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Created: 02/27/2023, 9:16 p.m

From: Catherine Reikowski

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“Witch hunt” on climate activists? A custom fuels anti-Last Generation sentiment. You feel threatened.

Vandans/ Vienna (Austria) – For some, the climate activists from organizations like “The Last Generation” or “Ende Gelände” are heroes. For the others they are “climate glue“, which disturb everyday life and provoke pointlessly with their actions. A custom from Austria, which was converted to climate activists, is now causing an uproar on social networks. The organization itself is concerned.

In February, traffic in Vienna was disrupted for two weeks by the organization “Last Generation”, supported by other organisations. The aim of the protest: stop new oil and gas drilling and introduce a 100 km/h speed limit on the freeway. How OE24 reported, various protesters were temporarily detained more than 80 times in total.

There were arguments between passers-by and demonstrators: “Something hacked, you oaschholes,” an angry man called out on Friday (February 24). By “hacking” was meant “working”. An activist then replied: “I have a job anyway, I took extra time off today.” The organization recently published pictures of demonstrators walking on the street being pulled off the street by the police on Monday morning (February 27).

“Witch hunt” on climate activists? How a custom from Austria heats up the mood

Support, incomprehension, concern – a custom from Vorarlberg drives the polarization surrounding climate activists to the extreme. It is a tradition in Vorarlberg to burn a straw doll on a large pile of wood at the beginning of Lent. The so-called “spark witch” is supposed to drive away the winter with her burning.

In Vandans, however, the “spark witch” was disguised as an activist with a safety vest. “I’ll push it into you, I’ll stick myself to the top of the pyre,” says the Vorarlberg dialect on the sign that the straw doll is holding in his hand, like the one among others ORF reported.

“This is how a society that is dependent on fossils reacts: Literal witch hunts on those who peacefully point out and protest for what, according to scientific findings, must finally be decided,” writes the “Last Generation Austria” in a response on Twitter . According to ORF, Marina Hagen-Canaval, press spokeswoman for “Last Generation”, also spoke of a “witch hunt”. The Twitter users reacted with support for “The Last Generation”, but others also saw the action as a justified warning to the “interferers”.

Austria: accusation of witch hunts by climate activists – this is how the radio guild reacts

“I cannot influence what others interpret into a warning vest,” said the chairman of the “Funkenzunft”, Markus Pfefferkorn, to the ORF. His guild competed with the witch in the election for the most beautiful spark witch in Vorarlberg’s Montafon valley. The disguise is only satire, with which one does not want to incite hatred or defame climate activists.

He was asked by the “Last Generation” by email to take the witch from the Funkenturm. However, the request will not be complied with, as they want to stick to the customs. Instead, he suggested to the ORF that the climate activists should be told what it was all about. He cannot understand the allegation of witch hunts. He also cannot understand the excitement about the inscription “She deserves it”. “The witch is supposed to explode on the spark and thus keep disease and mischief away from the village,” says Pfefferkorn, “that’s why she deserves it”.

Who is behind the “Last Generation” and where does the anger at climate activists come from?

The climate activists are repeatedly accused of impeding traffic safety with their actions. An argument that led the voluntary paramedic Gerald Bäck to join the “last generation” in Austria. His missions are repeatedly hindered, but: “It’s not the fault of any glued-on people, but the normal madness about parking and traffic! The causes being championed by ‘The Last Generation’ are more than valid,” he writes on the Last Generation website.

Are climate activists being made into “scapegoats” – which would actually be reminiscent of medieval witch burnings? Yes, says the ethicist Prof. Dr. Opposite Andreas Lob-Hüdepohl nv. In connection with the death of a cyclist parallel to climate protests, he said: “The general public knows and basically also wants that something should change radically in favor of the climate. However, far too few are willing to change their own actions in everyday life or to support corresponding political guidelines. That is why the blockers touch the deep bad conscience of many people, especially political actors.”

He said: “You can distract yourself from your own inability to act consistently by scapegoating others.” For March 3, Fridays for Future has called for a global protest that can do without disrupting traffic. The fact that climate activists are radicalizing is met with understanding from other climate activists – radicalization is a sign of powerlessness. (cat)