2023-05-10 15:27:00
Shirtless speech and pie throwing: climate and human rights activists disrupted the general meeting of shareholders of the car giant Volkswagen held in Berlin on Wednesday, noted an AFP journalist.
Activists from several groups, including Letzte Generation and Scientist Rebellion, claimed a series of actions carried out throughout the day on the occasion of this annual meeting of the first European car manufacturer.
The activists first tried to block access to the conference center and organized a rally in front of the building to denounce the greenhouse gas emissions to which Volkswagen contributes.
‘The science is clear: Volkswagen’s projected car sales are beyond planetary limits,’ read the posters of a handful of protesters in white coats from Scientist Rebellion, a group of academics in their 30s. of country.
The meeting itself was disrupted by a toss of cream cake in the direction of members of the supervisory board, including Wolfgang Porsche, a member of the automaker’s heiress family, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Wednesday.
A bare-chested activist, her chest painted with slogans, also interrupted the speech of the CEO, Olivier Blume, who arrived in September and for whom it was the first GA, before being led out of the room by the security service.
These actions are “a message against the exploitation and destruction carried out by the group in the name of the dividends of its shareholders”, denounced the activists in a press release.
Activists also held up banners accusing Volkswagen of contributing to ‘Uyghur forced labour’.
The manufacturer operates a factory in the Uighur Chinese province of Xinjiang in western China, where the Chinese authorities are accused of repression against Muslim minorities, including Uighurs. But Volkswagen has repeatedly denied involvement in the violations.
“Constructive dialogue is important and a general meeting is a good opportunity for that,” reacted Volkswagen during the day.
Oliver Blume remained unmoved despite shouts heard in the room and the display of some pro-climate banners, according to videos posted on social networks.
Among the shareholders, some criticized the low valuation of Volkswagen on the stock market despite its record margins, as well as the fall in its sales in China, where the group, in competition with its local manufacturers, lost market share.
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