Furious motorist throws eco protester to the side of the road, punches and kicks another

This is the moment a fed up motorist resorted to violence to break up a street-blocking eco-protest in Germany.

Shocking video shows the enraged man leaping into the B36 highway near the Victoria Tower in Mannheim and began punching and kicking a series of activists from Last Generation – a German climate protection movement. 

Police have now arrested the 29-year-old suspect, according to German newspaper Bild.de.  

The assailant, wearing a white vest and grey jogging bottoms, was one of several angered motorists who confronted the eco-zealots who had donned orange uniforms and sat on the tarmac, backing up three lanes of cars.

When the demonstrators remained seated and refused to move he snapped, lashing out with fists and feet of fury and dragging them away.

Mannheim Police found out about the attack the following day and arrested the suspect in Ludwigsburg, where he was taken for interrogation.  

The infuriated motorist grabs the protester’s hair before hitting him in the face

The man is seen yanking the protester out of the road as other annoyed motorists look on

He returns to kick and slap another member of the group

He is now facing charges of assault, according to Bild.de.  

But Aimée van Baalen, the group’s spokeswoman, remains steadfast in their commitment to continue similar protests despite the controversy. 

She maintains that Last Generation will not be deterred by opposition and is resolute in its mission to bring attention to climate change.

‘The federal government ignored our protest for so long that scenes like yesterday in Mannheim have now occurred – this saddens and shocks us,’ she said, blaming the authorities for the continuation of the protests. 

It comes just days after a disgruntled police officer poured vegetable oil over the head of one protester who blocked a bridge.

An image shared by German outlet Rheinpfalz showed the police officer holding a huge canister of oil and tipping it down the neck of the orange-clad protester on the Konrad Adenauer Bridge between Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on Saturday.

Mannheim police confirmed to German media they were investigating the matter but refused to offer a comment on the actions of the officer. 

Last Generation has earned a reputation for its road-based protests which often see demonstrators glue themselves to the asphalt in actions similar to those of Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil in the UK.

The group staged 276 road blockages in Germany alone throughout 2022. 

The latest incidents in Mannheim come weeks after one Last Generation protester was hit by a lorry of a low-carbon energy company. 

In July, three protesters were dragged out of the way by a furious lorry driver working for low-carbon energy company Air Liquide – only to rush back in front of the lorry before one of them was knocked flying.  

Air Liquide is the Paris Olympics‘ official hydrogen supporter and works to innovate ‘the development of low-carbon hydrogen and biomethane for the energy transition’. 

The driver is pictured trying to drag the protestor sitting in the road out from under the lorry

The lorry ploughed through the protestors, knocking one back before the driver stopped

The footage showed the driver pushing one of the protestors after they obstructed the road

The driver of the lorry at first jumps out to push and drag the activists out of his way.

When they sit back in position, he slowly starts driving forward – and then shunts the activist closest to the pavement. The force is enough to send the young man flying back and bystanders come to his aid.

The lorry driver is seen throwing his hands up in frustration and stops the lorry before leaping out of the cab again to pull the protesters aside. 

Air Liquide provided the following statement to MailOnline: ‘On July 12, Air Liquide was made aware of an altercation in Stralsund, Germany, between a third-party contract driver of Air Liquide Medical Gases and local protesters. 

‘Images display unacceptable behaviour from the driver that is not aligned with Air Liquide’s values in any way. 

‘The third-party contractor has been notified that Air Liquide will no longer accept the services of this individual.’