Road Closure for Climate Protest Causes Traffic Congestion and Subsequent Accident on A27
Eco-protesters causing a major disruption on the A27 motorway near Bremen leads to a judge's order for a full closure. This results in a long traffic jam and an accident, attracting plenty of backlash.
During an environmental protest, the police enforced a complete closure of the A27 motorway near Bremen's interchange for more than an hour. Protestors hung banners from a bridge overhead at noon. The closure resulted in a traffic jam that stretched for six kilometers, leading to an accident involving three vehicles, one of which flipped over. Four individuals sustained minor injuries.
Tensions between the activists and the city of Achim arose prior to the event. The activists initially aimed to perform their protest during active traffic on the bridge, but the city prohibited this, citing safety concerns. The city eventually allowed a demonstration on the bridge instead.
The activists sought recourse in the Administrative Court of Stade, which ruled that the motorway should remain closed for the demonstration for an hour. The city later challenged this decision before the Lower Saxony Higher Administrative Court, resulting in the reduction of the closure to half an hour. In a later statement, the court acknowledged that it did not share the same view as the Stade court.
Prioritizing Safety over Assembly Rights?
The court argued that a full closure of the A27 was not necessary to maintain the balance between affected fundamental rights. The closure imposed significant risks to both road users and local residents, which the court deemed more critical than the right to assembly. The city's appeal focused solely on the time reduction, leaving the authorities bound to the specific circumstances.
The activists cited a pending criminal trial in response to a similar protest along the A27 during the 2021 transport ministers' conference as the catalyst for their action. A verdict from the Achim local court is expected in the future. "Daily, harmful and deadly car traffic causes severe harm to countless people and animals," the activists stated.
The German Police Union (DPolG) in Bremen voiced strong criticism of the court's decision. "Creating an artificial traffic jam on a federal motorway, even if there's a speed limit, poses persistent risks," said the state chairman, Bernard Soika. "I find it utterly negligent to prioritize freedom of assembly above the safety and lives of others," Soika protested.
Following the court's decision, the activists argued that their demonstration was necessary due to the harmful impacts of heavy traffic on the environment and public health. The judge, however, prioritized road safety and local resident's wellbeing over the activists' right to assembly, ordering a shorter closure period for the motorway. The environment and the concern for its preservation remained a central theme throughout the protests and subsequent discussions.
