BERLIN (AA) - German police raided the homes of Last Generation climate activists on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the recent protests.
Prosecutors said nearly a dozen suspects were under investigation on suspicion of “disrupting public order” and “forming a criminal organization.”
Cyrill Klement, a prosecutor in Neuruppin, told local media that the police carried out searches at more than 11 houses across the country, as part of their investigation.
According to the public broadcaster ARD, the activists under investigation had participated in various protests in recent months for the closure of PCK Schwedt oil refinery and disrupted the operations.
The Last Generation group sharply criticized the German authorities and said that the police raids at the homes of activists were an "attempt at intimidation."
“The government is leading us into the climate collapse, into the irretrievable destruction of our livelihoods and those of our children,” the activists said on Twitter.
The group underlined that it will continue to stage protests to raise awareness of climate change and will not change its line following the recent police raids.
The Last Generation group sparked controversy in German public opinion with their radical protests and extreme actions in recent months. Climate activists glued their hands to famous paintings in museums, blocked highways, and even runways at airports to attract media attention.