Leipzig, July 4.7.2023, 15, 00:XNUMX p.m – The Leipzig district court today acquitted five Last Generation supporters for a road blockade. were accused Pia Osman, Kevin Hecht, Elena Thor, Maike Grunst and Leon Mullem, who took part in a road blockade in June 2022 to oppose the federal government's destructive and unconstitutional course.
The public prosecutor's office had demanded a sentence of 30 daily rates in each case. Protest researchers, among others, came to the hearing Simon Theune to speak, who emphasized that Protest must be disrupted in order to be heard. After emotional speeches from the defendants, the verdict finally followed shortly after 13 p.m.: acquittal for all accused.
FIVE ACQUISITIONS IN LEIPZIG pic.twitter.com/frtf78o6VF
— Last Generation (@uprisingLastGen) July 4, 2023
In order to assess whether the protest is justified, freedom of assembly and freedom of movement must be weighed up, said the judge. Traffic had been backed up for fifty minutes. In her consideration, she came to the conclusion that the right of assembly prevails in this case.
The judge also stated that a state of emergency, which is often used by the last generation to justify peaceful protest, was caused by the climate crisis.
Mike Grunst (23) comments on the acquittal before the court: “The climate catastrophe threatens our survival, our society and democracy as a whole. The fact that there are judges who have the courage to stand up for the protection of our fundamental rights and legitimize our necessary protest gives me hope.”
She adds: “Even acquittals are of no use to us if the government continues to break the law unhindered. We will continue to protest and exercise our freedom of assembly. In order to protect our democracy, peaceful resistance from the population is now needed.”
Maike Gerdes immediately put her words into action together with the other recently acquitted supporters of the Last Generation. At the moment they are interrupting Leipzig traffic on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße and making it clear: the climate emergency cannot be postponed.
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