Austria's Interior Ministry recorded 230 criminal charges for members of the group in 2023, with the activists repeatedly blocking roads and causing disruption.
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00:00The Austrian branch of the Climate Action Group Last Generation announced that they
00:06are disbanding and ending their protests. Activists say that they aren't seeing any
00:10prospect for success and that the government is not responding to their requests.
00:15The form of protest was absolutely necessary at the time we decided to do it. We needed
00:20a certain daily disruption. At the end of the day, the problem of failure is that not
00:25enough people dared, didn't have the courage to stand up peacefully against the government
00:30and to oppose it.
00:32Last Generation had several tactics but mostly relied on disruptive forms of action. One
00:37of the group's infamous acts includes blocking traffic by gluing themselves to busy roads
00:42and airport tarmacs.
00:46Communication experts say that this form of disruption does catch the public's attention
00:50but is often short-lived and does not result in political change.
00:55I think it's better this way. Why?
00:57Because they won't achieve anything with it.
00:59Why?
01:01Because it has to be decided on a high level and not on the streets.
01:06I don't think it's good because the attention of climate activists has already contributed
01:10to people starting to think.
01:13Activists of the group claim that this does not mean the resistance is over, but instead
01:18that it is time for new and different campaigns to form.