German interior minister calls activists' airport blockade 'criminal'

DPA
·2 min read
14
Two activists have glued themselves to an access road for runways at Franz-Josef-Strauß Airport. The activists had reached the inner area of the airport grounds. According to their own statements, members of the 'Last Generation' activism group had planned to enter the airport grounds in order to block at least one of the two runways. Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
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As climate protection activists once again invaded the grounds of an airport in Germany and disrupted travel plans at the start of a holiday weekend, the country's interior minister is calling for rigorous prosecution.

After a blockade at Munich Airport on Saturday by climate activists from the Last Generation group, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wrote on the social media platform X: "Such criminal actions jeopardize air traffic and harm climate protection because they only provoke incomprehension and anger."

She added: "The perpetrators must be consistently prosecuted and the protective measures at the airport must be reviewed."

Six Last Generation activists broke through the airport fence early on Saturday morning and stuck themselves to taxiways. The airport was temporarily closed and several aircraft had to be diverted to other cities.

The group had carried out similar actions at several German airports in the past. Air traffic accounts for almost 10% of Germany's responsibility for global warming.

After about two hours, air traffic at Munich Airport was able to resume and the activists were detained.

Airplanes are parked at Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport before sunrise. Climate protection activists paralysed Munich Airport early 18 May. The activists had reached the inner area of the airport grounds. According to their own statements, members of the 'Last Generation' activism group had planned to enter the airport grounds in order to block at least one of the two runways. Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
Police and firefighters stand on a runway access road at Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport around climate activists who have stuck themselves there. Climate protection activists paralysed Munich Airport early 18 May. The activists had reached the inner area of the airport grounds. According to their own statements, members of the 'Last Generation' activism group had planned to enter the airport grounds in order to block at least one of the two runways. Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa