"Fridays for Future" at Unis: Climate change vs. exams

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Reporting on climate change is one of the major journalistic challenges of our time. The climate crisis is also one of the most important issues of humanity for SPIEGEL. For this reason, we support an international initiative that seeks to take a look this week: "Covering Climate Now" has been initiated by the Columbia Journalism Review and the Canadian newspaper "The Nation", with more than 200 media companies worldwide including the Guardian, El País, La Repubblica, The Times of India, Bloomberg or Vanity Fair. SPIEGEL is dedicating the cover story of the current issue to the climate crisis this week and every day pays special attention to mirror.de

In Hanover, the "Public Climate School" begins in the large physics hall, room E214, building 1101. Approximately one hundred students have come to the lecture "The Energy Balance Equation: the linchpin of energy conversion" this morning. 8.30, tired faces.

Actually Thermodynamik I is on the program today, compulsory event for mechanical engineers in the third semester. "But on the occasion of this great week of action, I would like to express my sympathy and have therefore reorganized something," says Stephan Kabelac, professor of thermodynamics. "Who is here as a guest?" He asks, looking around. Only one student shows laughter in the lecture hall.

The Public Climate School is the attempt of the "Students for Future" to bring the climate protest to universities. Nationwide, students have called for boycotting the regular university business. Alternative workshops, seminars and lectures will take place at more than 80 universities until Friday, open to all sections of the population. Together they want to discuss the effects and solutions of the climate crisis, the "Students for Future" wish. In addition there is vegan breakfast in the morning in Hannover and a climate pub in the evening.

Testing is going on

Nevertheless, the strike week is rather sluggish - because hardly anyone wants to strike. The lecture "Approaches to the Defossilization of our Energy System" at noon will attract around 20 non-specialists. Nearly twice as many students leave the lecture hall when it becomes clear that the regular lecture is not taking place. No time, Wednesday are exams, some say.

A group of students is sitting in the foyer of the main building, construction and environmental engineering in the first semester they study, in front of them piled green flyers of the "Public Climate School". Professors have pointed out the events around climate change and encouraged them to participate, they say. The regular lectures would take place anyway. Maybe she'll go to the demo on Friday, says a student - some of the classmates wave away.

While the students of "Fridays for Future" have been taking to the streets for less than a year, the "Students for Future" has officially been open since this summer. Although many students were involved in the student protests from the beginning, they did not act as an independent movement.

"The students have slowly merged," says Sebastian Koos of the University of Konstanz. "I think they wanted to support and sustain the success of the students, but not take over."

Alternating academics share in the protests

In a study Koos has studied the proportion of students in four protests in Konstanz: While in March 2019, only about one in ten participants came from a university or college, it was already 40 percent in April. In May, about a quarter of protesters were still enrolled at a university - a similar proportion in the global climate strike on 20 September.

Why did the students take so long? A school class, Koos says, can be easier to organize than students who sit in different courses every semester.

In addition, a strike at schools has a different effect than at universities: "Students are responsible for themselves, whether they come to the lectures or not." Boycotts of lectures simply do not generate so much attention, "says Koos.

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Perhaps also because the protest, as in Hanover, is rather restrained. In lectures such as "Influence of snow reflection on radiation" or "The CO2 footprint of urban water management", students do exactly what school leaders, parents and politicians demand of students every Friday: not just demanding, but thinking ahead.

"Within the law and the law"

Nevertheless, the "Students for Future" in Hanover have long considered whether this is enough: lectures storm, as in the case of Lucke at the University of Hamburg? Farmer Maulawy, who co-organizes the protests in Hanover and studies political science in the seventh semester, says: "That was too radical for us, and we want to involve all, rather than scare them away."

In some cities, students act more radically: since Monday, they occupy lecture halls at the University of Siegen, the TU Dresden and the FU Berlin. For example, activists in Dresden said on Twitter that climate justice at the university has been "marginalized for years". The occupation is a legitimate means to call for action.

The topic #limit justice has been marginalized by the TU Dresden for years. Too little has happened for us so far - despite many discussions. We see # occupation as a legitimate means to urge @tudresden_de to act immediately. # dd2511 # HSZfuersKlima https://t.co/EhCjZVEjnK

The same is true of FU Berlin students: The cast is necessary for students to organize themselves and finally do something, says Roberto Sanchiño, studying philosophy and political science in the fifth semester. They want to occupy the auditorium by Thursday and create political demands in working groups such as "Participation", "Mobility" or "Biodiversity", as they have decided at a General Assembly with more than 200 votes. Against: four.

Compared to SPIEGEL, the FUU states that it supports when students are committed to socially relevant topics - "within the law and the law". On the other hand, occupations are generally not seen as a "suitable means of protest". Sanchiño says, "If those responsible in the university administration feel the protest, they can not ignore us."

Attention or content?

The dilemma of the students: Organize workshops, lectures or movie nights, but still not many. On the other hand, if they become more radical, they may scare off those who are actually interested in the movement. Because unlike more radical climate groups, the students have so far managed to make the protest positive and open to many.

Organizer Faruk Maulawy still says on Monday afternoon in Hannover, when only a few are frolicking in the workshops: "I think it's good that we are dealing with climate change in terms of content - but how effective is that when hardly anyone perceives us?" The movement is growing steadily, so Maulawy. Nevertheless, he has lately often heard from friends and acquaintances who did not join on Fridays: Politics was so lazy, it changes anyway anyway little.

The students have a similar problem: if they take to the streets, they are sure to attract the attention of teachers, parents and politicians. "But then all talk about the strikes - and not why we go on strike," says Carla Reemtsma, press officer of "Fridays for Future".

Attention from many parts of the population, content dealing with climate change, to be taken seriously - all at the same time seems to be difficult to achieve. "Maybe it takes the next step, the strikes of the students, the occupation of lecture theaters - otherwise nothing will happen," says Reemtsma.

Throughout the day, Faruk Maulawy scrolls through chat history, students keep up to date with pictures and news: What happens in Hamburg, what happens in Berlin? More and more news of occupations are coming in, and Maulawy is considering: Do not you still have to plan something in Hanover?

Something loud, really big?

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