Trial against drivers: climate crisis or bodily harm?

In Linz, a 56-year-old driver who is said to have driven into a group of climate activists on July 30 will appear in court on Wednesday. Given the serious allegations of coercion and bodily harm, he faces a prison sentence of up to one year if convicted. The public prosecutor's office has charged the man after it emerged that he drove honking towards the demonstrators from the organizations "Extinction Rebellion" and "Last Generation" who were paralyzing early traffic on Wiener Straße. This reports that Volksblatt.

This incident resulted in a collision in which both a man and a woman were injured. While video of the incident is being circulated, police confirmed that a complaint of assault and coercion has been filed. Interestingly, the video shows that the driver initially slowed down but continued to drive his car while hitting the protesters. A climate activist is also said to have claimed to have fallen onto the hood of the vehicle, which is strongly denied by a spokesman for Extinction Rebellion. “There can be no question of that, you can see that on the video,” was the clear statement courier to.

The consequences of the incident

The two injured activists are physically stable but appear traumatized by the experience. The police emphasize that the demonstration itself was peaceful and that the activists blocked traffic in several places before voluntarily leaving the premises. Nevertheless, the incident is perceived as a serious attack on the protest movement, and it remains to be seen what legal consequences the driver will face.