Despite usually hugging them, climate activists in Germany have set their sights on Christmas trees throughout Germany. Using well-coordinated and planned attacks, the group of activists spraypainted these massive, publicly displayed trees. Calling themselves “Last Generation,” the group conducted their “protests” at locations in Berlin, Oldenburg, Kiel, Leipzig, Rostock, Nuremberg, and Munich.
In a statement following the demonstrations, the group said, “We call: Let us do everything peaceful together to prevent a world that is 3 degrees hotter. We can’t rely on governments and corporations to do this. We ourselves are called upon to take action and engage in civil disobedience.”
While protesting on their own, this was their first original message. Previously they had glued themselves to the painting titled “Landscape during a Thunderstorm with Pyramus and Thisbe” by Nicolas Poussin. A work housed at the Städel Museum in Frankfort; it was not the first time someone had glued themselves to a famous work of art. Back in 2022, at a London gallery, a duo of unrelated activists glued themselves to a Vincent van Gough painting.
Targeting Christmas like this over climate change is absurd. These trees are cared for better than these people care for their kids. When cut down, laws and basic conservation dictate that saplings be planted to replace the ones they cut down. If they don’t, then they lack trees to harvest going forward, thus, making it a poor business model.
In response to the attacks, malls across Europe and even the US have upped the frequency of their security rounds. These more frequent visits should help deter if not outright prevent, these activists from their so-called “civil disobedience.”
