On Saturday, tens of thousands of protestors gathered in six German cities to call for a more equitable allocation of government money to address growing energy and living expenses as well as a quicker transition away from fossil fuels.
Protesters carried posters with slogans calling for everything from lowering inflation to turning off nuclear power and higher energy price subsidies for the poor as they marched through Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Stuttgart, Dresden, and Frankfurt-am-Main.
According to one of the organisers, Greenpeace, some 24,000 people attended. According to the police, there were 1,800 demonstrators in Berlin.
‘We aim to demonstrate the critical need for socially balanced financial assistance for citizens. Although the government uses a watering can to distribute money, it nevertheless accomplishes a lot. Compared to the wealthy, those with lesser incomes require more support,’ said Andrea Kocsis, vice chair of ver.di, one of the unions in charge of organising the demonstrations.
The government’s 200 billion euro ($195 billion) rescue plan, which tries to shield businesses and individuals from the effects of skyrocketing energy prices, was approved by the German parliament on Friday.
The package comprises a one-time payment to cover a household’s or a small or medium-sized business’s monthly gas cost as well as a mechanism to cap prices beginning in March.
With additional cash obtained from the profits of electrical providers, it will also finance a cap on electricity costs for families and business retroactively beginning in March for spot prices and beginning in December for future prices.
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