German appetite for climate protests waning

Support for climate protection protests is declining in Germany, according to a survey published on Friday.

A total of 57% of respondents said they "did not support" or "tended not to support" frequent protest actions by the Fridays for Future movement, the YouGov survey showed, up from 49% last year.

Acceptance of more radical actions such as blockades, hunger strikes, or forest occupations is even weaker.

Almost 70% of respondents said they do not or tend not to support such forms of protest - four percentage points more than a year ago.

The online poll of around 2,000 people was conducted from August 18-20.

However, respondents voiced their support for concrete measures such as the expansion of the rail network and bicycle paths, with 71% and 64% backing the policies respectively.

The attitude toward further enlargement of the country's motorway system is less clear.

A total of 28% "somewhat" or "strongly" supported the measure, while 44% at least "somewhat" disagreeing.

Respondents see politics and business as primarily responsible for combating the climate crisis, with 60% wanting politicians to do more to promote sustainability.

Companies also need to do more in this area, according to 64% of those polled.

When it comes to their own consumption habits, participants are more cautious. Less than 40% are ready to make fundamental changes in order to live more sustainably, while 27% reject the idea.

Fridays for Future held several large protests this year, including one attended by thousands in German cities in September to demand an immediate halt to all new natural gas projects in the country.