Climate Activists Shut Down Berlin Airport

Climate Activists Shut Down Berlin Airport

37

Traffic at Berlin Brandenburg Airport stopped for roughly an hour yesterday for an unusual reason…

Climate activists breach Berlin Airport runway

On Thursday, November 24, 2022, Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) had to stop all traffic, after several people gained unauthorized access to the airfield. Specifically, climate activists with Letzte Generation (which translates to “Last Generation” in English) climbed through a perimeter fence of the airport, and then rode their bikes around the runways, and even glued themselves to the tarmac.

This was part of the group’s effort to get the public to stop traveling by air, and for the government to stop subsidizing it. The protestors had informed the police of their intent to do this. All the protestors were eventually detained. Even then the airport didn’t immediately reopen, as the runways and taxiways had to be checked by staff, to make sure there were no further people.

Last week, the same group blocked off access to Berlin Brandenburg Airport, by sitting on one of the main roads leading up to the facility.

The group’s protests aren’t just limited to airports and roads, though. The same group also recently interrupted a Beethoven concert.

Then just a few weeks ago, the group threw mashed potatoes at a Monet painting that had sold for $110 million.

This… isn’t accomplishing much?

I can appreciate that these climate protestors have sincerely held beliefs and probably intend to do good. However, I’m not sure that their approach is accomplishing a whole lot, and if anything, I think it’s counterproductive:

  • By shutting down Berlin Airport they probably increased total emissions, as planes had to circle and divert, increasing the amount of time they have to fly
  • While I think we can mostly agree that reducing emissions is good, telling people to completely stop flying probably isn’t a message that’s going to resonate with people
  • This group’s goal seems to basically be to destroy anything possible to make a point, even if it has nothing to do with the environment — “Oh you’re mad we threw mashed potatoes at a painting? Well, how about climate change?”
  • I feel like this is one of those situations where “you get more flies with honey than with vinegar,” but that’s not the approach the group is taking

Bottom line

Berlin Brandenburg Airport shut down on Thursday after climate protestors climbed through an airport perimeter fence, and then rode their bikes around the runway, and glued themselves to taxiways. This is the latest action taken by Germany’s Letzte Generation climate change group. I imagine this won’t be the last time that a German airport is subjected to these kinds of protests.

What do you make of this protest that shut down Berlin Airport?

Conversations (37)
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  1. Jeffrey Chang Guest

    The activists should have done this when Air Force One is getting ready to land. Even if Air Force One could land at an alternative site, perhaps even a military base, they would still need to move all the equipment needed for the President.

    Stop hurting the everyday citizen and go after the elites.

  2. Michael_FFM Diamond

    The German RAF terrorist group started with small stuff like this, too.
    Soon these eco terrorists will find that their actions will not lead to the intended results, and then they will increase the Dosis and become openly terrorist. It’s just a matter of time.

  3. Tommy t Guest

    They are terrorists. 20 years in prison never allowed on public transportation again seems like a fair punishment

    1. Max Guest

      And they’re being sponsored by russian FSB to divide Western societies. Accordingly they need to be trialed as traitors.

  4. Syd Guest

    is it time we shut down climate activism yet?

  5. Azamaraal Guest

    Germany has reopened a large number of coal fired generation plants to try to replace the energy lost by the Russian invasion of The Ukraine.

    Coal is now the major problem for climate change attributed to GHG. Not a problem caused by airplanes.

    COMMUNIST activists never demonstrate against the real "bad guys" as these scenarios demonstrate.

    Send them to Russia for "reeducation".

    1. Max Guest

      Bad idea, as russia is sponsoring them to divide Western societies.

  6. iamhere Guest

    Their idea was simply to get their message heard in front of as many people as they could. Apparently they did that pretty well if even you are talking about it. It's not necessarily what they did but to get people to talk about it.

    1. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      But how does that translate to doing anything regarding what their message is?

      All while cars sit in idle, and planes are put in a holding pattern: thus all spewing more carbon, than if these geniuses had just stayed home.

    2. Sarah Guest

      Every time I hear people talking about this sort of disruptive and wasteful “protest,” I buy another plane ticket. Success!

  7. ImmortalSynn Guest

    There are some people who just need to get the living shit beaten out of them a time or two...

    ...these are examples.

    1. TravelinWilly Diamond

      Don't like it?

      Violence is the answer.

      Spoken like a true Donald Trump/GQP fan.

    2. Maryland Guest

      Agreed violence is not the answer. At least this protest was somewhat more closely related to climate change. However I am befuddled about the act of using glue to attach oneself to valuable artworks as a protest for climate change. That angers me and truthfully I hope the removal hurt. There are for more relevant ways to get attention.

    3. John Guest

      @TravelinPenis

      I bet you must have been waiting ALL day for just the right opportunity to make a Trump quip (and not a very scintillating one at that!) Get over Trump. Most of us have.

    4. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      Meh, no Trump supporter here, but wouldn't mind seeing them get a bit roughed up for this level of stupidity.

      May not be the answer in general: but also, fairly certain that they wouldn't do it again.

  8. George N Romey Guest

    Of course these total morons won't protest in the biggest polluter of them all, China. Somehow if they blocked a runway in China the outcome would not be good for them.

    1. Turkfresser Guest

      Is your wife screwed by a chinese guy lmao

  9. 9volt Gold

    Well, it’s at least good to know that breaking into a secure international airport presents little to no challenge.

    1. Max Guest

      They even did announce it previously and live streamed it publicly on the internet.
      Berlin is a failed state of police doesn’t respond to that.
      Bavarian one in Munich previously has shown how it’s done.

  10. Andy Diamond

    I just hope they will get severly punished for the various offences they commited (e.g. civil unrest, trespassing, interrupting public transport etc.)

