"This is absurd!"

Vienna Airport: Climate campaigners sued for 36,000 euros

In the summer, the climate stickers caused riots at Vienna Airport on two days. This is now said to have cost them over 36,000 euros.

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

That's a hefty sum: Vienna Airport now wants 36,000 euros from the Last Generation activists. This is said to be the amount of damages for the protests in the summer. What the climate campaigners say about the lawsuit: "This is absurd." 

Last week, Schwechat Airport is said to have announced that it was suing the activists for over 36,000 euros for the actions on July 24 and 27. The group itself announced this on Thursday. 

Airport floor smeared with paint
In the summer, several people had spread water-soluble paint on the floor in the Terminal 3 hall and sat down with signs reading "Oil kills". In addition, orange confetti was thrown from a gallery in the building three days later. 

 Lawsuit is absurd for movement
"As one of the top companies in Austria, Vienna Airport is making a massive contribution to climate destruction, amassing millions in fossil fuel profits in the process, and now we are supposed to give the airport money? That's absurd," says Magdalena Vith (24). The student is one of the ten defendants.

36,000 euros for washable paint and a bit of confetti is completely unrealistic.

Anja Windl

Although the movement announced the end of the protests in August, the consequences of legitimate protests are shared. For this reason, the group launched a crowdfunding campaign to fight the civil lawsuit against the airport. "36,000 euros for washable paint and a bit of confetti is completely unrealistic," says Anja Windl. She is also one of the defendants. The donation target for the time being is 20,000 euros. 

"We have received both lawsuits from the airport and will contest them. Like my clients, I wonder how the airport could have incurred such high costs because of washable paint and confetti. A court will now have to clarify whether my clients have to pay for these costs - or not," said lawyer Paul Kessler, who is representing the climate activists in court.

Another defendant, James Nylon (24), added: "I am particularly interested in the airport's arguments. I don't understand to what extent we should be responsible for the airport's personnel costs, for example".