German chancellor caught by surprise by topless protesters

Topless demonstrators with the slogan reading “GAS EMBARGO NOW” on their skin throw money as the security personnel tries to take them away from the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the Federal Government’s Open Day event at the Chancellery in Berlin on August 22, 2022. -AFP

BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz found himself standing next to two topless women for a photo-op on Sunday when the pair suddenly removed their jerseys.

The two protesters had sought a selfie with the German leader during the government’s open house weekend.

But they took off their tops, revealing slogans seeking a “gas embargo now” against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The protesters were swiftly taken away by security officials.

Germany, heavily dependent on Russia gas, has so far been unable to impose a complete ban on gas imports from the country.

It is however desperately seeking to pivot away from Russian energy.

Taking questions from the public earlier Sunday, Scholz had pointed to various efforts made by Berlin to seek alternative sources of energy including liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Scholz said he hoped that the first terminals that Germany is racing to build for LNG imports can be in operation from early next year on.

“Then our problem of security of supply can be solved sometime at the beginning of 2024,” he said.

With Russia throttling gas supplies to Germany, Europe’s biggest economy is bracing for power shortages in the coming winter.

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