User:OberMegaTrans/ss2023/LetzteGeneration

Road blocks at Berlin Central station (2022)

The Last Generation (German: Letzte Generation, pronounced [ˈlɛt͡stə ˌɡeːnəʁaˈt͡sjoːn], Italian: Ultima Generazione) is a group of climate change activists mostly active in Germany, Italy, and Austria. In 2022, the group performed 276 road blockades in Germany. In Rome, they threw soup at a van Gogh painting behind glass, called The Sower. In Potsdam, they threw mashed potatoes onto a Monet painting. None of the artworks they attacked were damaged. Their civil disobedience methods, such as desecrating artworks or blocking roads, have met with mixed reactions from the public, including expressions of outrage and threats of violence.

The group was formed by participants of the 2021 Hungerstreik der letzten Generation which had blockaded highways in Berlin. They chose their name to signal that Earth is approaching climate tipping points, and that their generation is the last one that can prevent climate collapse.

Goals and topics

The group states that there is a climate emergency, and demands that citizens decide their own future by implementing society councils, while the cost of solving the climate crisis should not be borne by workers, but rather by the rich. The group demands a debt cut and payments to states of the Global South as compensation for climate change.

In early 2023, the group declared parliamentarian democracy to be unfit for dealing with the climate crisis and demanded the implementation of "Society councils" to work out emergency measures. The members of those councils should be selected by sortition from various backgrounds and age classes. Existing conventional political institutions would be obliged to implement the councils' decisions exactly as agreed.

Methods

A Freiburg emergency doctor uses solving agent to remove the palm of a Last Generation activist from street asphalt. The back of the activist's hand shows text about the glue (2022).

The Last Generation's main method is road blockades, while at the beginning of the movement, the group also frequently distributed food from dumpsters for free.

History of actions

The Last Generation state that they performed 370 actions between January and October 2022.

Grainstacks, 1890, Hasso Plattner Collection, on permanent loan at the Museum Barberini, Potsdam (Sold for $110.7 million on Sotheby's May 14, 2019.) W1273

In October 2022, two Last Generation activists threw mashed potatoes at a Monet painting behind glass, titled Grainstacks. The painting is part of the impressionism collection of Hasso Plattner, a German billionaire, at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany. Plattner reportedly paid 111 million euros for the painting in 2019. The painting was left undamaged. However, the museum stated that the frame was damaged, and estimated that its restoration would incur a five-figure cost in euros.

Similarly, in November 2022, the Last Generation threw soup at 'The Sower' by Vincent van Gogh, also behind glass, at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, Italy. The painting, which was on loan from the Dutch Kröller-Müller Museum, suffered no damage, like another van Gogh painting targeted by a similar protest by Just Stop Oil two weeks earlier in London.

In February 2023, motorists attempted to remove Last Generation protesters from a motorway near the event venue ICC Berlin, with one car driver running over a protester's foot. The police were at the scene and initiated criminal proceedings against the driver, on suspicion of simple bodily harm.

In April 2023, the group protested at the Berlin ePrix, a Formula E electric car race, by gluing themselves to the track and support vehicles right before the start. That same month, the use by police of pain compliance techniques to disperse a Letzte Generation road blockade came under public and legal scrutiny in Germany.

In May 2023, an emergency patient died in congestion caused by the Last Generation in Vienna, Austria. A speaker of the group stated that it had made the mistake of not informing the ambulance service centre.

On 23 May 2023, two activists from the group poured mud over themselves outside the Senate building in Rome to protest fossil fuel use. They also drew attention to the devastating effects of floods linked to climate change, such as those which had recently hit the Emilia-Romagna region. The group had previously poured black liquid into the Trevi Fountain in Rome and glued themselves to a piece of art in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

First note from the Munich General Prosecutor's Office, described the group as 'criminal'. That wording was later removed.

In May 2023, 170 police officers conducted raids on flats around Germany, arresting activists, shutting down the group's website, and freezing accounts linked to the group. The authorities claimed the group was using the website to raise funds for "further criminal acts", stating at least 1.4 million euros had been collected. Two of the group's members were alleged to have planned an attack on an oil pipeline in Bavaria.

Funding

In late 2022, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported that the Last Generation pays its activists up to 1,300 euros per month. The money is paid out by an organisation called "Wandelbündnis" in Berlin, but originates from the Climate Emergency Fund in the United States.

Last Generation (Germany, Austria, and Italy) are part of the A22 network funded by the Climate Emergency Fund, together with Renovate Switzerland, Dernière Rénovation in France, Just Stop Oil in the UK (Stopp oljeletinga in Norway), and other groups in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the US.

