From the first meter onwards, this year’s Berlin Marathon should be particularly harmonious. Kai Wegner (CDU) wasn’t even allowed to fire a starting shot just press a red buzzer.
The climate activists of the “Last Generation” alone didn’t want to play along on Sunday morning. Even before the governing mayor could trumpet the world record hunteight demonstrators stormed onto the Straße des 17. Juni, held up banners and poured orange paint on the running route – just a few hundred meters behind the starting line.
Some had each other Jackets from last year’s marathon volunteers in order to approach the barriers inconspicuously. They still didn’t achieve much: the organizer’s police and law enforcement officers were quickly there to carry the activists off the street.
A participant in the marathon runs through orange paint that was poured onto the route by activists from the climate protection group “Last Generation” during a protest. © dpa/Sebastian Gollnow
Wegner sent at exactly a quarter past nine almost 48,000 runners Come on. Some trudged through the puddles of paint, many were guided past by stewards.
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In terms of sport, the failed blockade attempt had no consequences: Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge won the race in 2:02:42 hours, one of the best times ever run; The Ethiopian Tigist Assefa even beat the previous women’s world record by more than two minutes and crossed the finish line in 2:11:53 hours.
The marathon protest was also controversial internally
“Yes, we are interrupting the Berlin Marathon,” the “Last Generation” announced quite naturally on Friday. But the plan was also controversial internally: “If the marathon is seriously disrupted, I’m out“Wrote an activist on Saturday in an internal chat that the Tagesspiegel was able to view. “Nürburgring ok, but marathon really isn’t possible.”
The police were prepared: More than a thousand emergency services were posted along the route on Sunday – and also addressed “target people” who were between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column and who had already been spotted at “Last Generation” events.
The activists face a fine of 2,000 euros
The color attack before the start was not the only attempt at disruption: as the police announced in the afternoon, the officers prevented it There are several other activities further along the route the “Last Generation”. The accused were observed during preparatory actions and emergency services intervened immediately, said a spokeswoman.
In total Police temporarily arrested 31 people in connection with the climate protests. Some of them have already been released after their personal details have been recorded, said the spokeswoman. It was initially unclear whether the police would subsequently take other suspects into custody.
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However, the activists are threatened Fine of 2000 euros per person. In the run-up to the event, the police issued a general decree banning unregistered climate protests in the area surrounding the marathon.
“We are doing this because we are in an emergency. In existential danger!“, the group explained their attempts to disrupt. “We are just as sorry to interrupt the everyday life of a craftsman as we are to interrupt the long-awaited competition of a runner,” it said, alluding to the road blockades with which the activists repeatedly cause traffic jams in Berlin.
More about “Last Generation”:
Berlin facing a new wave of blockades “A lot of input, little democracy” – the “Last Generation” system Drought is good for “Last Generation” Mysterious dye on the Brandenburg Gate is particularly strong “Last Generation” founder Guttmann “I also think road blockades are shitty”
“Please send any complaints about this protest directly to the federal government,” the group continued. And sent also a threat with: “Do you want to see us again at the next big event or do you finally want to listen to us? It’s also about you and everyone you love!” In a press release, the activists claimed that they had “disrupted the Berlin Marathon.” In fact, the protest wasn’t even shown on television. (with dpa)
2023-09-25 07:36:39
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