Climate strikes in Hamburg and Bremen: “The issue must not be ignored”

If he is not at the climate conference in Antalya, the Chancellor should at least be there as a lettering in Hamburg: The participants in the Fridays for Future climate demo in Hamburg should form the sentence “Merz, you have responsibility” by grouping themselves in such a way that the required letters emerge from their bodies. A reminder made human, readable from a bird's eye view.

3,000 people came to Hamburg, which is a success in 2026 that the presenters will celebrate on stage. Those who still came: the BUND, the grandmas against the right, Verdi. But also a small delegation from the ATIF (Federation of Workers from Turkey in Germany), who hold up a flag with a sickle and two flags that say: “Despite everything”.

Some things are the same as always: the mix of old and young - obviously it's not a Gen Z demo -, the invocation of the catastrophe that could already be seen on the announcement posters: flooded cars or burning landscapes.

The presenters at the front of the stage remind us of what everyone here knows: the 16,000 heat deaths, the government's inaction, the broken promise to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. “What still has to happen before something changes?” they ask, without expecting an answer. “Future, please,” says one of the demo signs, but it seems to be just a pious wish.

And yet a few things are different, a few nuances more confrontational: Several speakers refer to the situation in Gaza that violates human rights. And, perhaps even more important for Fridays for Future: A marine biologist on stage fundamentally questions their strategy. “You have to ask yourself whether it’s enough to go out on the streets on Fridays and nicely ask the government to do something,” she says. It seems like she has an answer to that question.

The moderators thank you for your speech and point out that you can also do something very practical here: the stand against the expansion of the A 26 is right up there. Meanwhile, one of the flags that says “Despite everything” comes off the pole and flies away.

Parallel to the demonstration in Hamburg, a climate strike was called in over 70 locations nationwide. The announcement said they wanted to send “a strong signal”. You can't see too much of this in Bremen: there are just over 200 people who have gathered on the market square in Bremen's city center. You have to look for people under 50. In 2023 there were still 3,500 people at the Bremen climate strike, shortly afterwards the Bremen local group dissolved.

“Only old farts here,” says a 61-year-old “Grandma Against the Right.” She can't explain why the young people aren't here. She liked the Gen Z protests and took part in them too. “But the issue of climate must not be completely ignored.”

A strip of paper is rolled out and “Bremen’s role for the future” is written on it. There should be space here for demands, wishes and thoughts. It is cold and windy, a woman sits on the piece of paper with her walker so that it doesn't fly away.

On the other side of the market square, nine-year-old Lotte is sitting on her mother's bike. “I don’t care that I’m almost the only child here,” she says. Although she would think it would be cooler if there were more people here. "What happens when I grow up? We have to do something now!" In her circle of friends, she says, climate is already an issue. Together with two friends, she collects donations for climate protection organizations and reports on climate issues as a school reporter.

The rally was organized by Nicole Neumann. She works as a teacher in a Bremen high school and is also active in “Teachers for Future”. She used to go to demonstrations with students. At the moment they only went to the Gen Z protests. “This is an expression of the fact that students no longer feel heard enough.” She suspects that young people no longer have the feeling that peaceful protest has any effect.

Olivia, 15, and Rounosh, 16, would have liked to go to the Gen Z protests, but their parents wouldn't let them. Rounosh says she feels uncertain about her future: "If things are going to shit now, then things won't be any better in the future."

Individual demands are now written on the “Future Roll” with colorful pens: “Plant more trees,” for example, or “Grow your own food.” And: “Optimism is my activism”.