Blocked motorways and long traffic jams: In protest against the IAA Mobility car fair, demonstrators have paralyzed traffic on motorways around Munich for a long time. The fair was opened today. On the A8, A92, A94 and A96, according to police, they unfurled banners on Tuesday morning. In some cases, several people roped themselves off highway bridges. On the A9, the activists climbed onto a sign bridge and pasted over the inscription. “Traffic collapse 2000 m” was now written there.
The police are now investigating those involved in the protest actions on the motorways– among other things for dangerous intervention in road traffic and coercion, as a spokeswoman said. The fire brigade arrived with turntable ladder vehicles and set up jump cushions under the bridges for safety. Alpine police specialists were deployed. The police observed the situation from the air with helicopters.
According to the AFP news agency, demonstration participants criticized the focus of this year’s IAA on climate-neutral mobility as “greenwashing”. “The destructive power of electric cars is at least as great as that of combustion engines,” said one protester. “Our goal is nothing less than to smash the automotive industry and its lobby.”The demonstrators demanded a nationwide, free public transport. The infrastructure for cycling and walking should also be expanded more.
The Munich police announced on Twitter at noon that all motorways had been reopened, but some traffic delays were still to be expected.
“The climate crisis starts here”
This year’s IAA motor show will take place in Munich for the first time with a new concept. Opponents of the fair want to disrupt their own statements after its expiration in order to demonstrate for a climate-friendly mobility transition. “We demand car – free cities, a heavily developed and free public transport-especially in the countryside. And the immediate halt to construction of all highway projects, ” it said in a press release.
Greenpeace activists demonstrate at about ten degrees outside temperature in the water basin in front of Messe München. : Image: AFP
Environmentalists also protested directly in front of the trade fair. Representatives of the environmental protection group Greenpeace demonstrated for a faster farewell to the internal combustion engine. On Tuesday morning, 14 of them climbed into the water basin in front of Messe München with posters.
The posters featured images of floods and forest fires in recent years, as well as slogans such as “The climate crisis starts here”. The numerous police at the fairground let the activists go, after about half an hour they left the water.
“The German car industry is fueling the climate crisis,” criticized Greenpeace transport expert Benjamin Stephan. “With their reckless businesses , VW, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are restricting the freedom of young people. In order for this to change, the corporations must move away from climate-damaging combustion engines much faster.“
