Starting February 13, cutting-edge climate activists are planning another wave of action, longer and bigger than the last. And they report a strong influx and (monetary) incentive.
“Disrupt even more and disturb longer than before” – this is the motto of the group “Last Generation” for their next wave of action. The climate activist group is again planning a series of sticky campaigns in the streets of Vienna. That should start Feb. 13 and run for at least two weeks, co-founder Martha Krumpeck and spokesperson Florian Wagner announced on Wednesday.
Since the series of roadblocks in January, the group has apparently grown, with around 300 people coming into contact with the latest generation. 60 to 70 of them also expressed an interest in participating in the controversial sticky actions, which would allow for a “much longer and more intense” protest, Krumpeck said. Before being put out on the street, each person must undergo action training, where they learn how to deal with aggressive drivers, how to protect themselves in case of robbery or how to behave correctly when coming into contact with the police.
Blocking at Naschmarkt
The location of the first action has already been announced for February: the aim is to reach the intersection of Naschmarkt and Getreidemarkt on the Monday after the semester break in Vienna. The other actions will also mostly take place in Vienna, though the exact locations will likely remain under wraps for the most part. Street blockades in particular, but other forms of protest would also be considered.
After all, the eviction of Klimt’s painting at the Leopold Museum “successfully broke the wall of silence about climate catastrophe”, said Krumpeck, who assured in the following sentence: “We don’t want to damage anything and that everything is as safe as possible.” Efforts are also being made to plan the blockages so that any emergency vehicle can bypass them via bike lanes or trolley tracks.
publicly donate
In addition to the strong influx, the activists also received monetary support: exactly 36,869.93 euros from 418 donors were listed in the publicly accessible donation database as of midday on Wednesday. The maximum amount is 2,000 euros. The donations would all come from Austria, assured Krumpeck. “Not a penny” has been received from international initiatives such as oil heiress Aileen Getty’s Climate Emergency Fund, which supports partner organizations in Germany and Britain.
Expenses – these are also listed – were previously spent on equipment such as vests or high-visibility cameras, flyers or renting rooms for events. Paid penalties are not included. This is likely due to the fact that the last generation often complains about administrative penalties – or – as Martha Krumpeck in October – serves alternative prison terms.
In the future, the last generation wants to use donations to pay small salaries for administrative work. Activists themselves are not paid: “There is no money to stay on the streets.”
(two)