Climate Activists Ground Flights in Germany Protesting Fossil Fuels — Details Here

One of the most effective ways to draw focus to the urgency of the climate crisis includes staging protests. For example, folks traveling through some of Germany's airports may have noticed significant delays as air traffic controllers grounded planes in response to climate action protests on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.

At least eight members of the environmental activist group Letzte Generation (Translation: Last Generation) are believed to be involved in the disruptions, which began around 5:45 a.m. Keep reading to learn more about why the group decided to organize the protest, including what kind of legal trouble they may now face as a result.

After employees discovered protestors setting up on the tarmac, authorities had to shut down flights at Cologne-Bonn, Berlin, Nuremberg, and Stuttgart airports. According to the Associated Press, at Cologne-Bonn, those protests involved at least two people who had secured themselves to part of one of the airport's access roads.

In Berlin, two more protestors attached themselves to the tarmac, a common tactic for the group, which typically involves using glue or cement as an adhesive.

While police are still investigating the incidents, they say that it doesn't appear that any of the protestors actually made it onto the runways but instead staged a peaceful protest outside of the airstrips.

As to why Letzte Generation took such big risks — which could see activists facing trespassing charges and prosecution for violating the Aviation Security Act — all you have to do is look at the signs they were holding in the images and videos captured during the protests.

Bright orange signs that read "sign the treaty" and "oil kills" can be seen in nearly every clip, which seems like a nod towards the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. The initiative is designed to "accelerate a transition to renewable energy for everyone," per its website, and phase out fossil fuels for good.

Additionally, these airport protests highlight the group's well-known goal of ensuring that new and comprehensive climate protection initiatives are signed into law, including the total cessation of the use of fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal.

Letzte Generation is no stranger to pulling off headline-making protests. The group, which is based out of Germany but has members from all over the U.K., has been taking serious steps to stop the climate crisis since 2021.

One of the Last Generation's first public acts was a hunger strike that prompted the newly elected Chancellor to meet with them. Since then, the organization has planned multiple protests in Germany, including the 2022 blocking of one of Germany's busiest roads, per The Berliner.

The group takes its work seriously, and its name reflects the belief that they may be the last generation capable of turning the tides of climate change before it's too late.

The Associated Press notes that if convicted, protestors could each be incarcerated for up to two years.