Proceeded in duos

Activist duos paralyzed German air traffic

The climate activist Anja Windl

(Bild: Letzte Generation)

Climate activists from the Last Generation organization massively disrupted air traffic in Germany on Thursday morning. Air traffic was suspended at Cologne/Bonn and Nuremberg airports. The activists are said to have acted in groups of two.

The Last Generation reported several disruptive actions at airports across Germany. According to the organization, two activists in orange high-visibility vests entered each of the Berlin-Brandenburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Cologne/Bonn airports.

From 5 a.m., a total of eight people entered taxiways at the four airports and stuck themselves to the tarmac, the Last Generation announced. "Two people each in orange high-visibility vests peacefully expressed their resistance."

Windl on the front line
One of the activists was Anja Windl, who had recently served a substitute prison sentence in Austria. She warned while she was stuck: "Climate collapse is already a reality for many people."

In the video: Windl tapes herself to airport grounds:

The activists displayed banners reading "Oil kills" and "Sign the treaty" ("Sign the treaty"). The runways were not entered. According to spokespeople, the intruders had gained access to the site through holes in fences. All the activists were taken into custody by the police. Flight operations were able to resume after a delay of several hours in some cases.

Stricter laws planned
The German government wants to tighten the aviation security law to prevent radical climate activists and other troublemakers from carrying out dangerous actions at airports, reports Der Spiegel.

At the heart of the planned reform is the creation of a new regulation that criminalizes "intentional, unauthorized intrusion" on the tarmac and runways, among other things. Future actions are to be refrained from due to the level of punishment.

SPD headquarters soiled with paint
Meanwhile, the party headquarters of the ruling SPD party in Berlin was sprayed with orange paint in the early hours of the morning. According to the police situation center in Berlin, the last generation is said to have sprayed the Willy Brandt House. It is not known whether this is connected to the government's plans.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the blockades. "These criminal actions are dangerous and stupid," wrote the SPD politician on X. She continued: "The chaotic people are not only risking their own lives, but also endangering others."