"The situation is escalating before our eyes" Last Generation climate group changes name and direction
Street blockades made them famous. Now the Last Generation movement sees itself at an end - at least under this name.
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- The Last Generation activist group wants to change its name and direction.
- Carla Hinrichs, co-founder and spokesperson for the group, justifies this with the rapid progression of global warming.
- Back in January 2024, the group announced a change of strategy and the end of sticky campaigns in urban traffic.
The Last Generation Climate Initiative is dropping its name and will soon continue under a new name. Carla Hinrichs, co-founder and spokesperson for the group, explains this in an interview with Der Spiegel, citing the rapid progression of global warming.
"The situation is escalating before our eyes. And because we are no longer the last generation before the tipping points, we will no longer call ourselves that. We are leaving the name behind. We are no longer the Last Generation," says Hinrichs. "Something new will emerge from the structures of the Last Generation, something big." The group will not disband and there will still be protests.
The Last Generation group was formed after a climate hunger strike in Berlin, demanding more measures for climate protection. Since the beginning of 2022, it has repeatedly made a name for itself with blockade actions. In January 2024, the group announced a change of strategy and the end of sticky actions in urban traffic.
Blockades in front of cars, airports and roads are "no longer our focus" for the time being, said Hinrichs. While the mantra had previously been: "If you don't disturb, you won't be heard", this will now change. "We no longer have to fight our way to every dinner table."
Preparing for crises
Instead, according to Hinrichs, the group wants to "establish connections" under its new name and "prepare for the coming crises". It is about "mutual protection, social justice and cohesion", said Hinrichs.
The activists also aim to "bring thousands of people onto the streets at critical moments to stand up for a peaceful, democratic system". Hinrichs did not say what the new name of the movement should be. There are "concrete considerations".
Speaking about the actions of the Last Generation so far, Hinrichs said: "We have done what we believe in. I can look at myself in the mirror and would always defend what we have done."
