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Inside a German climate protest — as COP27 nears

On Sunday, world leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for COP27. Yet activists in Europe have been using a variety of more disruptive and brazen tactics to call attention to the climate crisis. Nothing is Foreign's Tamara Khandaker spoke to protesters in Berlin.

While world leaders discuss climate policy, activist demonstrations have become more disruptive

CBC News ·
A group of people wearing white jackets and masks hold up a massive banner. One man in the front is on the ground with his palm flat on the ground alongside him.
Climate activists with the group Extinction Rebellion display a banner while one of them has his hand glued to the ground during a protest blocking a street in the government district of Berlin on April 6, 2022. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty)
Nothing is Foreign27:46Inside a German climate protest — as COP27 nears

This week, we take you inside one environmental activist group's preparations for a protest to better understand the debate around the more brazen activist tactics in the climate movement.

The UN climate conference COP27 will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt starting Sunday. 

A white flag with the COP27 logo for the conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022. The logo is similar to a sun on the top half, and roots on the bottom.
The 2022 UN Climate Change Conference COP27 will be held Nov. 6-18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (GIC ARICCA/Twitter)

Activists in Europe have been using a variety of more disruptive and brazen tactics to call attention to the climate crisis.

They've thrown soup and mashed potatoes at paintings by renowned artists like Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, and glued themselves to a dinosaur display at Berlin's Natural History Museum. They have also blocked traffic in London, leading to major commuter delays.

Two protesters are standing in front of Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London. One of them is holding up a can of tomato soup, which was just thrown at the painting. The painting is stained by soup.
Two protesters are seen after throwing tinned soup at Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London, on Oct. 14. (Just Stop Oil/The Associated Press)

These more disruptive tactics have drawn anger, leading some to ask whether these disruptions help or hurt the fight against climate change.

Nothing is Foreign, a podcast from CBC News and CBC Podcasts, is a weekly trip to where the story is unfolding. It's hosted by Tamara Khandaker.

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