Climate activists speak out "We will be active at airports all over Europe"

Activists from the Letzte Generation group paralyzed Cologne Airport on Wednesday. Protests have also been announced in Zurich. The group has now provided information about planned actions.

Climate activists from the Last Generation group caused an hour-long interruption to air traffic at Cologne/Bonn Airport on Wednesday. Five people became stuck on a taxiway in the early morning.

According to the police, several activists cut through a fence and stuck themselves to the tarmac near the runways.

Similar actions also took place in Oslo, Helsinki and Barcelona.

The group announced via the X network that the action was part of an international protest campaign calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels by 2030. The protest is to take place simultaneously at airports in more than ten countries worldwide

Zurich Airport is also affected by the threat. "We are protesting together at airports worldwide. From Canada to England, from Switzerland to the Netherlands," says an activist in a video on the group's Facebook page.

Climate activists from the "Act Now!" group, which is part of "Extinction Rebellion", blocked the road to Zurich Airport on Wednesday morning. The police quickly broke up the protest.

"Will be active throughout Europe"

The Last Generation has now held a media conference to provide information about the protests planned for the coming weeks and months.

"Governments are not fulfilling their responsibilities," said representatives of the group, explaining the international protests. Airplanes are no longer justifiable as an everyday means of transportation.

Cologne, Oslo, Helsinki and Barcelona were just the beginning of the campaign. "In the coming weeks, we will be active throughout Europe," said a spokesperson. "We will repeat today's protests at airports."

Airports are the right place for the protest because they are symbolic of the consumption of fossil fuels. However, the protests are not directed against air passengers or flight staff, but against the system and the structures behind it.