Action by Extinction Rebellion: Climate activists dismantle traffic signs

According to their own statements, climate activists have been dismantling traffic signs on motorways since the beginning of the year – so far on 1500 kilometers, most recently on the A1. They want to demonstrate for the introduction of a speed limit.

According to their own statements, climate activists from the group Extinction Rebellion have removed signs for lifting speed limits on the Autobahn 1 between Bramsche and Osnabrück in the past few days. The organization explained that they had personally introduced a speed limit on a total of more than 1,500 kilometers of motorway.

At the beginning of the year, the activists had already started removing such signs around Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main, among other places. They don’t want to accept “the paralyzing blocking of the FDP-led Ministry of Transport” against a general speed limit on freeways.

Activists: Majority of Germans for speed limit

A large majority of Germans voted in polls for a speed limit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is also support for a speed limit from the Federal Environment Agency, German Environmental Aid, the ADFC and the Protestant Church, Extinction Rebellion justified the action. Nevertheless, Minister of Transport Volker Wissing blocked such a simple measure, among other things with reference to the missing street signs.

“If the government does not manage to implement something as simple as the speed limit despite the climate crisis, then there is no longer any doubt that our system will fail completely in this crisis,” emphasized activist Amelie Meyer. Politics can be influenced too much by lobbyists from the automotive industry who want to assert their individual interests, said Florian Zander from Extinction Rebellion. He called for an “update of democracy” through the introduction of citizens’ councils.

The Federal Environment Agency had recently advertised a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour on motorways and 80 km/h on country roads. This means that one sixth of the necessary reduction in climate-damaging greenhouse gases in the transport sector can be achieved.