Thousands of Germans protested across the country on Saturday, demanding stronger climate action from their government.
The demonstrations were part of a global day of action for the climate and called specifically for an immediate halt to new gas projects, including one planned near Borkum, close to the Wadden Sea National Park.
Protesters accused the government of perpetuating the climate crisis, saying, “While the climate crisis destroys livelihoods around the world, the government continues to fuel it.”
Many banners at the protests targeted Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, who is responsible for energy policy. The conservative-socialist coalition government plans to build gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 20 gigawatts by 2030.
These gas plants are intended to replace coal plants and act as a backup when renewable energy sources cannot meet the country’s electricity demand.
The international day of mobilisation also saw protests in cities like Nairobi in Kenya, Jakarta in Indonesia and Sydney in Australia.
