The Last Generation spokeswoman discussed her protests with CDU politician Philipp Amthor at Maischberger. It wasn’t long before she asked: What am I doing here?
Paint attacks on luxury shops, adhesive blocks in traffic and mashed potatoes on paintings: For months, protests by the climate group Last Generation have led to police operations. “Maischberger” on Wednesday evening was about the question: Is the protest legitimate in this form?
The guests:
- Carla Hinrichs, Speaker of the Last Generation
- Philipp Amthor, CDU domestic politician
- Frank Elstner, Show legend
- Christian Ehrlich, wildlife filmmaker
- Gerhard Delling, ARD-Sportmoderator
- Rahel Klein, journalist and moderator at Deutschlandfunk Nova
- Hannah Bethke, Journalist
Moderator Sandra Maischberger had invited spokeswoman for the last generation Carla Hinrichs and CDU domestic politician Philipp Amthor to the studio for a discussion. It didn’t take long for Hinrichs to lose his nerve.
Maischberger hits a sore point with a question
“You accept that people get hurt?” Maischberger wanted to know from the 26-year-old, referring to 15 emergency vehicles that got stuck in blocked road traffic in Berlin on Monday.
“I’m happy to make it clear for the hundredth time in a show,” the activist began. “I’m sorry that you have to, we haven’t talked about it here yet,” Maischberger interrupted Hinrichs. The activist explained: During protests, care is taken to ensure that a rescue lane can be formed.
There are protesters who do not glue themselves to stand up if necessary and to let emergency vehicles through. So the problem lies in the formation of the rescue alley and isn’t the fault of the activists? Maischberger asked. “Exactly!” Confirmed the 26-year-old.
Amthor intervened when it came to traffic chaos
Amthor didn’t let that stand. “That’s not true about the rescue lane, they claim that,” he interjected. Triggered by the protest actions, road traffic is shifting in such a way that it can no longer be unraveled into a rescue lane and rescuers consequently got stuck, the CDU man explained. In Berlin there is traffic chaos every day anyway, Hinrichs replied.
Above all, the road blockades caused a lot of resentment among the population and even led to attacks on those blocking them. Did you think that the last generation would still get people to do more for climate protection and leave their cars behind? Maischberger asked Hinrichs.
“I’ve never met anyone who said they think I’m so incredibly stupid, they want their children to go hungry in the future!” the activist replied. While Amthor wrinkled his nose, Maischberger also reacted with irritation to this statement. “I didn’t understand that now!” Said the moderator.
“It’s okay if people don’t like the protest we’re doing, but we agree on the issue,” said the 26-year-old.
Amthor criticizes lax content
With a view to the enforcement of her demands – a nine-euro ticket, a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour and a council with 160 drawn members – the Last Generation spokeswoman was optimistic.
“If the protest is so annoying that it can’t be ignored, at some point the government has no choice but to respond,” Hinrichs said.
Amthor made it clear that he didn’t agree with the activist group’s demands any more than they did with their actions: “The form of protest is radical, but the content that is demanded is pretty lukewarm!” said the domestic politician.
“The nine-euro ticket will not solve the problems,” he explained. And further: There are measures that can save significantly more CO2 than a speed limit. When it came to nuclear power instead of coal, “they would have our full social support,” he explained to Hinrichs.
“You have abolished nuclear power,” Maischberger then briefly reminded the CDU man. “But we’re now in favor of the extension because we’re learning,” he replied, adding that he was against a company council because it would delegitimize parliament. “They want a kind of eco-climate socialism and that can’t be done with us!” said Amthor.
