Cologne stands up: large demonstration for climate protection before the local elections!

Cologne stands up: large demonstration for climate protection before the local elections!

On Friday, September 12, 2025, the Cologne Heumarkt will be the scene of an important large-scale demonstration for climate protection. The motto is “Cologne can do climate”. Fridays for Future Cologne together with other climate initiatives for this protest. The aim is to send a strong signal to politicians and urban society to set the course for a climate-neutral future. Marie Hacker from Fridays for Future makes it clear that the upcoming local elections are crucial for Cologne's climate-friendly development.

The organizers are demanding clear and binding measures from all political parties, instead of empty promises. Yasin Hinz, spokesman for Fridays for Future Germany, emphasizes the responsibility of municipalities. The demo promises a colorful program with speeches, music from the group Planschemalöör and the indie singer Jonny Mahoro. At the end, a picnic is planned to celebrate the shared ideals.

Participation and context

According to police reports, around 2,000 participants are registered for the demonstration, but mobilization could also be higher, as similar protests are planned in many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia. Actions under the motto “Cologne can do climate” have also been addressed in Dortmund, Duisburg, Bochum and Krefeld. Loud T Online Nationwide demonstrations have been announced on September 20, 2025 under the motto “#ExitGasEnterFuture”, which underlines the urgency of the demands.

These protests are part of a larger movement: Fridays for Future is also campaigning for more climate protection in around 20 cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, such as Aachen, Bielefeld and Wuppertal. According to organizers, around 3,000 people were on the streets at one of the last major demonstrations in Cologne, which illustrates the importance and growth of the movement. Paul Mütze from FFF Cologne not only criticized the inadequate measures in his speeches, but also called for an entire transport turnaround.

Demands of the climate movement

The activists present a series of clear demands: These include the expansion of local public transport, more cycle paths, the accelerated implementation of a heating transition through the expansion of district heating and the installation of more solar systems on urban roofs. These points are considered essential in order to achieve climate goals and make urban spaces sustainable.

The upcoming local elections offer a good opportunity to publicly put pressure on political decision-makers. These elections could have significant consequences for Cologne's future environmental and climate policy. The citizens of Cologne are called upon to get involved and actively help shape a climate-friendly future.