Criminal probes opened into climate group's roadblocks

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 19 - Rome prosecutors have opened several criminal probes into a series of road-block protests that the Ultima Generazione group has staged in Rome in recent months to highlight the need to combat the climate crisis.
    The protests on busy highways in rush-hour traffic have repeatedly caused massive disruption and often provoked angry reactions from the motorists affected.
    The probes may be brought together into a single investigation into felonies such as the interruption of a public service and holding an unauthorized demonstration.
    Ultima Generazione is demanding the immediate halt to the reopening of decommission coal plants and the scrapping of new gas-drilling projects in Italy.
    It also wants the government to take action to increase the energy generated by renewables in Italy by at least 20GW each year.
    Ultima Generazione is part of the A22 network of climate civil-disobedience groups active in several countries, such as Just Stop Oil in the UK, Stop Old Growth in Canada, Derniere Renovation in France and Declare Emergency in the United States.
    (ANSA).