After street blockades by climate activists, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office has so far completed 76 proceedings (as of August 4th). In these cases, an application was made to the Tiergarten District Court to issue a penalty order, said a spokesman for the authorities at the request of the German Press Agency. As a rule, it is about imposing fines for coercion and resistance against law enforcement officials.
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.
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A court spokeswoman could not yet provide any information on whether and in how many cases a penalty order was issued. According to the spokesman, the public prosecutor’s office currently has 120 other procedures in connection with blocking climate protection demonstrators. In the meantime, there have also been cases involving blockades in June and July.
Initially, it was mainly about criminal charges after blockades last January.
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. In mid-July, the organization temporarily suspended its blockades and announced further possible actions in the fall.
A few weeks ago, individual politicians and police unions had increasingly called for criminal proceedings against blockers to be accelerated and for people to be convicted more quickly. Justice Senator Lena Kreck (left), however, had decided against interfering in investigations.
However, cooperation between the police and the public prosecutor’s office should be further improved, it said, after none of the proceedings had been completed by the beginning of July. (dpa)
