The Last Generation Becomes the New Generation: This is what the activists are planning now

The protest group Last Generation has renamed itself New Generation. Member Raphael Thelen told Der Spiegel this. In the future, the group will no longer only campaign for climate protection, but for democracy in general.

"We need a new generation of democracy," said Thelen. A "parliament of the people" should develop solutions. It should start in May on the lawn in front of the Bundestag, and later also at the local level throughout Germany. The members of the citizens' council-like assemblies should be chosen by lot.

Another group to emerge from the last generation

In addition, a second splinter group from the Last Generation, the Resistance Collective, is to be formed, said Thelen. "The group focuses primarily on direct actions against destruction and injustice." The group posted a post about it on social networks. The name on X is currently still Last Generation.

The group Last Generation was formed after a climate hunger strike in Berlin and caused a stir nationwide with blockade actions from 2022 onwards. However, it was not just about sticky protests. The group also sprayed paint on walls and monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate. According to the judiciary, thousands of criminal proceedings were brought against the activists in Berlin alone.

In autumn 2023, the movement also held protest marches for the first time, in which people walked deliberately slowly on the street instead of sitting - this also led to traffic disruptions in the capital. At the beginning of 2024, the group announced a change in strategy, followed a few months later by a name change.