German airport pauses flights after climate activists breach field

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Leipzig/Halle airport temporarily halted flights early on Thursday after climate activists breached the airfield as part of a disruptive protest campaign that has lawmakers calling for stricter punishment and better airport security measures.

Air traffic at the airport in eastern Germany was interrupted for three hours, affecting freight traffic, said the airport in a statement. Flights resumed at 0123 GMT, it said.

Last Generation activists said in a statement that they had entered the airport grounds around midnight, without specifying how they were able to enter, to call for the German government to pursue a global agreement to exit oil, gas and coal by 2030.

The group has listed several countries across Europe and North America where they said similar disruptions are planned as part of a protest campaign that began last month. Last week, their actions forced two airports in Germany to temporarily suspend air traffic.

German politicians have demanded better protection for the country’s airports after climate activists were able to breach fences and disrupt air traffic, including at the country’s busiest airport, Frankfurt, for two days in a row last week.