Austria: Salzburg Theater Festival opening disrupted by environmental activists

Environmental activists from the German Last Generation movement Generation Letzte “) disrupted the performance at the opening of the prestigious Salzburg Opera and Theater Festival (Austria) on Friday evening. According to a video posted online, three young activists loudly interrupted a speech to draw attention to climate change.

“We are the last generation to prevent tipping points,” those temperature thresholds that could lead to an irreversible vicious cycle, they shouted before security escorted them out of the room.

They intervened while playing the legendary play “Jedermann” (every man), an allegory of the Last Judgment written by the Viennese poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874-1929), one of the founders of the festival. It is traditionally held every year at the “Salzburg Festival”, which has been held since 1920 in this Austrian city.

“Our politicians do nothing”

In this episode, director Michael Sturminger rightly chose to highlight the impact of climate change. Fake activists even burst onto the stage at the beginning of the concert, APA news agency reported.

Among the environmental team members, Stefan Kogler-Sobl, a 25-year-old social worker and theater lover, explained that the decision to carry out this action “was not easy for him.” “But what are my other options? The richest of the rich are only interested in themselves, and our politicians (…) do nothing,” he lamented in a statement. The festival organization did not immediately respond to the AFP message.

The “Last Generation” (“Letzte Generation”), very visible in Germany and Austria, is multiplying civil disobedience initiatives aimed at pushing the authorities to step up the fight against climate change. Its members repeatedly got stuck in the pavement large avenues to stop traffic or project various substances onto paintings in museums.