German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday criticized climate activists, whom he called “crazy people”, for drastic protests such as blocking streets or adhering to famous paintings in museums.
“I think it’s completely crazy that someone sticks to a painting or to the street,” Scholz said during a visit to a primary school in the town of Kleinmachnow, on the outskirts of Berlin, the German news agency DPA reported.
The foreign minister added that he does not believe that anyone’s opinion on climate change can be changed with this type of action and that, on the contrary, these protests irritate people.
Members of a group called Last Generation have blocked roads in Germany to pressure the government to take stronger action against climate change.
In recent weeks they have managed to stop traffic in Berlin almost every day, sticking to busy intersections and highways.
During some of the most recent months, they have also been attached to various paintings in Berlin and other cities.
While some support the protesters’ fight for climate protection, others, particularly angry drivers stuck in traffic, have tried to forcefully remove them, despite warnings from authorities that drivers do not behave like observers.
The Last Generation wants to end the use of fossil fuels in Germany by 2030 and short-term measures such as imitating the maximum speed on motorways at 100 kilometers per hour, as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
Despite his criticism of activists today, Scholz is committed to transforming the German economy to make it greener and more environmentally friendly.
The German government guarantees that the protection of the environment is one of its priorities. Among its objectives is the reduction by 2030 of greenhouse gases by at least 65% of 1990 levels and a sharp increase in the production of renewable energy, ceasing to resort to fossil fuels.
Source: TSF
