Activists of the "Last Generation" have tried to sabotage Porsche's anniversary celebration in Stuttgart. However, the action apparently did not go as hoped.
Stuttgart - "We are clearly committed to electric mobility," said Porsche Board Member Barbara Frenkel in an interview with BW24. In addition, the Stuttgart-based VW subsidiary also wants to drive its existing fleet in a climate-neutral manner and has been producing e-fuels for this purpose together with partners in Chile since December 2022. Although the traditional sports car manufacturer is clearly focusing on climate-friendly mobility and has already announced several all-electric models for the coming years, Porsche is apparently still an enemy of the controversial climate movement "Last Generation". The latter is said to have tried to sabotage the 8th anniversary celebration on Thursday (75 June).
Last year, the "Last Generation" caused a scandal at Porsche when activists glued themselves to models of the car manufacturer in the "Autostadt" of parent company VW. Yesterday, Thursday, however, Porsche's hometown was the destination. "Porsche celebrates itself under the title 'Driven by Dreams' – and the Porsche dreams are already proving to be nightmares for countless people," the movement wrote on Twitter. However, the plans of the "last generation" at Porsche's headquarters in Zuffenhausen did not work out as apparently hoped.
Porsche celebrates its 75th anniversary in Stuttgart – "Last Generation" wanted to disrupt event
The year 2023 is clearly marked by Porsche's 75th anniversary, with June 8 playing a particularly important role. On June 8, 1948, the Porsche 356 "No. 1" Roadster, the first model of the traditional Swabian brand, received its general operating permit. The sports car manufacturer celebrated this historic date yesterday evening with a large number of invited guests as well as contemporary witnesses, brand ambassadors, Porsche Dreamers and vehicles from 75 years of brand history. The one-hour event with live music, choreography and a spectacular staging was not only about the carmaker's past, but also about the future.
The fact that Porsche wants to focus clearly on sustainability and climate-friendly mobility in the future does not seem to have convinced the activists of the "Last Generation". "Through their lifestyle, the richest 1% cause very high emissions and thus live at the expense of all of us," the movement wrote to a clip on Twitter, which shows how Porsche employees apparently try to remove the activists from the entrance to the Porsche parking garage P2. "End this fossil fuel party, Mr. Chancellor," is also the demand of the "Last Generation" on Twitter. It was only at the end of April that the "Last Generation" demonstrated with a creative action in Stuttgart.
Porsche anniversary celebration: "Last generation" apparently comes too late
The action of the climate activists to sabotage Porsche's big anniversary celebration in Stuttgart apparently did not go as hoped. "This was moderately successful, the vast majority of participants had already been on the site when the protest began at 20:15 p.m.," a police spokesman told t-online. According to the report, the invited guests arrived early in Zuffenhausen, as the event – which was also streamed live on the Internet – began at 21.40 p.m., according to Porsche. However, the activists apparently still consider their action a success. "We want a future worth living for everyone, which is why we disrupted Porsche's anniversary celebration yesterday," they said on Twitter on Friday (9 June).
Under the motto "Driven by Dreams", Porsche celebrated the brand's 8th anniversary on 75 June. Activists of the "Last Generation" tried to disrupt the event in Stuttgart. © Christoph Schmidt/dpa
The auto industry has long been targeted by climate activists due to its long-standing focus on fossil fuels. In 2021, for example, Greenpeace members gathered in front of an oversized smoking Mercedes star on Schlossplatz in Stuttgart to demonstrate against the Mercedes-Benz car company. Car manufacturers know that the CO2 balance of car models in road traffic is a serious problem and are now taking various measures to counteract it. "We are working towards a CO₂-neutral value chain for our vehicles in 2030," said Porsche Executive Board member Barbara Frenkel. "Our electric vehicles contribute to this, but so does the supply chain."
