Police prevent climate blockade at Hamburg Airport

Police prevent climate blockade at Hamburg Airport


Referreport

According to the police, they have bolt cutters, vests and posters in their pockets and are riding their bikes near Hamburg Airport. But the activists do not make it onto the runway.

According to police, several climate activists probably tried to shut down Hamburg Airport early this morning. The police prevented the action. A patrol car crew noticed a group of cyclists near the airport, a spokeswoman said. When the cyclists noticed the police, they reportedly fled.

Four of them were stopped and checked shortly afterwards, and one person fled undetected. The suspects had extensive equipment in their bags “which suggested the suspicion of an intentional blockade at the airport”. This included bolt cutters, vests, posters and a sand-resin mixture.

The four suspects were provisionally arrested. A fifth person, who presumably wanted to document the planned blockade from a vantage point, was also taken into custody.

The early morning operation had no impact on air traffic in Hamburg. “Flight operations were and are not affected,” said an airport spokeswoman. Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD) thanked the police officers for their efforts. He wrote on the X platform: “Very good work by our Hamburg police, who successfully prevented a blockade of Hamburg Airport that could have lasted for hours at an early stage and thus saved many thousands of people’s well-earned vacation.”

Just last night, climate activists stuck themselves to the runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport, disrupting cargo flight operations. Last week, climate demonstrators brought flight operations to a standstill for a few hours at both Frankfurt Airport and Cologne/Bonn Airport. There was also a peaceful protest at Stuttgart Airport without any restrictions on air traffic.

Last Thursday, Hamburg Airport, among others, announced that it would be taking precautions in light of the disruptive actions. It said it was being particularly vigilant. No details were given about individual measures.

Source: German