Activists

Some of the activists are recruited from participants of the “Last Generation’s Hunger Strike” (German: “Hungerstreiks der letzen Generation”), who had gone on a hunger strike before the 2021 German federal election in Berlin’s government district (German: Berliner Regierungsviertel), in order to call attention to climate change, its consequences and the responsibility of the coming German federal government. Organizationally has a core group developed, that makes the decisions. In addition, there are various smaller working groups. According to the German daily newspaper, “Die Welt”, the activists are internally categorized according to how far they go in actions. There is classification in the category “Yeses” (German: "Jas") for willingness to be arrested, the category “Jakk” for “Yes, but no prison” (German: “Ja, aber kein Knast”) and the category “Nos” (German: “Neins”) for logistical supporters. Based on the categorization, affinity groups would be set up for carrying out actions. An “investigation panel” is available to arrested activists, plus psychologists from the group “Psychologists for Future”.

The age of the activists ranges from 19 to 73 years. According to Die Welt, a German national daily newspaper, they are predominantly employed professionals, including caregivers and professors. The exact number of members is unclear, in 2022 the estimated numbers ranged from 80 to 600 . In December 2022, one activist stated that the actions began with 30 people and had grown to 750. According to Welt am Sonntag, a German Sunday newspaper, in February 2023, the personal data of over 2200 individuals was found in a publicly accessible list. In early 2023, journalist Raphael Thelen joined the group. New activists are also sought through job fairs, especially among FLINTA* individuals for tasks such as initial contact with interested parties and individuals in a call center or for a "prison working group" to provide prison training, support for relatives, and networking with prison chaplains and psychologists.The term FLINTA* is a German abbreviation (Frauen, Lesben, intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinäre, trans und agender) which stands for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender individuals with the asterisk representing all non-binary gender identities..

Controversy

Two Last Generation activists did not appear in court in Bad Cannstatt in early 2023. They were on trial for blocking a federal highway in late 2022. News reports emerged that they had flown to Bali on holiday. However, the Last Generation issued a statement pointing out that their members had actually travelled to Thailand and that this had been agreed to by the court. They booked the flights as private individuals, not as activists, the group said. These two things should be treated differently, the statement went on.

External links

• Website for Germany
• Website for Austria
• Website for Italy

Aktivisten

Ein Teil der Aktivisten rekrutiert sich aus Teilnehmern des „Hungerstreiks der letzten Generation“, die vor der Bundestagswahl 2021 im Berliner Regierungsviertel in den Hungerstreik getreten waren, um auf den Klimawandel, dessen Auswirkungen und die Verantwortung der kommenden Bundesregierung aufmerksam zu machen. Organisatorisch habe sich eine Kerngruppe entwickelt, die Entscheidungen trifft. Darüber hinaus gebe es verschiedene kleinere Arbeitsgruppen. Laut der Tageszeitung Die Welt seien die Aktivisten intern danach kategorisiert, wie weit sie bei den Aktionen gehen. Es gebe eine Einstufung in die Kategorie „Jas“ für die Bereitschaft, sich festnehmen zu lassen, die Kategorie „Jakk“ für „Ja, aber kein Knast“ und die Kategorie „Neins“ für logistische Unterstützer. Anhand der Kategorisierung würden zur Durchführung von Aktionen Bezugsgruppen gebildet. Festgenommenen Aktivisten stehe ein „Ermittlungsausschuss“ zur Verfügung, darüber hinaus Psychologen der Gruppe „Psychologists for Future“.

Das Alter der Aktivisten reicht von etwa 19 Jahren bis zu 73 Jahren. Laut Die Welt sind sie mehrheitlich berufstätig, u. a. als Pflegekräfte und Professoren. Die genaue Zahl der Mitglieder ist unklar; Schätzungen reichen im Jahr 2022 von 80 bis 600 bzw. mehreren Hundert Mitgliedern. Eine Aktivistin gab im Dezember 2022 an, die Aktionen hätten mit 30 Menschen begonnen, die auf 750 angewachsen seien. Laut Welt am Sonntag befanden sich im Februar 2023 in einer öffentlich zugänglichen Liste persönliche Daten von mehr als 2200 Personen. Anfang 2023 schloss sich der Journalist Raphael Thelen der Gruppierung an. Neue Aktivisten werden auch mittels „Jobbörse“ insbesondere unter FLINTA*-Personen gesucht, z. B. für den Erstkontakt mit Interessenten im „Callcenter“ oder für eine „Gefängnis-AG“, um u. a. „Gefängnistraining“, Angehörigenunterstützung und „Vernetzung mit Gefängnisseelsorgern und -psychologen“ zu leisten.

