BERLIN (AP) — Climate activists staged protests at several German airports on Thursday, forcing a temporary halt to flights at some of them in the latest of a string of similar demonstrations.
The Last Generation group said a total of eight activists were involved in the protests at Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Nuremberg and Stuttgart airports, which started around 5 a.m. The group is demanding that the German government negotiate and sign an agreement on a global exit from the use of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
Flights were suspended at Cologne-Bonn after two people were reported to have attached themselves to the asphalt, but later resumed, German news agency dpa reported. Police said a hole was found in an airport fence. Flights also were halted for about an hour at Nuremberg. At Berlin Airport, two people who had attached themselves to the ground were removed and detained.
Last Generation last month staged protests at Cologne-Bonn Airport and Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest, which significantly disrupted passenger flights. Earlier this month, an overnight protest by climate activists at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major air freight hub, forced a three-hour halt to cargo flights.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wrote on social network X that “these criminal actions are dangerous and stupid” and that protesters “are not just risking their own lives but also endangering others.”
She pointed to legislation approved by the German Cabinet last month that would impose tougher penalties on people who break through airport perimeters.
The bill, which still requires approval by lawmakers, foresees punishment ranging up to a two-year prison sentence for people who intentionally intrude on airside areas of airports such as taxiways or runways, endanger civil aviation, or enable someone else to. Currently such intrusions only draw a fine.
Police on the tarmac at Stutgart airport, as climate activists staged protests at several German airports on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, forcing a temporary halt to flights at some of them in the latest of a string of similar demonstrations. The Last Generation group said that a total of eight activists were involved in the protests at Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Nuremberg and Stuttgart airports, which started around 5 a.m. (Marius Bulling/dpa via AP)
Police on the tarmac at Stutgart airport, as climate activists staged protests at several German airports on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, forcing a temporary halt to flights at some of them in the latest of a string of similar demonstrations. The Last Generation group said that a total of eight activists were involved in the protests at Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Nuremberg and Stuttgart airports, which started around 5 a.m. (Marius Bulling/dpa via AP)
It was meant to be a celebratory final week of competition in the best season of her career.
The celebrations ended abruptly for freshly crowned overall World Cup skiing champion Federica Brignone when she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships on Thursday — 10 months before a home Olympics.
Brignone was set to undergo surgery and will be out for “months,” Italian Winter Sports Federation medical chief Andrea Panzeri said.
Brignone was the race leader at the Lusia ski area in Val di Fassa but in her second run she crashed through a gate and lost control, prompting her to tumble and crash through the next gate, too. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Trento.
The Italian star was diagnosed with multiple fractures in her tibial plateau and fibula bone, the federation said. She was then transferred to a hospital in Milan where Panzeri was to operate on Brignone immediately.
“It’s a serious fracture. But she’s strong and fortunately healthy as she had never had any big injuries before today,” Panzeri said. "It’s tough to make estimates now. I’ll tell you more afterward. Don’t ask me about the Olympics or recovery times yet. We need to see how we can reduce the fracture and then we’ll be able to be more precise later (today) or tomorrow morning.”
Brignone, who won the giant slalom at the world championships in February, also won 10 World Cup races across three different disciplines (five giant slaloms, three super-Gs and two downhills) this season. At 34, she became the oldest woman to win a World Cup race.
One of those World Cup wins came in a super-G on the Olympia delle Tofane course in Cortina that will host women's skiing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics next February — her first career victory at the venue.
“She’s certainly not happy. She had an exceptional season and won everything she should have won. She certainly could have done without this," Panzeri said. "But the great champions always now how to bounce back.”
Brignone was expected to be one of the home stars of the Milan-Cortina Games. But the Italian faces a race just to recover in time.
“It won’t be a quick recovery," said Panzeri, who has also operated on Brignone's teammate Sofia Goggia multiple times. "We’re talking about months.”
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
Overall World Cup skiing champion Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is assisted before being flown by helicopter to an hospital, after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi)
Italy's Federica Brignone reacts on the podium after winning the women's World Cup overall at the World Cup Finals, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates after a women's giant slalom run at the World Cup Finals, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Italy's Federica Brignone is reflected in the crystal globe trophy after winning the women's giant slalom season championship at the World Cup Finals, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/John Locher)
