California-funded eco-activists sprayed orange paint on Christmas trees in seven German cities in a protest against government inaction on climate change.
In a video posted to X last week, two protestors sprayed a Christmas tree with orange paint from fire extinguishers while a third unfurled a banner nearby.
The video was posted by the German activist group Letzte Generation – German for ‘Last Generation.’
Letzte Generation has been known to spray its signature orange in public places as a protest tactic.
According to the group’s social media posts about the incident, the latest act of political vandalism was part of a coordinated demonstration across multiple German cities.
In a video posted to X last week, two protestors can be seen spraying a Christmas tree with orange paint from fire extinguishers while a third unfurled a banner nearby
A police officer in Berlin inspects a Christmas tree after climate change activists from the group Letzte Generation, funded by a California climate group, sprayed it with orange paint
According to Letzte Generation’s website, the group receives a large part of its funding for recruitment and action from the Los Angeles-based Climate Emergency Fund.
‘In Berlin, Oldenburg, Kiel, Leipzig, Rostock, Nuremberg and Munich we colored Christmas trees orange,’ the group wrote in another post about the holiday demonstration.
According to its announcements, the group deliberately chose the holiday season for the protest.
‘Amidst the flashing lights, shiny jewelry and festive atmosphere, it’s easy to forget: We’re racing full speed towards catastrophe, and our governments are failing miserably to pull the emergency brake in Dubai,’ the group wrote in its next post – a reference to the COP28 climate talks in Dubai.
According to its announcements, the group deliberately chose the holiday season for the protest
Letzte Generation staged this multi-city demonstration to protest what they see as political inaction on climate change
That post showed another defaced Christmas tree.
In a third post on X, more members of the group were shown standing in front of two more spray painted Christmas trees.
‘We call: Let us do everything peaceful together to prevent a world that is 3 degrees hotter,’ that post read. ‘We can’t rely on governments and corporations to do this. We ourselves are called upon to take action and engage in civil disobedience.’
Letzte Generation is known for its particularly disruptive protests, including ones that block public roads.
The group made headlines in September when one such demonstration turned violent.
A motorist, whose car was blocked when the group’s members sat across a road in Manheim, Germany, got out and attacked multiple protestors.
Members of Letzte Generation sprayed the Brandenburg Gate with orange paint in September, also to protest climate policies
Also in September, the group staged another messy protest, spraying Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate with orange paint.
‘The protest makes it clear: It is time for a political change,’ the group said in a statement at the time. ‘Away from fossil fuels – towards fairness.’
In May, police in Germany carried out nationwide raids on the homes of seven members of Letzte Generation in an attempt to gather evidence to call the group a criminal organization.
