By Faridat Salifu
Groups of climate change campaigners protested and disrupted airports activities on Wednesday across Europe, in an uprising aimed at ending the use of fossil fuels.
The campaigners protesting under the slogan “Oil Kills,” halted air traffic at major airports such as Cologne in Germany and Oslo in Norway. They shut security gates in Helsinki, and hindered vital roadways leading to Geneva in Zurich.
However, activists were intercepted at Heathrow in the United Kingdom and Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Spain before they could carry out similar act.
The climate change activists conducted coordinated protests targeting runways and departure gates, causing substantial disruptions at airports across Europe.
The disruptions began early in the morning when campaigners breached a fence at Germany’s Cologne-Bonn Airport at 5 am, gluing themselves to the runway.
Similar actions unfolded across the continent, with activists breaching a runway in Norway and blocking security gates in Finland.
Groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Germany’s Last Generation have formed a rebranded alliance to coordinate these efforts.
Organizers of the protests have warned that Wednesday’s actions are only the beginning of their campaign to end coal, oil, and gas extraction by 2030 under a legally binding climate change treaty.
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Despite police interventions at Heathrow and Barcelona-El Prat Airport, which prevented significant disruptions, flights across Europe were delayed or canceled.
Cologne-Bonn Airport resumed flights later in the day but warned of ongoing disruptions due to the damage caused by the activists.
The protests were intended to draw attention to the urgency of climate change and the need to phase out fossil fuels. Activists received training in non-violence and pledged to avoid threatening airport safety.
The actions have sparked a wide range of reactions. Rita Straub, a 74-year-old activist in Switzerland, expressed shame over the state of the world she is leaving to future generations.
In contrast, Germany’s government has proposed harsh penalties, including prison sentences of up to two years for those convicted of disrupting air traffic and up to five years for cases involving banned objects.
The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, though not involved in organizing the airport protests, expressed solidarity with the activists’ right to peaceful demonstration.
The group emphasized the importance of governments taking action to end fossil fuel expansion and manage a fair transition to renewable energy.
Protests are expected to continue, with Dutch activists announcing more actions this weekend. The alliance behind “Oil Kills” aims to disrupt the global fossil fuel economy through non-violent direct action, demanding an end to fossil fuel extraction and greater efforts to combat climate change.
As the climate crisis intensifies, activists and supporters hope that these demonstrations will prompt governments to negotiate a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, complementing the Paris Agreement and leading to a sustainable, equitable phase-out of coal, oil, and gas production.
