The spokesman for the German Identitarian Movement (IB), Martin Sellner, and comrades-in-arms of Action Solidarity temporarily occupied the Nord Stream 2 terminal in Lubmin in northern Germany on Monday and demanded the commissioning of the gas pipeline.
“We demand the immediate opening of Nord Stream 2 and a referendum on the federal government’s energy and sanctions policies,” Sellner said in a video that circulated on social media.
The right-wing activist also threatened to put the pipeline into operation himself. “If they don’t step on the gas, then we will step on the gas. We are here today to turn on Nord Stream 2,” he said, also demanding that the federal government close Germany’s borders.
“The government accepts the impoverishment and freezing of millions of people,” Sellner told the Junge Freiheit newspaper.
“It’s not about war and geopolitics at all, but primarily about responsibility to one’s own people,” he added.
Nord Stream 2 is on hold
Authorities were alerted to the incident and were soon on-site to attempt to put a stop to the action. In order to escape the attending officers, the activist group ran into nearby the forest.
“The police came in massive numbers, and some of the activists withdrew into the bushes around Nord Stream,” Junge Freiheit reported. “Then the police officers chased them in the undergrowth with a helicopter, among other things. Most escaped, but four were caught and are still in custody,” the publication added.
“We’re not satisfied yet because we didn’t manage to turn on Nord Stream this time, but we are convinced that we gave the protests an initial spark,” Sellner said.
As a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is not currently operational. It is unclear if or when Russian gas will be transported through the pipeline to Europe.
