Climate activists of the last generation briefly delayed the start of the second Formula E race in Berlin. Some people climbed over the fence to the racetrack on Sunday and, according to the police, wanted to stick themselves to the concrete of the former Tempelhof airport. However, the security personnel prevented this and carried the activists off the road. The action lasted about three minutes, after another three minutes the race could start.
A spokeswoman for the Berlin police said on request that six people had been handed over to the police by the security service. “The activists are being held in custody pending identification.”
The Last Generation Climate Group justified its action in a statement and criticized a waste of energy. “The senior citizen in her rented apartment in Tempelhof freezes all winter long due to her justified fear of the next electricity bill and just a few meters away, masses of valuable energy are lost every second to our cheers. No matter how happy we are that it is now electric cars that are speeding along the route, the calculation doesn’t add up,” said activist Maja Winkelmann according to the announcement. The Formula E vehicles are fully electric.
The removal of the six activists was accompanied by applause from the audience. Some viewers condemned the action, in which, according to the police, there were no injuries. “If that happens a few seconds later, it becomes life-threatening. It’s incomprehensible because we’re in an electric race here,” said pilot Jean-Eric Vergne.
When New Zealander Nick Cassidy was victorious, Maximilian Günther moved up from the very back to sixth place. Pascal Wehrlein, who only finished seventh in Berlin, is still in the lead in the overall standings.