Munich, May 18, 2024, The Europe Today: Police were deployed to Munich Airport on Saturday morning after climate activists, believed to be from the Last Generation movement, disrupted the airport in protest of current climate policies.
An airport spokesperson confirmed the closure: “The airport is closed for security reasons because climate activists have stuck themselves to the taxiways.” Initially, all flights had to be canceled or diverted to other airports.
Later in the day, an airport representative announced that one of the two runways had reopened, although delays were expected.
The activists shared pictures on social media platform X, showing members with protest signs on the runway. “A total of six people are sitting in two groups at different locations of the Munich airport,” read one post.
This demonstration coincided with one of the busiest travel periods for the airport in southern Germany, with at least 350,000 passengers expected from Friday to Sunday during the Whitsun holidays.
The Last Generation activists aimed to block at least one of the two runways to disrupt the peak travel time. One protester’s sign read: “Problem is the government, not our holiday.”
The activists are protesting government subsidies to the airline industry, such as waivers for kerosene and VAT. Similar protests by the group have occurred at other airports across Germany.
