Berlin's World Clock Sprayed Orange By Climate Protesters

BERLIN, Oct 18 (Bernama-dpa) -- The World Clock, a well-known feature of central Berlin's Alexanderplatz, has been sprayed with orange paint by the German climate activist group Last Generation.  

Several members of the group sprayed the paint from fire extinguishers Tuesday morning in an incident captured by a German news agency (dpa) photographer. 

The column on which the clock stands on the busy square and the ground under it were also covered in paint.

In addition, two protesters climbed a long ladder onto the clock and positioned themselves there with a banner that read, "We're running out of time".

The group said on the online platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that Germany's government is "wasting precious time with flimsy climate protection measures and mendacious lip service". 

Police were on duty and took the personal details of nine protesters, a spokesman said.

The World Clock is a popular meeting place on Alexanderplatz.

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz called for swift action to be taken against the campaigners. 

Merz, a lawmaker from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a centre-right party, called the activists "climate criminals" and said that it seemed to him that the imposition of custodial sentences would be appropriate.

In mid-September, the group spray-painted one of the most prominent German landmarks – Brandenburg Gate – leading to the arrest of 14 climate activists. 

Berlin said the complicated cleaning of the sandstone monument will cost more than €100,000 (US$105,000) and it plans to get the money back from the group.

-- BERNAMA-dpa