On Thursday, Frankfurt police apprehended climate activists who disrupted Germany's busiest airport by affixing themselves to the runway with glue. An airport spokesperson reported that during the peak summer holiday period, traffic was suspended for two hours before the first landing runway resumed operations at 0502 GMT. A police spokesperson confirmed that seven activists had successfully reached the runway and adhered themselves to the tarmac, while an eighth was apprehended while attempting to breach the perimeter fence. By 0815 GMT, police had successfully removed all eight activists from the restricted airport area and placed them under provisional arrest.
The climate activist group 'Letzte Generation' (Last Generation) claimed responsibility for the act of civil disobedience. The group stated that its members utilized pincers to create openings in the wire fence and then proceeded to various points around the runways on foot, bicycles, and skateboards. A photograph disseminated by the group showed a protester seated on the tarmac holding an orange banner that read 'Oil kills'. The group advocates for a binding international agreement to cease the use of oil, gas, and coal by 2030.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing denounced the protests as 'criminal', stating that the activists seemed intent on causing maximum damage. He urged for severe legislative responses, including prison terms of up to five years for those who forcibly enter airports and obstruct aircraft, thereby endangering human lives. The protest followed similar actions at several European airports the previous day, with activists from Letzte Generation disrupting traffic at Cologne-Bonn airport and arrests occurring at London's Heathrow airport.
Passengers affected by the Frankfurt protests expressed varying reactions. Australian travelers Jen Jung and Sam Smith, en route to a wedding in Warsaw, had to hastily rebook their flight after it was canceled. Butcher Heiko Schoene, whose flight to Zurich was also canceled, expressed great shock and anger, having saved all year for his family's vacation to the Dominican Republic. Conversely, Doctor Ruth Zeilen-Boehle found the protests necessary, arguing that insufficient action is being taken for the climate. The protest organizers, part of the A22 Network advocating for non-violent climate protests, announced plans to disrupt airports in multiple countries in the coming months.
Last Generation is notorious for its bold protest tactics, ranging from throwing mashed potatoes at museum paintings to gluing themselves on busy roads. Despite some members being convicted, the group asserts that it will continue to apply pressure for enhanced environmental protection. Lisa Johnson, a spokesperson for the group, criticized politicians for not addressing the scale of the environmental disaster they are exacerbating, warning that prison sentences will not protect against climate-induced heatwaves, droughts, floods, and rising sea levels. The group announced plans to protest against government subsidies for Kassel-Calden airport starting from September 25.
