Seven members of the Letzte Generation, the climate activist group responsible for blocking road traffic and destroying art, face charges of forming and supporting a criminal organization.

Members of the “Last Generation” are used to sticking their palms to the asphalt on central road arteries, causing daily chaos in big cities. Two of the suspects are also believed to be responsible for the attempted sabotage of the Trieste-Ingolstadt oil pipeline in April, while last year activists attacked the PCK Schwedt refinery in Brandenburg, stopping the flow of oil, which supplies northeastern Germany and parts of Poland.

Police raid and arrests

According to the BILD newspaper, early this morning 170 police officers carried out a surprise search of 15 properties in Berlin, Bavaria, Hesse, Hamburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.

The seven suspects, aged 22 to 38, are said to have collected 1.4 million euros in donations between the middle of last year and today. According to the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office, the money “helped to cause chaos” from the “Last Generation”, so assets and accounts have been seized. The same thing happened with the organization’s website, which was taken down by the authorities.

Among the suspects is the – now famous – activist from Saxony Christian Bloil, who was not arrested, however, as he is away on holiday. However, his residence was searched by the police and various items were seized.

“Justice takes action – Citizens suffer”

“The judiciary is taking action. This is also the right message from a defensive constitutional state. The citizens, who suffer daily by the thousands from the terror on the streets caused by the self-proclaimed “climate saviors”, are now considered the real victims of these criminals,” the head of the police union, Rainer Wedt, told BILD.

Stuttgarter Zeitung recently published an investigation into the funding of the organization “Last Generation”, explaining that its actions cost hundreds of thousands of euros per year, for banners, posters, glue, transport, museum tickets and meeting room rental.

According to the organization’s transparency report, 500,000 euros were spent in 2022, with 50% of the amount going to travel and renting accommodation for the activists. The money, the organization claims, comes mainly from donors who support the group’s goals and from its sponsor, the US organization Climate Emergency Fund.

Through the organization’s website, one could pay with PayPal, GooglePay or a credit card, while crowdfunding events were also held frequently. Last year alone, 900,000 euros were collected. According to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, many of the organization’s members receive a monthly “salary”, from 950 to 1800 euros, as they have given up their jobs to devote themselves exclusively to activism.