Four German airports were disrupted today after eight people entered the airfields and glued themselves to taxiways as part of Oil Kills – an International Uprising to end oil, gas, and coal by 2030. The uprising is calling for governments to commit to signing a Fossil Fuel Treaty. [1] [2]
Starting shortly before 5:00 CEST, eight supporters of Letzte Generation (Last Generation) entered airfields at Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Nuremberg and Stuttgart and glued themselves to the tarmac. Flights were suspended at each airport, in some cases for up to two hours, as police removed and arrested the action takers. Flights have resumed at all airports by 7:50 CEST.
The actions started shortly before 5.00 am at Berlin BER, and around 30 to 50 minutes later protests also took place at the three airports in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden- Württemberg. In each case, two people in orange high-visibility vests peacefully expressed their opposition by displaying banners with the words “Oil kills” and “Sign the treaty”. They did not enter the runways.
A spokesperson for Oil Kills said
” Ordinary people are once again taking matters into their own hands today to do what our criminal governments have failed to do. We are putting our bodies on the tarmac and refusing to allow the global fossil economy to continue without end, taking us ever closer to climate catastrophe. The link between oil, gas and coal, and human lives is now crystal clear: Oil Kills. We refuse to die for fossil fuels and we refuse to stand by while hundreds of millions of innocent people are murdered. We are in resistance against our murderous governments and the criminal elites who are threatening the survival of humanity.
We demand that our governments stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 and that they support and finance other countries to make a fast, fair and just transition. They must sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to end the war on humanity before we lose everything.”
Medical student Regina Stephan (22) taking action in Berlin today said:
“Oil kills: The extraction of oil, gas and coal must stop urgently because it is destroying our livelihoods. And what is happening instead? Just yesterday, the state of Lower Saxony gave the green light for new gas drilling off Borkum. That can’t be true! As long as our decision-makers work hand in hand with the fossil fuel companies and put profit before human life, I’m standing here – on the tarmac – and I can’t help it!”
“I am aware that political decision-makers and people who are profiting from the ever-increasing number of flights would like us to leave. But the only way to achieve this is to take effective measures against the destruction that is being driven forward here. Because the climate catastrophe is so much more frightening than any threat of punishment: it is destroying my future, the future of us all! Our existence is at stake!”
Anja Windl (27) from Bavaria who was on site at Stuttgart Airport said:
“As long as our livelihoods are being systematically destroyed, our protests will not stop. If you also want to campaign for an end to fossil fuels, you don’t have to sit on an airfield like I did: Just come to a Disobedient Assembly near you!”
Letzte Generation supporters have been among the most active supporters of the Oil Kills campaign over the past 3 weeks. In addition to blocking flights from the main passenger airports in Germany during this time further actions included: two people sat on the wings of private jets at Sylt Airport, while 15-20 sprayed paint in a terminal at Dortmund (August 10), 11 people held a solidarity protest in front of the Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin (August 11) and yesterday 5 people climbed onto the roof of Karlsruhe Baden-Baden Airport to display banners until they were removed by police.
Police have been conducting raids on those who took part in the highly disruptive actions at Frankfurt Airport. House searches were performed at 8 apartments in 6 cities across Germany on August 8th.
The protests are part of the global Oil Kills campaign in which over 500 ordinary people from 14 countries across Europe, North America and Africa have been engaged in a campaign of civil resistance at international airports. People from 22 different civil resistance groups have come together in support of one demand – a Fossil Fuel Treaty to end oil, gas and coal by 2030.
Flights, passengers and journeys have been severely disrupted as action takers glued themselves to tarmac, stood up in aeroplanes, glued and locked on at departure gates and held placards in airport terminals. There have been 144 arrests at 31 different international airports, with 6 people now in custody in Germany and 14 people still held in prison on remand in the UK.
Governments and fossil fuel producers are waging war on humanity. Even so-called climate leaders have continued to approve new coal, oil and gas projects pushing the world closer to global catastrophe and condemning hundreds of millions to death. We need an emergency international response to save lives. As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, we will remain in resistance. Our work remains essential, morally right and ever more urgent. The link between oil, gas and coal, and human lives is now crystal clear: Oil Kills.
ENDS
Press contact:+44 7762 987334
Press email: [email protected]
High-quality images & video here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JPirDH2_rF9M47r7_UWldjOJuvvw95wE?usp=sharing
Website: https://oilkills.org/
Twitter: https://x.com/_oilkills
Groups supporting the international uprising to end fossil fuels:
Students Against EACOP, Uganda [email protected]
Just Stop Oil, UK [email protected] +44 7762 987334
Letzte Generation Austria [email protected] +43 680 4027795
Letzte Generation Germany [email protected] +493023591611
XR Netherlands [email protected] +31642020897
DROP Fossil Subsidies, Switzerland [email protected] +41 77 486 59 46
Act Now, Switzerland [email protected] +41 79 727 99 29
Last Generation Canada [email protected] +15144304545
Folk Mot Fossilmakta, Norway [email protected] +47 48416001
XR Boston [email protected] +1 (941) 809-8189
XR Finland [email protected]
Futuro Vegetal, Spain [email protected] +34 687558436 (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish)
Scientist Rebellion, Sweden [email protected]
Extinction Rebellion, Sweden [email protected]
A22 Network, [email protected]
Stay Grounded, International [email protected] +351912656904
Notes to editors:
[1] Oil Kills is an international uprising to end fossil fuels – an unprecedented coalition of civil resistance groups from over 10 countries across Europe and North America. We are taking nonviolent collective action at airports – a key pillar of the fossil fuel economy – to demand an end to oil, gas and coal by 2030.
Our demand in full: Our governments must work together to establish a legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 as well as supporting and financing poorer countries to make a fast, fair, and just transition.
This can be accomplished by endorsing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and seeking a negotiating mandate to establish the treaty.
Our recruiting, training, and capacity building is supported by the Climate Emergency Fund, which strategically supports ultra-ambitious organisations demanding solutions to the climate crisis at emergency speed.
Safety notice: Supporters receive training in nonviolence and will undertake all possible steps to ensure that our actions do not compromise the safety of those using airports, as well as those in the air. This includes avoiding going on any active or inactive runways.
[2] The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative is a diplomatic initiative working with a global network of thousands of civil society organisations and first mover governments who are spurring international cooperation to end new development of fossil fuels, phase out existing production within the agreed climate limit of 1.5°C and develop plans to support workers, communities and countries dependent on fossil fuels to create secure and healthy livelihoods.
[3] Stay Grounded is a network of 200 initiatives to counter aviation for a just mobility system. They stand up against greenwashing climate strategies like carbon offsetting and the largely illusory promise of so-called Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).4] A22 Network is an international network racing to save humanity. We have a recipe for effective civil resistance. Support us. Join us. You are needed.