Brandenburg Gate paint attackers get suspended sentences

A court in Berlin handed down suspended sentences for three climate activists responsible for a paint attack on the German capital's famous Brandenburg Gate in September last year.
The district court found the members of the Last Generation climate group guilty of causing damage to property and gave each of them an eight-month suspended sentence.
The 22, 28 and 64-year-old defendants had previously confessed to having spray orange paint on the landmark on September 17, 2023.
They had argued that the action was an "appropriate and necessary protest" in view of the climate crisis.
The court disagreed, ruling that the group's action "was not a suitable or appropriate protest." It said the demonstrators willingly accepted that the Brandenburg Gate would suffer damage due to the protest.
In its verdict, the court assumed damages of around €110,000 ($117,183).
The state of Berlin has demanded some €142,000 in compensation from the climate activists responsible.
The public prosecutor's office says it has initiated a total of 14 proceedings against those suspected of being involved in the paint protest. Tuesday's was the first ruling in connection with the attack.