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Activists of the "Last Generation" at a blockade in Cologne
Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
The climate protection movement has so far been emphatically non-violent.
The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, recently saw “no sufficiently weighty factual indications of anti-constitutional efforts” among the activists.
Now, however, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is more cautious about the climate protesters - and warns of the climate protection movement being monopolized by left-wing extremists.
"Actors from the left-wing extremist scene try to influence climate protection groups, make them receptive to their goals, radicalize social protest and delegitimize the state and its institutions," a ministry spokeswoman told the "Handelsblatt".
Radicalization "quite possible"
The President of the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Stephan Kramer, also warns: "There is a risk that the environmental and climate movements 'Fridays for Future' or 'Last Generation', which have not been extremist to date, will be infiltrated by left-wing extremists." exert significant influence on the movements.
"There are already first attempts in this direction." Against this background, a radicalization of the climate protection movement is quite possible, Kramer told the newspaper.
“It is alarming that in parts of the climate scene there seems to be a lack of hope and hopelessness, which leads to thoughts of the end of the world,” says Kramer.
Such a lack of prospects makes one vulnerable to the influence of extremists and can promote radicalization.
As a result, the protests could "become more and more drastic," the Thuringian intelligence chief warned.
Most recently, Haldenwang had described the actions of the climate protection movement at the end of last year as "drastic", but did not classify them as dangerous to the state.
The group is now also committing serious crimes, such as blockades at airports.
These would have to be pursued and punished by the police, public prosecutors and courts.
mrc/AFP
