A kilometre-long stretch of main road in the Friedrichshain district on Berlin's eastern outskirts was transformed into a giant outdoor music club. All thanks to climate activists, partygoers and residents of the surrounding homes. And with the permission issued by the German capital's authorities.

The event took place on Saturday, 2 September. The main aim of the participants was to draw attention to the damage that would be caused by the extension of the six-lane A100 motorway. If built, the road would destroy some of Berlin's most exclusive nightclubs, such as About Blank, Wilde Renate, Else, Oxi, Void and Club Ost. In addition to these venues, more than 20 other music clubs, many flats and cultural venues would also be demolished.

The German capital is known as one of the most party-oriented cities in the world, and The Berghain, the most popular techno club, is already a legend in the world of partygoers. This is how the idea came about to organise a protest in the form of a giant rave (a multi-hour party where many artists and DJs perform electronic music).

Environmental activists and rave music makers came together at a protest over the A100 motorway extension. As Selina, a clubber who lives in the area, told BBC News that the construction of additional lanes "would be a complete nightmare".

"It makes me so sad and angry. So much of Berlin's culture would be lost. It's just not necessary to have a motorway in the centre of the city. We have such good public transport," she said in an interview with the BBC.

Amperia, a DJ at About Black club, said the protest is as much about protecting the clubs as it is about protecting the environment: "The highway would bring extreme noise and pollution to the city. Honestly this is going to harm everybody. It's a nonsense project no matter how you look at it."

Climate activists have also joined the cause. Clara, a 21-year-old student and spokesperson for Fridays For Future, told BBC News:

"Most people my age in Berlin think it's a really stupid idea. This is the most expensive motorway project in Germany. For that money you could build a bicycle lane from Berlin to Beijing. It's completely insane to invest in this project."

Germany's transport minister, Volker Wissing, and Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, want to extend the motorway to cope with the city's growing population and the increase in number of cars in the streets. They claim it will help improve the flow of traffic around the city centre, rather than through it, BBC reports.

Source: BBC News