Climate Activists Disrupt Multiple German Airports in Protest for Climate Action
This morning, activists from the climate group Last Generation interrupted operations at several major German airports in a demonstration aimed at drawing attention to urgent climate issues. According to reports from the organization, two activists breached security at airports including Berlin-Brandenburg (BER), Stuttgart, Nuremberg, and Cologne-Bonn around 5 AM, donning orange safety vests to signal their intentions.
The situation escalated at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport where two individuals glued themselves to the tarmac, leading to the suspension of flight operations on both runways. They were removed around 6:30 by police and airport fire services and subsequently taken into custody, paving the way for flights to resume shortly thereafter. A spokesperson for the Federal Police reassured that air traffic safety was not compromised throughout the incident.
Despite the protests, Stuttgart Airport's operations remained uninterrupted, although authorities dealt with two additional activists at Cologne-Bonn, where access to a runway was blocked. An airport spokesperson confirmed that the protesters had somehow gained entry to the airside area of the airport. Meanwhile, a search was instigated for a potential third protester in the same vicinity. Operations at Cologne-Bonn were briefly halted, but by 7:25, flights were back on schedule.
Nuremberg Airport reported that two climate activists managed to disrupt operations by gluing their hands to a taxiway. Though their actions led to the cancellation of one flight and numerous delays, they were released by emergency services and are currently under police custody. The police confirmed ongoing criminal investigations linked to the protest, focusing on property damage, trespassing, and breaches of the Aviation Security Act.
The Last Generation organization asserted their actions were peaceful, displaying banners with messages including "Oil kills" and "Sign the treaty", demanding urgent and radical climate action including a complete stop to coal, oil, and gas use, along with the formation of an international treaty to address climate change effectively.
The activists, prevalent since early 2022, have previously engaged in road blockades as a form of protest, although they recently declared a strategy shift away from gluing themselves to surfaces. Previous disruptive protests have occurred at significant airports including Frankfurt am Main.
In response to the chaos created by these protests, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the actions, labeling them as dangerous and ill-considered and asserting that they jeopardize not only the activists' safety but also that of others. She emphasized the need for stringent penalties for such disruptive acts and called for improved security measures at airports to prevent unauthorized access in the future.
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