Police detained near the starting line of the world-famous race from the activist group Letzte Generation— which translates to “The Last Generation”—at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday. The Letzte Generation typically protests in Germany, Austria, and Italy, and marathon officials had warned the group not to interrupt the event.
Germany’s Deutsche Welle, “DW,” network reports that the group has been actively pushing Germany to cease the use of coal and fossil fuels by 2023, and they often use acts of civil disobedience to get their point across. In the past, members of the Letzte Generation have superglued themselves to the pavement and coated Berlin’s Green Party headquarters in orange paint, according to Slate.
While the details of the group’s marathon interruption remain unclear, The New York Times at least eight protesters.
Race directors knew that the Letzte Generation was planning a protest during the event. Managing director of SCC events Jürgen Lock, the group in charge of organizing Berlin, said he hoped “nothing untoward happens in terms of a demonstration but we have plans for such eventualities.”
At least some of those “eventualities” did come to pass, but the marathon went on. Eliud Kipchoge Results: 2023 Berlin Marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:02:42. Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa broke the women’s world record in the marathon by over two minutes, clocking a staggering 2:11:53 time.
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