Climate activists from the organization Letzte Generation (Last Generation) stuck their hands on the runways of the airports of Hamburg, in northern Germany, and Düsseldorf, in the west, this morning, disrupting air traffic.

According to the organization, the activists gained access to the airport by cutting the security fence.

“Members of the ‘Last Generation’ are blocking the runways of Dusseldorf and Hamburg airports. They are protesting the lack of (government) planning against the climate crisis,” the organization said in a statement.

“We are protesting the lack of a plan by the government and the violation of the law regarding the climate crisis,” the activists said in a message on Twitter.

In Hamburg, “traffic has been suspended since 06:10 (07:10 Greek time), take-offs and landings are not possible due to a police operation”, the airport management company said in a statement. “The activity will not resume until everyone is removed,” he adds.

At the same time, delays are expected for many flights at Dusseldorf airport, due to “several unauthorized people entering the runway,” according to a message posted on its website. Climate activists said they cut a fence to get there.

Flight operations were temporarily severely curtailed, a dpa photojournalist from the scene said, while there was a large presence of emergency personnel.

Dusseldorf and Hamburg airports are respectively the fourth and fifth largest in Germany.

Activists of the “Last Generation” have in the past carried out various acts of protest to denounce the damage caused to the environment by fossil fuels, including actions in which they stick their hands on road arteries to stop traffic or throw food in famous works of art.

Hundreds of legal proceedings are already underway for these actions, which are considered to constitute a disturbance of public order and are being denounced by Olaf Solz’s government. The court in Heilbronn, in southwestern Germany, recently sentenced three activists to five, four and three months in prison without parole.

In late May, extensive searches were conducted across the country against members of the organization, sparking protests by environmentalists and demonstrations.