as they rushed to help a seriously injured cyclist who got stuck under a cement mixer. The crew informed first responders and “there was no alternative but to use other methods” to help the woman, he said, without elaborating.
Last Generation said in a statement that it couldn't rule out having caused the traffic jam, though it insisted that it ensures rescue lanes are kept clear during its blockades. It said it hoped the cyclist's condition wasn't made worse as a result of the delayed arrival of rescuers.
Spokesperson Aimee van Baalen said that “the safety of everyone on our roads, also in the future, is a fundamental motivation for our action” and that protests would be ended as soon as the government acts against a looming “climate collapse.”
Asked about the incident at a previously scheduled news conference, Scholz said: “My appeal can only...