A group of environmental activists attack a Porsche dealer

Four environmentalists spray painted a Porsche dealership in Lausanne to “liberate Switzerland from fossil fuel cars”.

What better than a car to make your environmental claims heard? This is what we have already seen in various events, especially international trade fairs, where some activists take advantage of these events to make their claims heard.

Even electric cars are affected, such as the Tesla Giga Factory in Berlin which is frequently targeted, or the recent fire at a supplier.

Porsche sales “to start”?

Today it is not Tesla which was targeted by environmental activists, but Porsche through its dealers in Lausanne, Switzerland. Four people sprayed the building with orange paint in a declaration of war against petrol cars. This action, coordinated by the Swiss movement “take action now!” », comes after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Switzerland for not taking action on the climate.
In a press release published by “act now!”, it is stated that four people did this act, leaving behind a message of protest. It shows turquoise banners advertising their new “liberate Switzerland” campaign. activists defiantly sat outside the store after spraying the building with bright orange paint. Police intervened quickly, just four minutes after the incident, and arrested people without immediate arrest, according to a press release.
The “Liberate Switzerland” campaign of Swiss environmental activists aims ban the sale of new petrol-powered cars from 2025, while promoting significant investment in smart mobility and public transport. This plan comes after the refusal of the Swiss parliament, in March 2023, to ban the sale of new fuel cars, a gesture criticized when the European Union adopted a position against supporting the ban.

Switzerland, the worst student in Europe?

Riwal Leemann, a 20-year-old earth science student, expressed the motivation behind this move in a statement: “I love my family and those around me, and I find it absurd that our country is putting us at risk by actively contributing to the worsening of the climate crisis”. Swiss liberation activists plan to continue their nonviolent actions in the coming days and throughout the month of May, saying that “Civil opposition is a sign of a living and healthy democracy”.

They also argue that in countries like Switzerland, which are facing lawsuits in international courts over their poor climate policies, civil resistance is legitimate to pressure the government to take necessary measures to protect its population.