Dietrich Wagner, 67, had been participating in a protest against an underground railway station in Stuttgart for just one month when, during a demo on 30 September 2010, the stream of a water cannon hit him square in the face. Despite being almost blind ever since, he now demonstrates more than ever.

“For me, nuclear power is simply murder,” says Petra Sawade firmly. Until recently, this 71-year-old had little to do with politics. But last year, when the coalition government extended the lifespan of nuclear power plants, she decided to act. In mid-February 2011, the 71-year-old takes part in a sit-in blockade against the transport of nuclear waste, in the middle of the night at minus ten degrees. Two people at retirement age, with one thing in common: the feeling of being overlooked in important matters of politics and state authority, and the determination to no longer accept it.