Climate activists have smeared paint on private jets in Berlin. Members of the Last Generation broke into Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and “marked dangerous objects”.
The activists cut through the airport perimeter fence with wire cutters and rode bicycles to the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), the group said Friday. Private jets depart from GAT at any time of the day or night. Aircraft parked there were sprayed with orange paint over a large area, videos show.
“Have a dangerous object marked”
The campaign could be seen, among other things, via a live stream on Twitter – the video clearly shows a sprayed aircraft. “Consolation to some, death sentence to others – we have flagged an extremely dangerous object at the BER airport,” the group wrote in its post.
The footage also shows an airport worker grabbing the paint-filled fire extinguishers and then spraying the climate activists.
Upon request, the airport and the federal police confirmed that activists had gained access to the airport’s security zone. It was not initially confirmed whether they had spray painted private jets. Air traffic at the airport will not be affected by the climate protest, according to the airport and the management. It remained unclear how many activists were on the site.
“Our color campaign transformed private jets from a symbol of lavish luxury into a beacon of warning against the relentless climate destruction being carried out by a minority of the super-rich at the expense of the majority,” said one of the activists. to the Last Generation statement.
The number of flights with private jets is increasing
In 2022, 572,806 private jet flights were operated in Europe. The flights caused 3.4 million tons of CO2. Greenpeace recently calculated that this corresponds to the annual CO2 emissions of 555,000 EU residents, or the population of large cities such as Lisbon. This means that the private sector is flying more than before the pandemic.
The countries with the most private jet flights in Europe in 2022 were the UK, France and Germany, followed by Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Austria in seventh place. Private jet flights from Austria increased by 89 percent year-on-year and caused 54,400 tonnes of CO2 – equivalent to the average CO2 emissions of 36,251 cars per year. The most used routes for private air traffic from Austria in the previous year were Vienna-Nice, Vienna-London and Vienna-Zurich.
One of the shortest routes from Austria is Vienna-Bratislava with a distance of 48 kilometers and 82 flights in the previous year. “This is where the pinnacle of absurdity is reached: Bratislava can be reached by train in a very short time. Flying on this route undermines all climate protection efforts,” emphasizes Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace Austria.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
