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With a trembling voice, German climate activist Carla Hinrichs reports in a short video about how her apartment was searched during a raid.

The 26-year-old is one of the most prominent representatives of the “Last Generation”, ie of the climate protection alliance that is trying to enforce measures against the climate crisis through roadblocks or attacks on paintings.

“To apply the law so that the world becomes fairer”, Carla Hinrichs broke off her law studies. She has since devoted her life to activism – and has run afoul of the law on several occasions. Most recently in May this year, when she was sentenced to two months in prison on probation by the court in Frankfurt am Main for multiple roadblocks. The decision did not deter Hinrichs. Shortly after the verdict was announced, she provoked again with a sticking action.

The search of the apartment does not leave the 26-year-old cold either. In short sentences she tells in a video about the raid: “Suddenly the police with bulletproof vests is at your door. And point a gun at you.”

The Bremen resident sees this as an attempt by the state to intimidate: “They are trying to scare me because every day we make it clear to everyone that the government is breaking the constitution.”

Combating (climate) terrorism

The search did not only hit Hinrichs’ apartment, seven people between the ages of 22 and 38 were investigated. Specifically, they are accused of collecting 1.4 million euros in donations to fund crimes for the “last generation”. A total of 170 police officers searched 15 apartments and commercial properties in seven states. The investigation was initiated by the Bavarian Criminal Investigation Department – to combat extremism and terrorism.

To fight terrorism?

“Joking” nicknames such as “climate terrorists” or the designation “climate communists”, as the NZZ recently headlined and translated directly into the vocabulary of the SVP, are not surprising. But a nationwide raid on climate youth to fight terrorism?

violation of the presumption of innocence

That is not the only absurdity of this story. During the search, the “Last Generation” website was blocked – on the grounds that the alliance represents a “criminal organization”. This comment has now been removed – due to bias.

A spokesman admits the error to the BR: It should have been correct that there was a suspicion that the “last generation” represented a criminal organization.

Criticism comes mainly from the left camp. “State prejudice – that’s called political justice,” German federal parliamentarian for the left, Bernd Riexinger, tweeted. The green politician Katharina Schulze finds clear words for the violation: “The investigative authorities should not be judges at the same time.”

The harsh course against climate activists is being discussed beyond the national borders. In Switzerland, Thierry Burkart, party chairman of the FDP, commented on the raids. It is clear to him: glue activism is punishable. Those who do not comply with the citizen protest must be investigated.

In fact, civil disobedience aims to go beyond the boundaries of the law to stimulate debate, point out flaws, challenge politics, or improve a state. The violation of the law is in the foreground. Punishments are consciously accepted. This political participation is morally justified and violence against people is categorically excluded.

UN criticizes treatment of activists

Whether tenacious activism is the right approach is not agreed in climate circles either. One thing is certain: the ‘last generation’ even reached out to the UN, which criticized the way the demonstrators were treated. At the decisive moment, they contributed significantly to the fact that the government had to do much more to protect the climate, says Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in New York. He further says: