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Truck driver steps up 'Last Generation' activists – investigation launched

After the violent attack allegedly by a truck driver on an activist from the "Last Generation" movement during the blockade of Hamburg's Elbe bridges, the police have initiated investigations.

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Truck driver steps up 'Last Generation' activists – investigation launched

After the violent attack allegedly by a truck driver on an activist from the "Last Generation" movement during the blockade of Hamburg's Elbe bridges, the police have initiated investigations. A police spokesman told the German Press Agency on Sunday that she was aware of several witness reports and videos in this context.

This includes the video in which a man pulls one of the activists off the street and kicks him in the stomach. This had previously appeared on social networks. "This incident happened before the police came in," said a police spokesman on Saturday about the action. A dpa photographer also reported that drivers reacted aggressively to the blockade with kicks and punches.

Several activists blocked the Elbe bridges towards the city center on Saturday, causing significant traffic jams. According to the police, four people had stuck themselves to the street with quick-setting concrete in the morning. Traffic came to a standstill. The protest action was over in the afternoon. According to the police, it took until the early evening for the kilometers of traffic jams to clear up.

Investigations were initiated against the blockers, among other things, on suspicion of coercion. A total of seven people were taken into custody after the action on Saturday. Two of them are still in custody. A judge is considering longer-term detention, police said.

Since the Elbe tunnel and the A7 will be closed until Monday morning due to construction work and the Elbe bridges are the only way to get to Hamburg from the south, significant traffic disruptions can be expected. The activists themselves said they had also parked two vans across the street.

Only on Thursday did the climate extremists obstruct traffic on the Köhlbrandbrücke with a similar action, a few days before that there was an attempt to glue over the protective glass of a picture in the Hamburger Kunsthalle. A kind of ultimatum to Hamburg's mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) expired last week, asking him to lobby the federal ministries for the group's concerns. Tschentscher refused, but representatives of the SPD and Greens parliamentary groups met with the activists. But that didn't mean the end of the action. As also became known at the weekend through a report by WELT AM SONNTAG, the University of Hamburg has so far waived the demand for 18,000 euros that was used to repair damage caused ten months ago by the "last generation" in the university's main auditorium had been.

CDU faction leader Dennis Thering is now calling for more toughness from the Senate. "It is enough! After the occupation of the Köhlbrandbrücke, so-called climate activists are now sticking to the Elbe bridges and blocking drivers and goods traffic again. This has absolutely nothing to do with climate and environmental protection. These rioters must be hit with the full force of the rule of law.” The costs incurred for the operations would have to be fully charged to those who caused them, according to Thering. Other federal states would show how to do it, “here”, according to Thering, “the blockers face severe prison sentences. Peter Tschentscher and his red-green senate must no longer let these chaotic people dance around on their noses.”

"Kick-off Politics" is WELT's daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.

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