Anfang Februar 2023 wehrte sich die Gruppe gegen Vorwürfe aufgrund eines privaten Langstreckenflugs zweier Aktivisten ihrerseits mit dem Vorwurf der Doppelmoral. Man habe

ein Haar in der Suppe gefunden

und

[s]ie haben den Flug als Privatleute gebucht, nicht als Klimaschützer. Das muss man auseinanderhalten können.

Part One

Some of the activists are recruited from participants of the “Last Generation’s Hunger Strike” (German: “Hungerstreiks der letzen Generation”), who had gone on a hunger strike before the 2021 German federal election in Berlin’s government district, in order to call attention to climate change, its consequences and the responsibility of the coming German federal government. Organizationally has a core group developed, that makes the decisions. In addition, there are various smaller working groups. According to the German daily newspaper, “Die Welt”, the activists are internally categorized according to how far they go in actions. There is classification in the category “Yeses” (German: "Jas") for willingness to be arrested, the category “Jakk” for “Yes, but no prison” (German: “Ja, aber kein Knast”) and the category “Nos” (German: “Neins”) for logistical supporters. Based on the categorization, affinity groups would be set up for carrying out actions. An “investigation panel” is available to arrested activists, plus psychologists from the group “Psychologists for Future”.

Note: Finished translation, still need to proofread it a little bit but totally ready for proofreading. Also added the english article for letzte generation above - I though we could insert our section into that, make it look like a publishable article for class.

comments: good translation!, the sentence "organizationally..." is missing a subject I think. good idea with the rest of the english article! We can totally do that right before class after all our proofreading and changes

Part Two

The age of the activists ranges from 19 to 73 years. According to “Die Welt”, a German national daily newspaper, they are predominantly employed professionals, including caregivers and professors. The exact number of members is unclear, in 2022 the estimated numbers ranged from 80 to 600. In December 2022, one activist stated that the actions began with 30 people and had grown to 750. According to “Welt am Sonntag”, a German Sunday newspaper, in February 2023, the personal data of over 2200 individuals was found in a publicly accessible list. In early 2023, journalist Raphael Thelen joined the group. New activists are also sought through a job market particularly among FLINTA* individuals, for tasks such as initial contact with interested parties and individuals in a call center or for a "prison working group" to provide prison training, support for relatives, and networking with prison chaplains and psychologists. In early February 2023, the group defended itself against accusations of hypocrisy regarding a private long-distance flight taken by two activists. They countered that someone had found a flaw, and they had booked the flight as private individuals, not as climate activists. It is important to distinguish between the two.

comment: This is only the text part, I will add the links and references until Thursday, couldn't make it yet, I'm sorry!

Comments - MadeOfFe: Good translation, but I think some context would be good for the Flinta sentence. I wrote something out that might work. Also I tried rephrasing the sentence that starts with new activists... It was well translated but it didn't really sound right to me.

New activists are also sought though job fairs, especially among FLINTA* individuals for tasks such as initial contact with interested parties and individuals in a call center or for a "prison working group" to provide prison training, support for relatives, and networking with prison chaplains and psychologists.. This term is an abbreviation and stands for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender individuals (German: Frauen, Lesben, intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinuäre, trans, agender). With the asterisk representing all non-binary gender identities.

Also maybe explain "the haar in der suppe" saying - because I kind of get what it means from your translation but don't really understand it in the context of the sentence.

final part 2:

The age of the activists ranges from 19 to 73 years. According to Die Welt, a German national daily newspaper, they are predominantly employed professionals, including caregivers and professors. The exact number of members is unclear, in 2022 the estimated numbers ranged from 80 to 600 . In December 2022, one activist stated that the actions began with 30 people and had grown to 750. According to Welt am Sonntag, a German Sunday newspaper, in February 2023, the personal data of over 2200 individuals was found in a publicly accessible list. In early 2023, journalist Raphael Thelen joined the group. New activists are also sought through job fairs, especially among FLINTA* individuals for tasks such as initial contact with interested parties and individuals in a call center or for a "prison working group" to provide prison training, support for relatives, and networking with prison chaplains and psychologists. The term FLINTA* is a German abbreviation (Frauen, Lesben, intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinäre, trans und agender) which stands for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender individuals with the asterisk representing all non-binary gender identities. In early February 2023, the group defended itself against accusations of hypocrisy regarding a private long-distance flight taken by two activists. They claimed they had booked the flight as private individuals, not as climate activists and it would be important to distinguish between the two.