On Saturday, tens of thousands of protestors gathered in six German cities to call for a more equitable allocation of government money to address growing energy and living expenses as well as a quicker transition away from fossil fuels. Protesters carried posters with slogans calling for everything from lowering inflation to turning off nuclear power and higher energy price subsidies for the poor as they marched through Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Stuttgart, Dresden, and Frankfurt-am-Main.
According to one of the organizers, Greenpeace, some 24,000 people attended. According to the police, there were 1,800 demonstrators in Berlin. “We aim to demonstrate the critical need for socially balanced financial assistance for citizens. Although the government uses a watering can to distribute money, it nevertheless accomplishes a lot. Compared to the wealthy, those with lesser incomes require more support “one of the unions organizing the protests, Andrea Kocsis, said.
The government’s 200-billion-euro ($195 billion) rescue plan, which tries to shield businesses and individuals from the effects of skyrocketing energy prices, was approved by the German parliament on Friday. The package comprises a one-time payment to cover a household’s or a small or medium-sized business’s monthly gas cost as well as a mechanism to cap prices beginning in March. With additional cash obtained from the profits of electrical providers, it will also finance a cap on electricity costs for families and business retroactively beginning in March for spot prices and beginning in December for future prices.
German inflation in September increased to 10.9%, the highest level in more than 25 years, as a result of rising energy prices. “I believe it would be better if the distribution was fairer. Millionaires have shown a desire to pay higher taxes. I don’t perceive any developments on that front “said Berlin demonstrator Ulrich Franz.
