Unveiling the Brandenburg Gate Case Against Climate Activists
Almost three months after an infamous paint-splattering event on the prestigious Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has pressed charges against six environmental advocates hailing from the Last Generation group. The accused individuals are facing accusations of criminal property damage and resisting law enforcement officers, according to the authorities.
Three gentlemen and a lady are among those charged, with allegations of involvement in the paint attack that besmirched the symbolic landmark with orange-yellow spray on September 17th. The estimated damage is estimated to amount to 115,000 euros, according to the city's real estate administration.
Continued Investigations
In total, the Public Prosecutor's Office initiated 14 proceedings related to the Last Generation's action, with ongoing investigations. The six proceedings against the accused are primarily fueled by complaints lodged by the suspects against confiscation, a factor that complicates the process.
Clean-up took around two months and was completed at the beginning of December, following the first incident. Tragically, the gate was defiled once more by Last Generation members, approximately two months later, caked in more orange paint.
Exploring Criminal Intentions
The series of actions by the Last Generation has given rise to speculation that they could be classified as a criminal organization. Berlin's Prosecutor General, Margarete Koppers, mentioned the group's more "serious criminal acts" as the primary reason behind this consideration. A Munich Regional Court recently ruled that nationwide searches of members of the Last Generation on suspicion of membership in a criminal organization were legitimate, a decision that Berlin's public prosecutor's office has yet to acknowledge.
Koppers emphasized that the investigation would be conducted without bias, emphasizing that they were not replacing the public prosecutor's office.
A Growing Trial Docket for the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office
Activists from the Last Generation have amassed significant legal problems across Germany, including convictions following street blockades and coercion, but mostly for other offenses. The harsh potential consequences of being convicted of forming a criminal organization, such as five-year minimum prison sentences, provide an added incentive for the authorities.
Since the inception of Last Generation's activities, Berlin's Public Prosecutor's Office alone has managed 3,234 cases, as of December 11th, according to the authorities. In over 99 instances, sentences have been passed against climate activists.
A Multi-City Takedown
In the current case involving the first paint-splattering incident on the Brandenburg Gate, the accusers have indicted three women from Hamburg, Berlin, and Leipzig, as well as three men from Ravensburg, Stuttgart, and Prague.
In accordance with the indictment, the Hamburg and Berlin women allegedly used a fire extinguisher filled with non-water-soluble paint to paint the monument's pillar or coat the ground between pillars. The three other environmental activists are said to have attempted to access the landmark using a lifting platform, hung a banner, and also attempted to spread paint. However, law enforcement officers interfered to prevent them from doing so, resulting in potentially dangerous maneuvers by the officers to gain control of the lifting platform while hanging from the outside.
The trial's commencement at the Tiergarten district court has yet to be scheduled, with the court required to first acknowledge the charges before proceedings may begin.
