Climate activists launched a series of disruptive protests at airports across Europe, including Heathrow, causing flight cancellations and delays while demanding a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels. Here’s the full story.
“Oil Kills”
Just days after a group of climate activists from Just Stop Oil were handed the longest sentences in British history for their part in planning a peaceful protest, climate activists from around the continent, working together under the banner “Oil Kills,” disrupted flights across several major European airports, causing significant delays and cancellations.
Protests Across Europe
From Oslo to Barcelona, protesters glued themselves to airport runways, blocked security gates, and staged sit-ins, urging their governments to phase out fossil fuel use by 2030 to try to avert the worst outcomes of the impending climate catastrophe.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
As a remarkable sign of how timely these protests are, the activists’ action coincided with the recording of the world’s hottest day. However, if the climate breakdown continues at the current pace, hotter days will inevitably follow.
“Criminal Governments”
On a day of record-breaking temperatures, the activists’ message was clear: they demanded immediate action from wealthy, high-emissions countries to curb their reliance on fossil fuels. A statement from the joint campaign declared, “Ordinary people are taking matters into their own hands today to do what our criminal governments have failed to do. We are putting our bodies on the wheels of the machine of the global fossil economy and saying ‘oil kills’.”
Cologne-Bonn Disruptions
One of the most significant disruptions occurred at Germany’s Cologne-Bonn Airport, where activists from the group Letzte Generation (Last Generation) cut through a chain-link fence and glued themselves to the tarmac. This action resulted in the cancellation of 31 flights and the diversion of six others.
The New Normal
The group justified their protests by pointing out the massive environmental damage caused by fossil fuels and the urgent need for policy change. Speaking to the Guardian, Letzte Generation supporter Lili Gomez stated, “At airports it becomes clear: what used to be normal, we can no longer afford today.”
Widespread Protests
Similar protests took place at various airports across Europe. In Austria, activists delayed a flight by refusing to sit down before takeoff and spilt orange paint in the terminal at Vienna Airport. In Switzerland, roads leading to Zürich and Geneva airports were blocked.
Coordinated Efforts
Additionally, protests hit airports in Norway, Finland, and Spain. These actions were part of a coordinated effort to raise awareness and pressure governments into taking more aggressive steps towards reducing the world’s suicidal dependence on fossil fuels.
UK Arrests
However, not all of the protests were successful. In the UK, nine Just Stop Oil activists were arrested at Heathrow Airport as part of the coordinated “international uprising.” The arrests occurred at two locations on the airport’s perimeter fence before they could access the airport.
No Disruptions at Heathrow
Despite the disruptions, a Heathrow spokesperson stated that “thanks to swift action from the police and airport colleagues,” no flights had been disrupted. They added, “We are in full agreement that the aviation industry needs to decarbonise, but unlawful and irresponsible protest activity will not be tolerated.”
“Death Sentence”
Among those arrested at Heathrow was Sally Davidson, from Dorset, who, in an interview with the Telegraph, urged the government to “take swift and meaningful action to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030, by establishing a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels.” She added, “Anything less is a death sentence.”
Mixed Public Reactions
The protesters’ actions have drawn mixed reactions from the public. Many are supportive of the need to tackle the impending climate catastrophe, though some find the methods employed by the activists contentious.
Government Crackdown
In a terrifying sign of the draconian future that awaits us as the effects of climate change become more pronounced, the UK and German governments have, instead of responding to the protests by cutting down on fossil fuel use, as both governments have admitted is necessary, cracked down with increased penalties for peaceful, if disruptive, protests.
Further Actions Planned
In response to the authorities not taking the impending destruction of human life on earth seriously, some activist groups, including the Dutch chapter of Extinction Rebellion, have announced plans for further actions at airports in at least seven other countries.
International Movement
These protests are part of an international movement demanding policy changes to combat the impending climate change catastrophe. Just Stop Oil, one of the groups involved, has called on the new Labour Government to work with other nations to end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.
“Welcome Step”
Though the group welcomed the government’s decision to end new fossil fuel exploration licences as a “welcome step,” it expressed disappointment with the government’s failure to respond to its demand for a legally binding treaty by July 12 and argued that the government’s current efforts are, at best, a sticking plaster over a festering wound.
Desperation Grows
The recent wave of airport protests is a sign of the growing desperation of climate activists, who, like the public, are beginning to witness the effects of climate catastrophe in real time while the world’s governments cover their eyes and pretend it isn’t happening.
Urgent Policy Changes
As the planet continues to experience record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events, the urgent need for substantial policy changes becomes undeniable.
Will Governments Act?
It remains to be seen if the UK government, along with the other wealthy European nations targeted, has either the will or the ability to wean themselves off fossil fuels for the good of humanity or whether years of inaction and attempts by the fossil fuel industry to hamstring even the smallest positive changes will ultimately doom us all.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Vincenzo Lullo.
Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.