About ten environmental activists from the Last Generation group blocked access to the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport landing stage starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, causing a traffic jam at the entrance. They disrupted traffic for nearly four hours in support of the “non-proliferation of fossil fuels.”
The Montreal Police Department (SPVM) intervened a few hours after the protesters arrived and arrested three of them. They were released on a promise to appear in court. They face charges of public mischief.
The three arrested activists had stuck one of their hands to the asphalt of the landing stage using sand and glue. super glueAirport security and the SPVM redirected traffic to the pier, where a rush-hour traffic jam formed.
The action is part of the international Oil Kills coalition, which has carried out disruptive actions in at least eight European countries to force governments to sign a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.”
In a statement, environmental group Last Generation called on “the Canadian government to sign a legally binding treaty to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
“Our government is doing nothing while they approve new oil and gas projects,” Last Generation activist Jillian Graham said in English, her hand pinned to the ground.
To those who would say that the traffic jams caused by the activist action increase greenhouse gas emissions, she responds: “We have tried everything, our governments have done nothing, so we are doing actions with people from other countries.”
“It’s not my favorite activity to be stuck to the floor on a Wednesday,” she added.
A controversial maneuver
This is not the first time that environmental activists have blocked traffic in the Montreal region. The controversial move sparked outrage in 2019 when three members of the Extinction Rebellion group climbed to the top of the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
More recently, members of Last Generation blocked the path of motorists heading to the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit during the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.
At Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, some people in cars rolled down their windows to shout at the protesters, while others interviewed at the airport gate said they supported the blockade.
“The traffic hasn’t been that bad. In substance, I agree with them; in form, it’s a little more difficult,” said Mathieu Lafond, a traveler heading to Costa Rica. “I don’t know if it’s going to have the desired effect.”
“It disrupts traffic, it disrupts my work, but they have the right to do this. It’s original and it’s normal to ask for things like this. Let’s hope it ends peacefully,” said Jean Ghosn, a taxi driver whose rides were interrupted by the event.
Despite the traffic jam of hundreds of cars that stretched from the airport to Highway 20, Éric Forest, spokesperson for Montreal airports, stressed that operations were maintained. No flights were delayed, according to his information. Travelers had to head to the P4 and P10 landings, in addition to the arrivals landing.
“While the organization is well on its way to sustainability, we regret that the site has been targeted by this action when it is a much broader societal debate,” he said by email.
About twenty police vehicles marked out a perimeter to redirect traffic. Around 1:30 p.m., a team of ambulances supported the police in removing the activists’ hands from the ground, using hammers and screwdrivers.
“It’s a public mischief because not only are they obstructing traffic, but they’re also occupying someone else’s property,” said SPVM spokesperson Antony Dorélas. The protesters were exposed to criminal prosecution for their act of protest, he said.
An international movement
The Oil Kills movement, which includes a constellation of activist groups including Last Generation, has targeted several airports in Europe with actions similar to those experienced at Montreal-Trudeau.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), ten activists were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. On the same day, in Cologne, Germany, and Oslo, Norway, some tried to stick to the airport’s runway. Other protesters also disrupted the daily routine at airports in Barcelona, Helsinki, Zurich, Vienna and Rome, according to AFP.
With The Canadian Press