The Austrian branch of a major climate activism movement has collapsed under the weight of huge legal fees and fines stemming from cases of property damage and disruptive public protests by its members.
Last Generation Austria announced its disbandment this morning and launched a desperate appeal for more donations as its members – including famed German climate activist Shakira – continue to battle a series of legal cases.
“We no longer see any prospect of success… We understand that Austria wants to continue to ignore fossil fuels and is therefore willing to accept responsibility for the deaths of billions of people. Society has failed. This saddens us infinitely.”
“As of today, we are ending our protests and the ‘Last Generation Austria’. We will use the remaining funds to cover the costs of criminalisation and investigations.
“Our donation channels remain open as there are still high fines and legal costs pending,” reads a press release published by the group this morning.
Climate activists from ‘Last Generation Austria’ spray the Vienna University of Economics and Business in orange with a fire extinguisher
German climate activist Anja Windl is pictured sitting on the asphalt before a march in Vienna, Austria, September 15, 2023.
Austrian police take away German activist Anja Windl of the environmental movement Letzte Generation after she blocked traffic with other activists on the Aspern Bridge on April 3, 2023 in Vienna.
Climate activists from Last Generation Austria are stopped by police after they got stuck on the A10 motorway in the direction of Villach, disrupting traffic on the Whitsun holiday. Before they blocked the road, there was already a five-hour wait and a 16-kilometre traffic jam.
The image shows climate activist Anja Windl from Bavaria, Germany, known as “Climate Shakira”.
German activist Anja Windl of the environmental movement Letzte Generation lies on the ground after police freed her taped hand during her protest blocking traffic with other activists on the Aspern Bridge on April 3, 2023 in Vienna.
Last Generation is one of the largest climate activism groups in Europe, with branches in several countries.
But the Austrian division has gained particular notoriety, with hundreds of its members taking part in highly disruptive public protests, lining roads and standing on motorways to block traffic in and out of cities across the country.
They also attempted to wreak havoc on major sporting events and public spaces, especially museums and galleries.
In November, angry skiers had to be restrained when protesters descended on the slopes of Gurgl to postpone the Alpine Ski World Cup.
Henrik Kristoffersen, Norway’s most successful slalom skier, was seen being retired As Last Generation activists sat, spray-painted the ice, held signs and sat behind the finish line with five skiers yet to finish.
A year earlier, activists from the Last Generation broke into the Leopold Museum in Vienna to deface Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece “Death and Life.”
Two members of the ‘Last Generation’ group threw the dye over the 1915 painting before one proceeded to stick it to the glass protecting the masterpiece, one of many attacks on famous artworks in the UK and Europe in recent years.
And in May, shocking footage emerged of fed-up police officers and motorists working together to clear protesters from the roads as the group plotted to launch five separate protests designed to cause travel chaos across Austria.
But now the group is facing what it deserves for its senseless protests.
Rather than forcing change, Austria’s government has cracked down on the protests and prosecutors have sought to punish culprits with significant fines.
Climate activists from ‘Last Generation Austria’ spray the Vienna University of Economics and Business in orange with a fire extinguisher
A Last Generation protester sprays paint at the finish area of a men’s alpine skiing World Cup slalom in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.
Last Generation activists are detained after spraying paint in the finish area at the men’s World Cup slalom in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023
Henrik Kristoffersen, pictured wearing glasses, is shown immobilized during the Alpine Skiing World Cup
Climate activists poured black liquid over Austrian painter Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece ‘Death and Life’ at Vienna’s Leopold Museum
A security guard restrains one of the climate activists after they threw paint on the famous masterpiece.
German activist Anja Windl of the environmental movement Last Generation blocks traffic with other activists on the Aspern Bridge on April 3, 2023 in Vienna, Austria.
Hundreds of Last Generation members have been fined, including German activist Anja Windl, also known as ‘Shakira of the climate’ due to her alleged resemblance to the Colombian pop star.
A spokesman for Last Generation admitted defeat, saying the protests simply could not continue because legal fees and fines kept piling up.
‘We have protested in many different ways… We have continued despite violence, death threats, arrests and detentions, hatred and fines of tens of thousands of euros.
“We no longer see any prospect of success. We are still angry. The resistance continues,” they said.
Hundreds of Last Generation members have been fined, including German activist Anja Windl, also known as ‘Shakira of the climate’ due to her alleged resemblance to the Colombian pop star.
She gained notoriety last April after launching a TikTok campaign to find an Austrian husband, a tactic she says could help her avoid deportation following a series of arrests at climate protests.
And in March this year she was brought before the court after being arrested following a series of protests in Munich in August 2023.
He was found guilty and offered a choice between a 40-day prison sentence and a heavy fine, a sentence he appealed.
Windl told a German media outlet Image Earlier this year, it emerged that he is facing a number of criminal proceedings in Germany and Austria and that authorities in Vienna are reportedly considering imposing a “residency ban” on him.
Austria’s efforts to crack down on the green mob come as Italian lawmakers earlier this year introduced a bill giving courts the power to impose fines of up to 60,000 euros on green protesters.
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