Protests by climate activists from the Last Generation briefly paralyzed German airports in Bonn, Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart and Nuremberg on Thursday morning (15 August). Two activists stormed each of the airports, sticking to the taxiways. The Last Generation reported that this was a peaceful civil resistance action and that the runways were not occupied.
At BER Airport in Berlin and Brandenburg, the action did not cause any serious disruptions, an airport spokeswoman assured. Shortly after the blockade began, at around 6:30 a.m., police removed two activists from the airport grounds. Both were taken into custody. For security reasons, takeoffs and landings were temporarily suspended, but were resumed shortly afterwards. The blockade at Stuttgart Airport was similar.
Meanwhile, Cologne-Bonn Airport has temporarily suspended flights, and there may still be delays when they resume, the airport said. Activists entered the airport through a hole in the fence. It was similar in Nuremberg. According to DPA, bolt cutters were found near a damaged section of the airport fence. Nuremberg Airport suspended operations for more than an hour.
The government wants to toughen penalties for airport blockades
The Last Generation said the activists were peacefully expressing their opposition. They carried banners reading: “Oil Kills” and “Sign the Treaty.” The group is calling for radical climate action, including the complete elimination of coal, oil and gas. It is also demanding an international treaty on the issue. Since the beginning of 2022, the Last Generation has staged numerous roadblocks and recently organized actions at airports, including at Germany's largest airport in Frankfurt am Main in late July.
The activists' actions were sharply criticized by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. “These criminal actions are dangerous and stupid,” she wrote on the X platform on Thursday. According to her, the protesters “risk not only their own lives, but also endanger others.” Faeser also recalled that the government had proposed tightening the law on such actions. “We have proposed severe prison sentences. And we are obliging airports to significantly improve the security of their facilities,” she added.
The bill, which is “waiting for adoption by the Bundestag”, envisages that “intentional, unauthorized intrusion” onto the apron and runways of airports will be punishable if it endangers the safety of civil aviation.