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Scene of the accident in Berlin (October 31): A 44-year-old cyclist was run over by a concrete mixer
Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa
To make matters worse, there was also a communication breakdown: the 44-year-old cyclist, who was trapped under a concrete mixer in a traffic accident in Berlin-Wilmersdorf on Monday, was initially declared dead by the police after a misunderstanding.
A little later, the authorities corrected their statement: the woman was brain dead and would continue to be treated in intensive care.
A police spokesman apologized.
The case has sparked a nationwide debate.
Not because another cyclist was hit by a truck in a major German city.
But mainly because there is a connection with the climate protest of the "last generation": On the day of the accident, two demonstrators climbed onto a sign bridge on the Berlin city highway and stuck there.
The police blocked two of the three lanes in the middle of the morning rush hour.
The action caused a traffic jam in which, according to a spokesman for the fire brigade, a special vehicle that was supposed to help free the injured person under the truck also got into it.
Since the so-called rescue vehicle was not available for the foreseeable future, the rescuers had to improvise at the scene of the accident.
According to the "Tagesspiegel", the special device arrived at the scene about seven to nine minutes later than would have been the case if the journey had been free - at that time the woman had already been freed by other means.
How exactly and whether the delay could have had an impact on the health of the cyclist – the fire brigade did not provide any information.
The climate protest at Dreieck Funkturm and the serious consequences of the accident in Wilmersdorf: It will be difficult to determine whether there was a causal connection between these two events.
The only thing that seems clear at first is that a cyclist is brain dead because a cement mixer ran her over.
The exact course of the accident must and will be determined, the behavior of the truck driver and the cyclist must and will be clarified.
Then, perhaps, it will be possible to say how the accident happened and who is responsible to what extent.
The uncertainties are difficult to bear
But before that there are many unanswered questions: Did the rescue vehicle of the fire brigade actually arrive later than expected at the scene of the accident simply because of the traffic jam?
Was the traffic jam actually caused and entirely due to the climate activists?
Delays are common in Berlin commuter traffic;
A fire department spokesman said that the formation of a rescue lane was also problematic given the size of the vehicle.
What is the probability that the woman could have been saved if the fire department's special equipment had arrived sooner?
These uncertainties and ambiguities are difficult to endure.
And so, in the hours and days after the tragedy, the blame was quickly at hand again, and not just on social media.
more on the subject
After the concrete mixer accident in Berlin: climate activists of the "last generation" want to continue actions
Police correct themselves: Cyclist declared brain dead after accident with concrete mixer in Berlin
Possible delay in rescue operation in Berlin: Can the climate demonstrators be prosecuted? By Jean-Pierre Ziegler
The indignation looks for the context as it suits it.
This is particularly seductive in this case, because the climate gluers and climbers are actually taking civil society hostage for their goals, putting their goals above almost everything, seeking confrontation with the majority.
The anger of the citizens at a hustle and bustle that puts the motorists in the pillory is not only understandable, it is also intended by the activists.
The adhesives don't care that employees are late for work and craftsmen don't come to construction sites where they should possibly install climate-friendly technology.
They don't care that police officers have more important things to do than laboriously removing their hands from the asphalt.
"Crossed the line of legitimate protest"
Shortly after the accident, the pressure on climate activists increased.
With the news of the cyclist's brain death, they felt even more pressure to justify themselves.
"When crimes are committed and other people are endangered, every line of legitimate protest is exceeded," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) of the German Press Agency.
“None of this has anything to do with a democratic debate.
The criminals must be prosecuted quickly and consistently.«
Katja Mast, first parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, told SPIEGEL that she considers "parts of the climate protests with their extortionate actions to be anti-democratic".
She was not just referring to the protest on the streets of Berlin, but explicitly included the case in her criticism.
"Art is vandalized, roads blocked and infrastructure damaged - in Berlin rescue vehicles did not arrive in time for a life-threatening injury," said Mast.
Democracy should not allow itself to be blackmailed.
»I personally think that the judiciary has to be tough on repeat offenders.«
The police union (GdP) even called for a ban on the »Last Generation« protest group to be examined.
In view of the cyclist's accident in Berlin, it must be clarified quickly how long the rule of law will continue to be enforced, said GdP federal chairman Jochen Kopelke.
»The protests of the activists are getting out of control.
We think it's enough.«
The two demonstrators from the Berlin city highway are a 63-year-old and a 59-year-old.
A preliminary investigation is underway against them for failure to provide assistance or for the obstruction of persons providing assistance.
Criminal law experts such as lawyer Ulrike Paul consider it unlikely that they could also be prosecuted in direct connection with the cyclist's brain death.
The "last generation" was dismayed by the latest developments.
"It hits us deeply that the cyclist who was seriously injured in an accident by a cement mixer in Berlin on Monday has now been declared brain dead," said activist Henning Jeschke.
He also referred to the growing hostilities.
»We hear a lot of information, including untruths, spread by the big media.
We should stick to solid facts, as we did in the climate catastrophe,” said Jeschke.
»We call on the media to present reality as such without inciting incitement.«
When asked whether the woman's brain death would change anything about the protest actions, he said: "As long as our highest political organs break our common constitution with an announcement because they are destroying our livelihoods, we will offer peaceful resistance."
The activists wanted to disturb the peace, but now the public suspects they have someone on their conscience in Berlin.
Nothing has been proven, but many have already made their judgment.
With material from the dpa news agency