Climate activists blocked access to the annual general meeting of German premium carmaker Porsche, part of the Volkswagen group, on Wednesday, denouncing the luxury sector’s impact on global warming.
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A handful of demonstrators, including those from the Last Generation movement, demonstrated in front of the entrance to the brand’s building in Stuttgart (West), where the first annual general meeting was held since the company’s IPO last September.
“What happens when the government has no control? ” showed one of the signs of the movement. In addition, the protesters put their hands on the roadway to block traffic.
They denounce the influence they believe Porsche has on government policy and deplore the delay in the fight against global warming.
Nevertheless, the Annual General Meeting was able to start on time and Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, was delighted with the brand’s record profit.
However, with a banner in hand, an activist interrupted her speech to protest against the Nazi past of Ferdinand Porsche, the company’s founder.
“Dispossess the heirs of the Nazis,” she announced, before being thrown out of the room a few seconds later in the arms of a security guard.
It’s not the first time climate activists have disrupted a Volkswagen event. Last Generation had already invited to a rally in front of the plant in Stuttgart to celebrate the Porsche anniversary on June 8th.
At the end of May last year, the group’s annual general meeting was even disrupted by a cream cake thrown at the members of the supervisory board, including Wolfgang Porsche, a member of the manufacturer’s heiress family.
Beyond automobiles, it is the entire luxury sector that is being targeted by activists who criticize the lack of contribution of the wealthy to the fight against climate change.
Last generation have multiplied their actions in recent weeks, be it last week in Neustadt (Baltic Sea) where they dyed the water green, or in early June on the North Sea island of Sylt, known for its luxurious villas.
“Your luxury, our drought,” they summarized on their posters.