Stolen car keys VW files criminal complaint against Greenpeace

Status: 23.06.2021 3:09 p.m.

A Greenpeace campaign in which 100 stolen VW keys were brought to the Zugspitze has legal consequences: the Volkswagen Group has filed a criminal complaint against the environmental protection organization. Around a month after the Greenpeace campaign against Volkswagen in the port of Emden, the car manufacturer took action and filed a criminal complaint against Greenpeace. “We do not tolerate any violations of the law”said a VW spokeswoman in Emden. However, she emphasized that VW was still interested in a dialogue with the environmental protection organization. The criminal complaint suggests a change of heart among the Wolfsburgers: Initially, they reacted surprisingly moderately to the Greenpeace campaign at the end of May and initially waived a criminal complaint.

First of all, understanding and loose tweets

In order to protest against what they considered to be the slow change to electromobility at VW, the activists climbed over a fence onto a loading area in the port of Emden and removed the ignition keys from unlocked cars that were ready for shipping overseas. Shortly afterwards, the organization brought the keys to a glacier on the Zugspitze in Bavaria. There she was supposed to pick up VW boss Herbert Diess after her introduction.

Instead of directly filing a criminal complaint, Diess replied loosely on Twitter: “Gladly Zugspitze, but today I can’t manage anymore – I don’t want to use the plane. Coming soon in good weather?” And VW brand boss Ralf Brandstätter expressed understanding in a detailed comment on the action on his LinkedIn profile that “change is not going fast enough for many”.

Investigations are already running ex officio

Theft as part of the climate debate culture? The public prosecutor and the police had already seen it a little differently before the change of heart at VW: They are already investigating ex officio against around a dozen activists on charges of trespassing and particularly serious theft. In order to initiate criminal prosecution, today’s criminal complaint from VW would no longer have been necessary.

Investigations also after Greenpeace action at the EM

Last week, a Greenpeace campaign directed against VW failed at the German national soccer team’s first EM game. Shortly before the game against France kicked off, a paramotor plane staggered over the Munich arena and finally landed on the field. He came dangerously close to the audience, two men had to be hospitalized because of their injuries.

Numerous politicians condemned the action in the strongest possible terms. The police are investigating various offenses under the Criminal Code and the Aviation Act