Approximately 140 flights at Germany’s busiest airport were canceled after climate protesters glued themselves to the tarmac.
The activist group Last Generation reported that six protesters, dressed in fluorescent orange vests and carrying signs that read “Oil kills,” cut a hole in the perimeter fence and headed towards the runway at Frankfurt Airport.
The incident prompted a response from police, firefighters, and airport security officers, leading to arrests. According to Last Generation, eight individuals are currently in police custody.
All runways were operational again by 7:50 am local time (6:50 am UK time), but the airport warned passengers of potential further delays and cancellations throughout the day.
The airport issued a statement condemning the protest, stating that it “sharply condemns” the protest and “reserves the right to take legal action,” highlighting that the protesters’ actions “pose severe danger… putting human life at risk.”
This is the second incident this week involving Last Generation protesters disrupting German airports.
On Wednesday, five protesters glued themselves to a taxiway at Cologne-Bonn Airport, resulting in a three-hour halt of flights and the cancellation of 31 flights.
Similar protests occurred in the UK, where nine members of Just Stop Oil were arrested outside Heathrow Airport in west London for allegedly conspiring to disrupt airport operations.
Additionally, protests took place in Finland, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland, with environmental activist groups announcing plans to target airports across Europe this summer, demanding that governments worldwide end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.
The protests in Germany coincide with the government’s recent decision to introduce new legislation, which, if approved, would impose harsher penalties on airport trespassers.
The proposed law could include punishments such as a two-year prison sentence for those intentionally entering airside areas.
Germany’s home secretary, Nancy Faeser, who has advocated for the new legislation, described Thursday’s protest as “dangerous, dumb, and criminal,” and emphasized that such acts should be “punished more severely.”
Currently, those who intrude into airside areas may only face fines, although a prison sentence of up to five years is possible in certain cases.
