BERLIN (AP) — Figures released Thursday by German police showed a sharp increase in the number of violent attacks on climate protesters in Berlin recorded this year compared with 2022.

Police in the capital said they opened 66 investigations into motorists suspected of committing crimes against members of the activist group Last Generation during the first five months of 2023. Eighteen such investigations were launched during all of last year.

Last Generation's tactic of blocking streets has drawn ire from some drivers, who have used force to clear activists off the road.

Some tabloid newspapers have suggested that doing so constitutes a form of self-defense. But Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, which first reported the new attack figures, quoted a police spokesperson as saying there was no indication motorists were becoming more radical; instead, an increasing number of blockades could be the reason for the rise in attacks, the spokesperson said.

Berlin police said 17 cases of suspected bodily harm and 13 cases of serious bodily harm were recorded this year, up from eight and two respectively in 2022. Other investigations concerned suspected coercion, criminal insult, theft and property damage.

The activists themselves have refused to file criminal complaints when attacked, meaning the figures are based on incidents observed by police.

Members of Last Generation have faced about 2,000 criminal investigations for their non-violent protests in Berlin, mostly on charges of refusing to comply with police orders and coercion for blocking traffic.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called the protesters' tactic of gluing themselves to roads “nutty” and last week authorities raided the homes of suspected members across Germany as part of an investigation into allegations that the group is a “criminal organization.”

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