According to airport spokesman Peter Kleemann, the activists made no attempt to reach the runway. The media-effective protest by the “Last Generation” led to a large police presence today, and prior to that, the airport had announced lawsuits against the climate activists.
Although the “Last Generation” announced the action for 11:00 AM, the demonstration was not properly registered according to police spokesman Johann Baumschlager. Consequently, there were identity verifications during several actions at the airport. “It was important for us that they did not reach the runway,” explained Baumschlager to APA.
Initially, around 50 participants gathered in the entrance hall of Terminal 3 and held speeches among other activities. Several demonstrators displayed banners with the inscription “Oil kills.” The activists then divided into smaller groups and blocked individual pathways at the airport. At times, the “Last Generation” also glued themselves to the ground. The goal was to block Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, Baumschlager reported. The police responded with diversions for passengers. Some individuals expressed their disapproval of the actions of the “Last Generation.” However, activist Anja Windl described her motivation for the protest to APA, stating, “The operation of airports like this risks everyone’s survival.”
Throughout the entire action, the “Last Generation” was monitored, accompanied, and filmed by the police. When the demonstrators attempted to block both exits to the trains, some were pulled away by law enforcement officers. Airport spokesman Kleemann made it clear in light of the protest: “Wherever damage occurs, we will exhaust all legal measures that are possible.” By around 1:30 PM, the last activists had left the airport, Kleemann stated.
Meanwhile, Flughafen Wien AG has filed charges against the eight demonstrators from Wednesday. They are accused of property damage, holding an unauthorized assembly, disturbing public order, and several violations of the airport operating regulations, Kleemann stated on Saturday. Furthermore, legal action will be taken against the eight activists who spilled paint and delayed the departure of a plane, and claims for damages will be filed, Kleemann announced.
On the political side, the Governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP), expressed herself on Saturday. “I have absolutely no understanding for those chaotic individuals who have announced their activities at Vienna International Airport in a media-effective manner and want to ruin our compatriots’ vacations,” the governor stated in a statement sent to APA. “I would like to send them a very simple message: You are not climate heroes, but criminals. Anyone who disrupts air traffic must be behind bars.”