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20 Jun 2023, 12:18
Jessica Bateman

Last Generation climate activists target Germany's “super-rich” island of Sylt

Focus Online

German climate activists from the Last Generation ('Letzte Generation') group are turning their attention to the “super-rich” with a number of actions on the North Sea island of Sylt. Protestors on the island, which is known as a gathering spot for the ultra-wealthy, have targeted private jets, golf courses and luxury boutiques. According to Focus Online, activists spraypainted a private jet at Sylt airport on 6 June, and a few days later planted flowers and trees on a golf course in the town of Hörnum. They also used fire extinguishers to paint a luxury boutique and jewellery shop orange. Police have arrested six people aged between 21 and 63 over the boutique incident, with five of them now banned from entering Sylt for two weeks.

The Last Generation group's protests so far have largely focussed on blocking road traffic in major cities and other acts of civil disobedience to alert the public to insufficient emissions reduction policies. The activists's actions have drawn critcism especially from conservative politicians, but also from the Green Party, centre-left chancellor Olaf Scholz and many citizens, who argue that the form of protest is causing rejection rather than acceptance of more rigorous climate policies among the wider public. In an apparent change of strategy, Last Generation recently announced that they will target "rich" people, as these proportionally contribute more to global warming thant other groups of society.

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