Not many people came on this Tuesday morning in Berlin. Only ten climate activists stood in a group in front of the Federal Chancellery in bright sunshine. They held up signs with slogans, chanted slogans (“What do we want? Climate justice! When do we want it? Now!”) and tried to acoustically distinguish themselves from a demonstration for a swift Expansion of the railway line between Berlin and Stralsund next door.
It is only a dress rehearsal for the protests that have been announced as being large-scale this Friday. They want to demonstrate for effective climate protection in over 100 places in Germany, as well as in other countries. They are boasting that much has already been achieved through past protests, pointing to German climate goals, the phase-out of coal and the climate protection law. Nevertheless, the climate crisis is escalating. We are still a long way from reaching our goal, and the climate activists argue that the current FloodThey do not lack the energy to name various current crises.
“This is not normal” and “If the gas field were a border, you would have closed it long ago” are the slogans on the banners. One of them reads in capital letters, addressed to the CDU chairman: “@Merz: The world is burning!”. Just a few hundred meters away, the same Friedrich Merz his candidacy for chancellor. Merz and the Union are the enemy of the activists.
The traffic light must use its last year.
Carla Reemtsmaspokesperson for Fridays for Future Germany
“Other parties are jumping on the AfD’s racist narratives and themes and losing sight of what is really important,” says Darya Sotoodeh, one of the spokespersons for Fridays for Future Germany. Friedrich Merz is spreading climate protection disinformation and allowing it within his own ranks, claims Sotoodeh. There are no “climate-neutral combustion engines” or “climate highways” as imagined by top CDU politicians. “Someone like that cannot take on federal political responsibility.”
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The traffic light government is also getting its fair share of criticism. The planned Gas drilling off Borkum were directed against islanders, nature conservation and future generations. Once again, the traffic light coalition has decided against social climate protection – and the promised climate money has not yet been introduced. “The traffic light coalition must use its last year to meet the promised climate targets,” says Carla Reemtsma, spokeswoman for Fridays for Future Germany.
Activists expect several thousand participants at the demonstration in Berlin on Friday. Overall, estimates are more cautious; in 2019, more than 300,000 people took to the streets across Germany.
Climate protection has lost public attention, the activists are under no illusions about that. There are too many crises and conflicts in the world today, says Carla Reemtsma, people’s attention is elsewhere. “It still cannot be that we only talk about AfD issues,” she says. Reemtsma is disappointed with the traffic light government, saying that the many promises have not been kept.
Climate protection must be implemented regardless of disasters. “Too much conflict and constant negotiations in the traffic light coalition are slowing down effective climate protection measures,” says Darya Sotoodeh.
Migration is a climate issue.
Darya Sotoodehspokesperson for Fridays for Future Germany
But what might come after the traffic light coalition, which had made climate protection its mission? Perhaps after a Green climate minister? With a CDU-led federal government, things will get even worse; the CDU is not taking climate protection seriously, says Darya Sotoodeh. Parties like the CDU are adopting climate policy rhetoric from the AfD and spreading anti-climate protection sentiment. “A CDU chancellorship is very risky, even in the face of the climate crisis,” says Sotoodeh, adding that the CDU should not treat climate as it did with migration.
Fridays for Future are also focusing on the topic of the hour, migration. “Even though climate protection and migration are often separated, migration is a climate issue,” says Sotoodeh. Climate change affects flight and migration.
Last July was the hottest month since weather records began, but the issue seems to be losing international relevance. Other issues such as migration and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominate the debate, and in Germany there is also economic stagnation and concern about jobs.
After about an hour, the small gathering in front of the Chancellery disperses. They want to come back on Friday, show their presence, impress the government and the opposition. Will they succeed? It’s questionable.
