German authorities apprehended multiple members of the climate action group known as Letzte Generation (Last Generation) during their attempt to disrupt the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 24, despite previous warnings. These climate activists are renowned for their attention-grabbing stunts aimed at raising awareness.
Images and videos circulated on social media depicted members of the Last Generation group spraying orange paint onto the marathon track just two minutes before the race began. In response, German police and event volunteers detained some of these activists moments before the race commenced, with approximately 45,000 runners participating.
The group had been cautioned against such actions by the marathon’s organizers. Juergen Lock, managing director of SCC events, the organization behind the Berlin Marathon, expressed hope that no disruptions would occur during the race. He emphasized that they had contingency plans in place and were collaborating closely with the police to ensure a smooth event. Lock also encouraged potential demonstrators not to interfere with the marathon itself.
Despite the warnings, the Letzte Generation members had previously stated their intention to interrupt the Berlin Marathon. In their statement, they asserted that they couldn’t ignore the looming climate catastrophe and called for a transition away from coal and fossil fuels by 2030. While Germany aims for climate neutrality by 2045, it has reportedly fallen short of its targets for the past two years.
This incident follows a previous action by the climate activists, where they sprayed orange and yellow paint on Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate on September 17. During this protest, more than ten activists used fire extinguishers to apply paint to the gate, continuing their mission to draw attention to the climate crisis.
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