On Wednesday, the German authorities carried out a nationwide campaign against the climate group Letzte Generation (last generation).
German climate activists have gone further and further in their actions and increasingly appear to be a danger to society.
Many believe their activism can be reminiscent of systematic social sabotage, bordering on terrorist activity.
Now the authorities have seen the seriousness of the actions by these extremists and have intervened in the form of a major police operation.
A total of 15 properties in seven states across Germany were raided by German police on Wednesday, reports NTB-DPA.
The action is connected with charges against seven of the group’s members who are suspected of either supporting or forming a criminal organisation. The group has typically campaigned by, among other things, blocking roads or desecrating works of art.
The main charge is that the seven, who are between 22 and 38 years old, collected at least 1.4 million euros, just under NOK 17 million, to finance offences committed by the group.
Police have taken action against properties in the states of Hesse, Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria, Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein. In addition, the group’s website was shut down.
Around 170 police officers took part in the action, according to German police authorities.
Such groups are largely fronted by gullible, naive young people who think they are part of something big and important. But there can be cynical backers pulling the strings in what are criminal networks.
Similar groups have also carried out this type of so-called climate action in a number of other European countries, including Norway. Document has on several occasions mentioned the group Extinction Rebellion and their inventions in Oslo and other cities.
The police in this country have investigated this group, but it is unknown if and possibly when the Norwegian police will take action similar to that carried out by the Germans.