By Corinna Schwanhold, dpa I Sunday, June 25, 2023
MUNICH – The Munich District Court had issued orders against group members on suspicion of forming or supporting a criminal organization, including for the interception of telecommunications, the authority told dpa.
The move reflects growing concern about the group’s radical tactics to draw attention to the climate crisis, with some of their protests causing damage to private property.
The activists say they will target the wealthy to highlight that the climate catastrophe was “primarily caused by the rich.”
The wiretapping orders were executed by the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office on behalf of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported earlier that the authority had numerous conversations between activists and journalists intercepted for months.
“It must be clarified that the orders were not directed at journalists,” a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said.
“However, these were affected by the measures due to calls made via the monitored telephone numbers.”
The proportionality of the surveillance was constantly checked before and during its implementation, the spokesperson added. The Attorney General’s office had come to the conclusion, as it had before issuing the orders, that the measures corresponded to the nature of the allegations.
“In this regard, the constitutional status of freedom of the press was of course weighed up accordingly,” the spokesperson said.
Last Generation activists stoked calls for criminal action against them with their stunts to highlight environmental harm caused by fossil fuels.
These included gluing themselves to roads, abseiling from motorway bridges and throwing food at famous artworks.
Most recently, the group’s members sprayed Deutsche Bank property in the eastern German city of Chemnitz, as well as a five-star hotel and a private jet on the North Sea tourist island of Sylt.
