- Women activists stuck at airport - consequences
Two activists from the climate initiative "Last Generation" glued themselves to the Stuttgart airport. Police removed the two women, aged 23 and 27, from the ground in the morning and took them into custody, a spokesman for the Reutlingen police headquarters said upon request. The activists reportedly offered no resistance. According to additional information from the federal police, the protest did not affect air traffic.
Actions by "Last Generation" also took place at the airports in Berlin-Brandenburg, Cologne/Bonn, and Nuremberg. In Nuremberg, air traffic was initially suspended but later resumed. In Cologne/Bonn, the flight operation was temporarily halted due to the protest, according to police reports.
Call for renunciation of oil and coal
"Two people in orange warning vests peacefully expressed their resistance by displaying banners with the inscriptions 'Oil kills' and 'Sign the treaty'," the organization reported in a statement. "The runways were not entered."
Last Generation demands radical climate protection, including complete renunciation of coal, oil, and gas. They call for the conclusion of an international treaty to that effect. Since the beginning of 2022, the group has organized street blockades where participants have glued themselves. However, they have since announced a change in strategy and will no longer use this method in the future. The climate activists have also carried out several actions at airports, including at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest, at the end of July.
Airport association: Disruptions are 'criminal blackmail'
The airport association ADV demands a tough response to the actions of "Last Generation" at several German airports. The actions are "a coordinated act of criminal blackmail," said ADV CEO Ralph Beisel. "This is not peaceful protest, and it's not about supposedly higher goals. These are malicious interferences with air traffic and the personal rights of every traveler who cannot board their flight as planned."
Police union: Climate activists should pay for damages
According to the police union DPolG, climate activists should be held financially responsible for any damages resulting from their actions at airports. The DPolG considers the damage caused by flight cancellations and disruptions in the operations of airlines to be the responsibility of the activists. They should cover these costs, said Ralf Kusterer, deputy federal and state chairman of the DPolG in Baden-Württemberg.
"Those who deliberately bring infrastructure to a standstill by using their body as an insurmountable barrier and acting without regard for affected legal rights and interests, act in a manner contrary to good morals," Kusterer said. This immorality provides a basis for civil law claims. In addition, the so-called "climate glueers" should be prosecuted and charged with further costs for police deployment and the removal of disruptions.
Protest only on the weekend
Only on Saturday, activists from the climate group protested peacefully at Stuttgart Airport. There was a registered protest by 14 people at Terminal 3, as the police reported. The action, which took place without any incidents, was directed against the recent apartment searches of members of "Last Generation".
Statement by Last Generation on X about the action
The police union in Baden-Württemberg, DPolG, believes that climate activists from Last Generation should be financially responsible for any damages resulting from their airport protests, as their actions lead to flight cancellations and operational disruptions for airlines. In a different context, the police had to remove two activists from Stuttgart airport in the morning, who had glued themselves to the ground as part of their climate initiative.
