TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: “Injured Generations”, by Marco Witting

2024-02-01 21:00:35

Issue from Friday, February 2, 2024

Innsbruck (OTS) – Activists have been pecking at the streets for two years. There was attention, anger, aggression. While there will be different demonstrations in Germany in the future, people in Austria will continue to stick to the actions. A mistake.

The malice pecks. During carnival, the climate stickers will probably be showered with derision again. Just like last year. While people in Germany want to look for other forms of protest in the future (whatever the announced “disobedient assemblies” mean), the last generation in Austria wants to stick to the road blockades. Two years after the first such actions in Vienna, the activists have to ask themselves what they have actually achieved so far. At the beginning there was attention, a rebellion of the youth and discourse, but for a long time now it has only been anger and resentment. This is not good for the cause or for climate protection. Seen this way, the answer to the question of what has been achieved is quite simple: not much.
Protest will never be comfortable if it wants to be successful. Clear. If you follow the mantra of the Last Generation, the protesters’ line was consistent. But bringing about a change in people’s behavior by telling them, like a teacher, what to do, and at the same time disturbing, annoying and annoying them in their everyday lives, was and is not effective in the long term. The disruptive action at the Ski World Cup in Gurgl is an example of this undesirable development in the last two years – not only here, they simply chose the wrong event for a protest.
So there are the last generation and injured generations on all sides because the dialogue about climate protection between young and old has turned into a dispute about the sense and nonsense of the disruptive actions. And instead of looking for this exchange and togetherness, you continue to stick.
But what is also very clear: You may make fun of things, but climate change is not fun. You may be upset about the form of protest, but there is no alternative to changing our actions when it comes to the environment.