An activist sticks to the asphalt in Göttingen. He’s been so successful that the emergency services can’t untie him – and move in with heavy equipment.

Goettingen – A climate activist sticks to the pavement at a crossroads in Goettingen on Friday March 3 – the hand cannot be let go. The “solution” comes with the firefighters. Emergency services remove a layer of tar.

On Friday afternoon, after the “Fridays For Future” demonstration, several climate activists glued themselves to the street at the otherwise busy Geismartor intersection. But this time the action lasted longer than usual.

Climate activist uses two superglues in Göttingen

One of the climate activists is Lukas Krönke from Göttingen. This is not the first time he has been involved in a blocking campaign. But while the hands of the other participants can be detached from the asphalt in a few minutes by the vegetable oil firefighters, the detachment does not work in the classic way for Lukas Krönke.

He stuck his left hand so firmly to the zebra crossing with a mixture of two superglues that he couldn’t get it off with the firefighters’ oil, even though the rescuers moved patiently and carefully.

Firefighters try in vain to loosen the hand with oil

“For 45 minutes we tried to free the hand with the oil from the asphalt painlessly,” explains Wolfgang Schmalstieg, head of the Göttingen professional fire brigade safety service. “As that didn’t work out, we had to find something else.” And this is unusual: so the firefighters decide not to pull the hand out of the asphalt, but to separate the road surface layer from the base layer by hand.

Without further ado, two employees of the construction depot of the city of Göttingen are called. They approach with raw material: Stemmer and Motorflex. First, the asphalt is cut squarely around the hand.

The firefighters then continue to work patiently and carefully with hammer and chisel so as not to injure the man. Hearing protectors, a helmet, goggles and a blanket protect the young man from flying stones and the cold.

After two hours it’s done – climate activist in Göttingen with rare jewelry

After two hours, it’s done: the climate activist Krönke is released from the road. However, he first carries a piece of the road with him as a hand ornament.

“It’s exhausting every time, it’s not fun at all and I don’t like doing it,” Krönke says of his blockade actions. “But I see no other way to draw attention to the issue of climate protection and our government’s inaction in this regard.”

Climate activist from Göttingen interrupted his biology studies for his actions

The “last generation” calls for the establishment of a company council, a speed limit of 100 km / h on German motorways and the maintenance of the ticket at 9 euros in local public transport. He recently dropped out of his biology studies for his actions.

In any case, the liberated activist Krönke expressly praises the work of the firefighters: “I had nice conversations about the climate with the firefighters”, he says. Director of Operations Schmalstieg agrees: “All activists were very friendly and polite. The mood was relaxed.” Relaxed – this applies in particular to Lukas Krönke.

Climate activist praises Göttingen emergency services – hand remained almost intact

With the block of asphalt on the palm of his hand, he is then examined in the ambulance. However, he refused to go to the hospital. Suddenly, he returns home with the piece of asphalt in his hand. There he frees his hand independently with plenty of hot water and oil. “Releasing it took a long time and it hurt a little, but my hand is practically unscathed,” reports Krönke, relieved.

For Wolfgang Schmalstieg, head of firefighter operations, this is the first operation of this kind on Friday evening: “I have never experienced anything like it.”

Bauhof employees repair the road in Goettingen

Lukas Krönke, meanwhile, stuck to the streets in several cities, but always knew how to free himself quickly. But he does not want to give in after his “tar hand experience”: “I will continue to block the streets with such actions”, he assures. Nothing is known about the costs and how they will be taken care of.

Incidentally, the damaged road is repaired quickly and without further delay by construction workers using a shovel with cold asphalt from a bucket. And traffic can roll again, even over the clogged hole.

Drivers waiting in rush hour traffic are having no fun this Friday in Göttingen, where the Groner Tor level crossing is also partially blocked – they won’t be able to laugh at Lukas Krönke’s story either . (Stefan Ramfel)