Putin’s Blood Gas: The Protest in the Center of Prague

On Thursday morning, October 6, activists of the Czech branch of Greenpeace unrolled on the Vltava river an inflatable yellow gas pipeline with the inscription “Putin’s Blood Gas”.

It appeared close to the Charles Bridge opposite the Prague Castle, where today is taking place the informal European Council meeting.

EU leaders will discuss the three most pressing, and interlinked, issues facing the EU, namely Russia’s war in Ukraine, energy and the economic situation.

“Today’s protest wants to send a clear message to politicians that they can not continue to deepen relations with the fossil fuel industry and ignore investments in renewable energy sources,” the activists’ representative Miriam Macurová said.

According to her, the energy and climate crises have a common cause – dependence on fossil fuels.

Therefore, Greenpeace views Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine as an opportunity for European countries to accelerate the abandonment of hydrocarbons, reduce emissions, and address climate change while ensuring energy security.

“This winter will be severe, but the next one could be even worse if European governments remain dependent on gas and oil supplies. Imposing a cap on prices may bring temporary relief and lower energy bills, but it will not solve the global problem of our dependence on gas or future energy poverty. It is shameful that since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have not seen any programs for the insulation of houses or the replacement of gas boilers with heat pumps, nor any plans to install solar panels on roofs,” said Tomas Galin, the coordinator of the EU’s energy campaign.