Thousands of people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday to protest the government’s energy policy.
Under the slogan “Defend renewable energy!”, an alliance of environmental organisations called for demonstrations in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Cologne, reports Anadolu news agency.
The call to action stated, “Escalating energy prices, geopolitical crises, and authoritarian regimes show us how risky fossil fuels are.”
“In light of rapidly rising energy prices resulting from the war in Iran and the increasingly severe consequences of the climate crisis, independence from fossil fuels is becoming an ever more critical factor in ensuring security and stability,” it added.
The statement also emphasised the need to accelerate the expansion of solar and wind power. However, environmental groups accused Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche and parts of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party of trying to slow down that process.
Meanwhile, demonstrators in Munich accused Reiche of jeopardizing the success of the energy transition and favoring fossil fuels.
In Munich, the state chairman of the Nature Conservation Union, Martin Geilhufe, described Reiche’s grid package as “part of a concerted all-out attack on nature, the environment, and the climate.” He warned that the federal government must not stifle the expansion of wind and solar energy.
Organisers reported 24,000 participants in Berlin and 12,000 in Munich, adding that a total of 80,000 people took to the streets across all four cities.
