Police in Berlin have searched homes of members of the climate protest group Last Generation after public disturbances occurred at several German airports, a police spokesman told dpa on Thursday.
Last Generation said searches were also conducted in Freiburg, Halle, Leipzig and Mannheim. In total, homes of “peaceful protesters” were searched and DNA samples were taken at eight locations in Germany, the climate group said.
The measures are being taken “at the instigation and request of the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office,” the Berlin police spokesman said. He gave no further details and referred to the public prosecutor’s office of the state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is located.
According to the climate group, the raid targeted the eight members of Last Generation who were involved in a disruptive protest at Frankfurt airport on July 25.
The protesters halted operations at the airport for several hours, with some members gluing themselves to the runways. According to earlier statements from Frankfurt police, four men, two women and two non-binary people between the ages of 20 and 44 took part in the protest.
A German airport group offered to enter into talks with Last Generation on Thursday, saying their protests do not contribute to a solution.
The Airport Association (ADV) acknowledges in an open letter that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of modern times.
The association said it wanted to inform climate activists about the latest climate policies and measures that airports are taking, in a conversation. The ADV also wants to discuss the impact of runway blockades on airport safety, she said.
The offer comes after Last Generation activists managed to breach security at not only Frankfurt airports, but also Cologne/Bonn and Leipzig/Halle. The activists managed to shut down air traffic by gluing themselves to runways.
