Jesuit priest Jörg Alt faces trial in Munich over a 2023 climate protest blockade, defending civil disobedience as a response to inaction.
Newsroom (01/05/2026 Gaudium Press) Jesuit priest and climate activist Father Jörg Alt, 64, has returned to court in Munich, facing charges linked to a 2023 road blockade staged near the Bavarian State Chancellery. The trial, which resumed Thursday at the Munich District Court, also involves three fellow activists who participated in the protest.
The demonstration took place in September 2023 on the Altstadtring, a major road encircling Munich’s old town. Alt and his supporters deliberately blocked traffic in what he described as an act of civil disobedience. He argued in court that traditional methods—political dialogue, demonstrations, and petitions—had failed to generate sufficient action on climate change.
According to Alt, public and political inaction persists despite the climate crisis posing what he called an existential threat. His protest coincided with the “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation,” during which he read a letter from Pope Francis aloud using a megaphone. In the message, the pontiff urged global leaders to heed scientific warnings and pursue a swift and just transition away from fossil fuels.
Support for Alt extended beyond the protest itself. Regional representatives of the Jesuit order issued a statement expressing solidarity with the priest, and additional demonstrators joined the action. At approximately 12:15 p.m., Alt and three others sat down on Franz-Josef-Strauß-Ring to call for changes in climate policy.
Police arrived shortly after, around 12:20 p.m., and instructed the group to move their demonstration to the sidewalk. When they refused, eight officers carried the protesters away without resistance. Traffic resumed at about 12:47 p.m., though not before significant congestion had built up.
The extent of the traffic disruption became a point of contention during the trial. Two police witnesses provided conflicting estimates of the resulting traffic jam, citing lengths of 50, 150, and 600 meters. The highest figure was reportedly based on Google Maps data, prompting a debate in court over the reliability of such sources. Photographic evidence offered limited clarity, as no aerial or drone footage was available.
Alt’s defense team has requested two expert opinions: one from a climate science specialist and another addressing whether the blockade was justified as a means of raising awareness. The evidentiary phase of the trial concluded after three and a half hours, with proceedings set to resume at a later date.
The case is not Alt’s first encounter with the law. In recent years, he has taken part in several actions organized by the activist group “Last Generation,” including protests against food waste and additional road blockades in cities such as Nuremberg, Munich, and Berlin. Following previous convictions, Alt refused to pay a fine and instead served a substitute prison sentence in 2025, spending 25 days in jail.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from https://katholisch.de/
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