Climate protests criticized; but Germany missing 2030 goal

By FRANK JORDANS and GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German officials are urging environmental activists to engage in “constructive” protests and avoid endangering lives. A heated debate has broken out over activists’ methods after road blockades from a Monday protest in Berlin delayed a rescue crew in reaching a fatally injured cyclist. A government spokesman said Chancellor Olaf Scholz “supports all democratic engagement” but that “the form of protest that we are seeing now, this week in particular, is not effective.” Meanwhile, government-appointed experts warned Friday that Germany risks missing its target of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% from 1990 levels by 2030. It said Germany needs to reduce its emissions twice as fast as the yearly average from the past decade.