Representational.
Munich: A group of German climate activists forced into the Munich airport on Saturday and glued themselves to the runway, causing the cancellation of dozens of flights. The activists were intending to push the German administration to tackle climate change, Agence France-Presse reported.
The activists were members of the Last Generation environmental protest group. They were forced onto the tarmac, cutting through the fences of the second-busiest airport in Germany during the early hours of the day.
After the suspension of many flights, 61 takeoffs and landings were cancelled. Police arrested eight activists, which ended the stunt.
AFP reports that both runways have been open again since 7:20 am local time, but more disruptions are expected throughout the day. The incident happened at the start of a long weekend in Germany, and the day was a busy day for travel.
Last Generation is known for their eye-catching protest methods, which include gluing themselves to busy roads, flinging mashed potato Claude Monet paintings etc,
Germany's Transport Minister Volker Wissing condemned the protest group's action. He called it a targeted intervention in air traffic and said that it was not a legitimate protest. He said that if air traffic is not safe, people are put at risk, major economic damage is threatened, and thousands of travellers are left stranded, AFP reported.
Last Generation accused the government of not doing enough to discourage people from flying since flights release large amounts of emissions that cause damage to the climate.
The group wrote on X, "It is absurd that people are more likely to be able to afford flights than train journeys. The responsibility for this lies with the government: it subsidises flights while the railways are being cut to the bone."