Cars arriving at Montreal Airport were disrupted on Wednesday 24 July, as supporters of Last Generation Canada joined US and European groups taking nonviolent action with Oil Kills – the International Uprising to end oil, gas and coal by 2030. This came after seven groups caused disruption at airports across Europe earlier in the day.
Oil Kills: airport disruption around the world
In total 14 groups across 10 countries have so far participated in the International Uprising to end fossil fuels. They are Letzte Generation in Germany, Folk Mot Fossilmakta in Norway, XR Finland, Futuro Vegetal in Spain, Just Stop Oil in the UK, Drop Fossil Subsidies and Act Now – Liberate in Switzerland, Letzte Generation Austria, Extinction Rebellion and Scientists Rebellion, Sweden and Last Generation Canada, XR Boston and Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island, USA.
At 16:00 BST (11:00 EDT), six supporters of Last Generation Canada, blocked the road leading towards the departures area of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau international airport, disrupting access for car travellers. Three of them glued their hands to the tarmac:
The supporters carried banners saying “Oil Kills” and “Sign the Treaty.” As of approximately 12:30 EDT, the supporters were still blocking access, with their hands glued to the road.
Kim Bradshaw, taking action in Canada, said:
Canada’s democracy is broken. It is manipulated by corporate interests at every level, especially by the banks and oil industry. Peaceful direct action IS democracy in action. All avenues of reform have been tried and have failed. If reform worked, we’d not be passing through the 1.5 degree target in 2024, we’d not be losing entire communities and 1000s of hectares in wildfires every summer, and we wouldn’t be licensing or financing more oil exploration! Our leaders are failing to protect us. Until they take real action to halt CO2 emissions, we will do what we have to, to make them.
Coming to America
At 5pm BST (12pm EDT) supporters of Extinction Rebellion Boston and Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island arrived at the Logan International Airport in Boston. The scientists in the group wore their white lab coats. Carrying bright orange banners emblazoned with “Oil Kills” and other anti-fossil-fuel slogans, they walked through the airport terminals offering photo and video opportunities to travellers.
Jamie McGonagill, taking action with Extinction Rebellion Boston, said:
This week, the global climate clock fell below five years and I sat at my kitchen table and wept. I wept because even the most aggressive government policies currently in place don’t acknowledge the reality that 2050 is too late, that even 2030 is too late. Our leaders are dooming us and our children to a dark future, but time has not fully run out. If we rise up, they cannot ignore us. It is our only hope for survival.
Earlier today, at 11:15am BST Vienna airport (VIE), the departure of a plane to Rome was delayed because two supporters of Letzte Generation Austria (Last Generation) refused to sit down shortly before take-off and then delivered speeches to the passengers before being hauled off the plane:
Afra Porsche, who delayed the plane’s departure with her speech, addressed her words directly to the passengers:
The 1.5 degree target is a fairy tale. The bitter reality is the deaths of millions of people caused by the inaction of governments. Our ignoring of the problems and disasters is killing people and endangering our civilization as a whole. Everyone must act now. Companies, governments, but also you. What will you tell your children when they ask why there is nothing left to eat?
Four other supporters of Letzte Generation Austria spilled orange warning paint in terminal three of Vienna airport to draw attention to the destruction caused by fossil fuels. There were no arrests:
European airports under siege
Then, at 1:30pm BST (2:30pm CEST), Scientists Rebellion supporters from Sweden and Denmark carried out an action at Malmö Airport. They sat in front of the security gates and handed out flyers to passengers. One person was detained:
Similar actions took place in Geneva:
And Zurich:
As well as Norway:
Aitzkoa Lopez de Lapuente Portilla, a researcher active in Scientist Rebellion, said:
There is a desperate need for an international emergency plan to phase out fossil fuels, but policy makers act as if we can continue using them forever. The global temperature has already been 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels for over a year. People are already dying, and if we continue on this path, the lives of the children born today will be hell. That governments are still not taking emergency measures at this time is incredible
XR Finland returned to Helsinki-Vantaa airport this afternoon, following this morning’s nonviolent disruption, in order to decorate the front of the terminal building with orange paint. There was one arrest:
As the Canary previously reported, supporters of Letzte Generation, Germany succeeded in grounding all departures from Cologne- Bonn Airport for approximately four and a half hours after they glued to the tarmac:
All five supporters were arrested along with representatives of the press and later released. They are charged with trespassing, damage to property, dangerous interference with air traffic and participation in an unannounced assembly according to Federal Police.
The coalition of groups taking action today have been supported by the A22 Network and Stay Grounded.
Inês Teles, a spokesperson for Stay Grounded said:
These actions are a defiant response to the wealthy and fossil fuel companies, including airlines, who continue burning up the planet and rushing us to climate breakdown for the sake of their profits and luxuries. Despite their greenwashing, there are no silver bullets to make aviation green, and continuing to burn fossil fuels is unacceptable—they simply must be phased out.
Today’s airport disruptions are just the start
Of course, back in the UK and nine Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested for disrupting Heathrow:
A spokesperson for UK-based Just Stop Oil said:
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.
Featured image via Just Stop Oil