11.07.2022, Berlin: Demonstranten der Gruppe «Letzte Generation» sitzen am ehemaligen ICC Berlin auf der Straße und blockieren den Verkehr. An zahlreichen Stellen in der Stadt haben die Aktivisten erneut Straßen blockiert. Foto: Paul Zinken/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

After street blockades by climate activists, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office has completed the first proceedings. At the Tiergarten district court, 17 cases had been requested to issue a penalty order, said a spokesman for the authority on Wednesday on request. As a rule, it is about imposing fines for coercion and resistance against law enforcement officials.

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If the court agrees to the motions, the punishment will be carried out without an oral hearing against the accused. However, they could defend themselves against it, so that it would come to a process.

According to the spokesman, there are currently 175 procedures in connection with the blocking of climate protection demonstrators, in five of these cases the identity of the accused could not be clarified so far. More procedures are being added every day.

The public prosecutor’s office had recently reported hundreds of criminal complaints to the police after blockades last January. From the point of view of the public prosecutor, however, the investigations were in no case sufficient to conclude them until the beginning of July.

Recently, individual politicians and police unions have increasingly called for criminal proceedings against blockers to be accelerated and people to be convicted more quickly. Justice Senator Lena Kreck (left), however, spoke out firmly against interference in investigations. It had been agreed with the interior authorities to further optimize cooperation between the police and the public prosecutor’s office, she said last week.

The group “Last Generation” had recently repeatedly blocked streets in the Berlin city area. She calls on the federal government to take more action to combat climate change. Last week, the organization suspended its blockades for the time being and announced further possible actions in the fall. (dpa)