Climate activists form wind turbine formation against gas power plants in Hamm

In Hamm, around 2,000 climate activists gathered on Wednesday for an impressive protest action. The demonstrators formed a human wind turbine formation to visually underscore their demand for renewable energy.

The protest motto "Future instead of gas" is directed directly against the planned gas power plants in the city. The activists argue that building new gas infrastructure slows the transition to clean energy and thus endangers climate targets. Instead, they are calling for accelerated expansion of wind and solar installations.

Polarized debate over the energy transition

The action in Hamm is part of a series of climate protests gaining momentum in Germany. Particularly in the Ruhr region, an area with a strong energy industry, activists regularly mobilize against fossil fuel infrastructure projects. The protest shows how polarized the debate over the energy transition remains: While climate advocates reject gas power plants as a transitional solution, supporters argue with supply security and bridging periods until complete conversion to renewables.

The federal government has set the goal of making the electricity sector largely CO₂-neutral by 2035. Gas power plants play a controversial role in this transition phase: they are considered less climate-damaging than coal, but are criticized by activists as a dead end that diverts investment from renewable energy. The protests in Hamm make clear that this conflict is being fought on the streets.