    Unfortunately, both police and state prosecutors are quite lenient with them, here in Europe.

  11. JetSetFly Guest

    Just bill them the cost of people’s time whether it be having to rent a car to drive to their destination or stay overnight at one airport and then fly the following day, etc. Cost not dischargeable by bankruptcy and is done via wage garnish. They will be spending rest of their lives paying that cost off and won’t have free time to interrupt other people. Simple.

    1. Sebastian Guest

      And you believe these guys do have a real job and getting a wage? There ist probably nothing they ever could pay the bill from, unfortunately.

  12. Brian L. Guest

    These scumbags are nothing more than terrorists, and should be treated as such.

  13. Never In Doubt Guest

    Their objective is to be noticed.

    I wouldn’t have noticed them unless Ben had written about them.

    Objective achieved.

    1. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      Not really. Their professed objective is to mitigate climate change.

      Not only does simply "being noticed," not directly correlate to such, but as already explained by others here, their actions directly contributed to temporary increases in carbon output.

  14. Juergen Guest

    I was on a flight from Zurich on Swiss which had to divert to Dresden upon approaching Berlin last night. It was kind of scary many planes went to Dresden and Leipzig. I have a feeling this will get more and more radical and I agree the cause is really to endorse but the means get more and more violant.

    1. Tommy t Guest

      What is the lowest carbon footprint for a death penalty?

      That would be a good example.... but in reality your clowns st the universe laughing at Trump about Germans being reliant on Russia should.make your whole country position on energy and climate suspect

  15. Daniel from Finland Guest

    Throwing away food doesn't exactly sound sustainable and environmentally friendly.

  16. Klaus Guest

    At least they do not have any grey or saltnpeppastyle hair…

  17. Le Guest

    What is your take on the environmental issue? You seem to support their general idea but not the method but you fly on premium for mostly reviews again and again, without much contribution to the larger society, go around and fly more just to try certain products, and earn miles and points by referring and encouraging people to do the same...I am just curious to know, not in a negative way because I am somewhat confused by your take...

  18. pstm91 Diamond

    Great strategy they have. No better way to get people on your side then inconveniencing and pissing them off. Morons

    1. Ben Guest

      Your take as well as most of the commenters so far (5 of 7) seem to miss that protests generally don't work unless they gather attention. I've been caught up in an airport road closure protest (taxi drivers protesting Uber in 2015 at CDG), and it _is_ inconvenient - that's the point.

      How many protests are each of you personally aware of, when they aren't immediate to you or covered in the news?

    2. ConcordeBoy Diamond

      @Ben

      Nonsense. Tell us about that protest that inspired millions of people and/or governments to radically shift their behaviors, by pissing them the hell off through inconveniencing their daily routine? We'll wait, as it might take you a while.

      From the USAmerican civil rights protests of the '60s, to the protests in India in the '30s, to protesting the robber barons at the turn of the century... most change has been accomplished by (1) showing...

      @Ben

      Nonsense. Tell us about that protest that inspired millions of people and/or governments to radically shift their behaviors, by pissing them the hell off through inconveniencing their daily routine? We'll wait, as it might take you a while.

      From the USAmerican civil rights protests of the '60s, to the protests in India in the '30s, to protesting the robber barons at the turn of the century... most change has been accomplished by (1) showing the value of the disenfranchised, and (2) offering plausible solutions that people can adapt to, whether done immediately or over time.

      Destroying people's shit, and disrupting their ability to accomplish what they need to do, doesn't exactly convert people into willing participants.

    3. pstm91 Diamond

      @Ben you seem to be confusing protests and rallies. Protests, such as these, accomplish little to nothing. Rallies, such as what ConcordeBoy mentions, creates publicity and concrete results.

  19. Keith Guest

    There's more than a slight scent of self-righteousness about all of this. The EU is doing more to curb carbon than most of the world. May I suggest that the protesters go to the world's greatest carbon generator, China, and engage in their protests. There's a large square in Beijing they might use.

    1. Tim Dunn Diamond

      The hypocrisy of most of the environmental movement is that the loudest voices are the ones that fly around the world in private jets. Witness what just happened in Egypt.
      If climate change was truly an existential threat to humanity, then zoom would work just fine - the world kept doing business that way throughout the pandemic because being together was such a threat.

      and you are absolutely right that the worst envionmental offenders...

      The hypocrisy of most of the environmental movement is that the loudest voices are the ones that fly around the world in private jets. Witness what just happened in Egypt.
      If climate change was truly an existential threat to humanity, then zoom would work just fine - the world kept doing business that way throughout the pandemic because being together was such a threat.

      and you are absolutely right that the worst envionmental offenders have repeatedly been allowed off the hook while Europe and the US have led the charge - even as they have outsourced their industrial production to far higher polluting countries that have lower regards for human life.

      oh, and the Chinese people do protest when they are pushed far enough. 200,000 workers at Foxconn that come from all over China, where 70% of the world's Iphones are made, are fed up with incessant lockdowns even as they live in spartan "dormitory" style housing. The solution? Pay the rabble rousers to leave.

  20. John T Guest

    When do you don't work and have no money because all you have is an Arts Degree it becomes increasingly difficult to find activities to occupy your time.

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

pstm91 Diamond

Great strategy they have. No better way to get people on your side then inconveniencing and pissing them off. Morons

4
George N Romey Guest

Of course these total morons won't protest in the biggest polluter of them all, China. Somehow if they blocked a runway in China the outcome would not be good for them.

3
Andy Diamond

I just hope they will get severly punished for the various offences they commited (e.g. civil unrest, trespassing, interrupting public transport etc.) Unfortunately, both police and state prosecutors are quite lenient with them, here in Europe.

3
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