Hours of waiting

Climate activists block Fernpass in travel chaos

The activists blocked the Fernpass, which caused the column heading south to grow further.

(Bild: Letzte Generation Österreich)

At the height of the Whitsun travel season, of all times, Last Generation climate activists blocked several critical points in Austria for travel to the south. They also caused even more traffic chaos than usual at the Fernpass in the Tyrolean Außerfern. The police had to break up the gathering.

The activists began their blockade actions at around 10 am. According to the police, nine demonstrators also took to the road at the Fernpass shortly after 10 a.m., causing considerable delays and probably not helping the already frayed nerves of travelers.

After around an hour, the police broke up the unannounced assembly on the orders of the district authority. Six of the activists were taped up, three others were also sitting on the road near the Hotel Fernsteinsee in Nassereith. According to officials, the dispersal was peaceful and without incident.

The police were also on site.

(Bild: Letzte Generation Österreich)

Other federal states also affected
According to the ÖAMTC, around a dozen demonstrators also stuck themselves in the traffic jam on the A10 Tauernautobahn, on which a mega traffic jam had already formed due to the single lane, whereupon the flow of cars to the south finally came to a standstill. There were also demonstrations on the A9 Phyrnautobahn near Spielfeld and at the border crossings from Vorarlberg to Switzerland near Lustenau and Hohenems.

According to them, the Last Generation was protesting against the "standstill in climate policy". The actions were still underway at around 11.30 am. 

Long waiting times at border crossings in Tyrol
Even without the climate activists' protests, the traffic situation in Tyrol and Austria was extremely tense on Saturday. According to the ÖAMTC, there were delays of around an hour at the Fernpass and Brenner. According to the transport club, travelers on the Tauern freeway even had to expect delays of three to five hours.