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Germany: Climate activists protest at Leipzig/Halle airport

August 1, 2024

The Last Generation group called on Germany to establish an international treaty to phase out oil, gas and coal. It's the latest demonstration by the group to hit a German airport.

https://p.dw.com/p/4iysh
A plane at the Leipzig/Halle airport
It was not immediately clear how many flights were affectedImage: Jan Woitas/dpa/picture alliance

Activists from the Last Generation environmentalist group staged a protest at the Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany early on Thursday morning.

At least five members of the group glued themselves to the taxiway at the airport while two others were prevented from doing so, a police spokesman later said, according to DPA news agency.

The protesters were eventually removed from the tarmac around 5 a.m. (0300 GMT), the police spokesperson added.

The action caused a slight delay to some flights, with DPA reporting that cargo flights early in the morning were affected.

Last Generation campaign targets airports to send message about climate change

Last Generation said the protest aimed at stopping overnight freight traffic to make it clear "that this system of destruction cannot be allowed to continue unabated." 

In a statement, the group reiterated its demand to the German government to "help shape and sign a legally binding international agreement that regulates the global phase-out of oil, gas and coal by 2030." 

Experts have warned that Germany will almost certainly miss its climate goal of cutting 65% of emissions by 2030.

Airport protests to influence transport policy in Germany

Last Generation has increasingly staged protests in Germany by blocking roads and runways in a bid to influence transport policy.

Last week, members of the group halted scores of flights at Germany's largest airport, Frankfurt, and blocked the Cologne/Bonn airport, gluing themselves to the runway. 

Climate protest halts Frankfurt flights

Formed in 2021, the group uses its name to highlight that its young activists consider themselves as the last generation before the Earth reaches a tipping point and collapses in a climate breakdown. 

rm, fb/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters, KNA) 

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