Noise protesters block part of Frankfurt airport for about an hour

Opponents of the noise misery inflicted on them by Frankfurt airport’s 4th runway, there has been a fresh protest at the airport. There have been regular large protests at the airport on most Monday evenings, ever since the opening of the 4th runway on 21.10.2011. On Saturday there was a different sort of protest, when people started off in a similar protest to the Monday evenings, but they then blocked the road access to the departures area for around an hour. That caused considerable disruption to the airport, as departures had to be closed.  This is the first protest blocking a road.  Before the runway was opened, citizens were barely consulted about the flight paths. Only their local authorities were given any information, and all were assured there would be hardly any more noise. The reality was sharply different, and flight paths were changed to accommodate the new runway, meaning thousands  are affected by noise, not only on the direct approach path. One protester commented that as the airport aggravates them for 18 hours per day, they were entitled to aggravate the airport for one hour.
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Noise opponents block part of Frankfurt airport

Protest – Three years after the inauguration of the northwest runway people are still demonstrating against the project

22.11.2014  (Echo)

Blocks have airport opponents on Saturday the entrance and exit to the arrivals area of ​​Frankfurt Airport.  & Ensp photo: Hans Dieter Erlenbach

Airport opponents blocked the entrance and exit to the arrivals area of ​​Frankfurt Airport on Saturday.  Photo: Hans Dieter Erlenbach

 [Bad translation from the original German below] 

 Several hundred people demonstrated on Saturday against aircraft noise and the further expansion of the airport. They have partially paralyzed the airport for about an hour.

FRANKFURT.

They come for the inauguration of the runway each week. They are noisy and make life uncomfortable, at least for the airport operator Fraport and passengers. Sometimes there are only three hundred, formerly there were times up to 5000, who gave vent to their displeasure with more and more aircraft noise over their rooftops.

On Saturday, there were about 750 (according to police) or 1500 (according to organizers), who started off with their protest in Terminal 1. And then they did something they have never done before.  They sat down on their cushions for the demonstration. After the participants had moved from the arrivals part of the terminal, instead of their usual approved routed, they blocked the road outside the departures level.

The police and the airport security staff were nervous, because such a blockade was not anticipated.

Now the entrance to the departure area had to be closed at once.  Taxi drivers grumbled and passengers who had to walk across the bridge to the main station complained, “of just a few idiots who spend their time here.”

Meanwhile, Fraport also had a lawyer on the spot, watching the situation. Perhaps, the airport operator is now considering whether there are ways to  prohibit such demonstrations if requirements are not met.

With whistles and bells

“We are at the right place,” said Michael Wilk from the alliance of civic action against airport expansion. If the airport harasses the people in the surrounding areas with noise, 18 hours a day, these people may sometimes harass the airport for an hour, he said, with the deafening sounds of drums, whistles and bells. Previously there had been aad in brass band from Mainz in the terminal catered for vocal music.

Several men and women speakers lamented the unchecked growth of the airport and warned it was not only new start or runways, but also the improvement of technology and infrastructure on the ground leading to ever more air traffic. However, this was not made clear in the planning decision. The more air traffic that Frankfurt airport gets, the higher is the demand for commercial areas in the region, which means takes up more and more land.

Against a “feel-good Terminal”

Opponents say the “Feel-good Terminal 3” is not necessary in Frankfurt.   For it is not just the comfort of the passengers to be considered, but the lives of the people who live in the metropolitan area. “This region is more than just the airport,” Wilke, who referred inter alia to the recent results of NORAH study, the learning delays had diagnosed in children by aircraft noise said.

The Frankfurt Pastor Christoph Stooth warned “against the rule of the people to people”, referring to the proponents of increasingly large projects, the ever narrowed the habitat and meant more and more strain on the environment.  His conclusion: “Our protest is righteous.”

Carola Gottas of the Flörsheimer citizens’ initiative against airport expansion, decided that in the light of the results of the NORAH study they should finally soundproof windows for the schools under the approach flight paths.

The Flörsheimer primary school had still not got this window soundproofing, although it would be over-flown at low altitude. They also warned against the targeted free trade agreement with the US which would allow the local airlines to appeal against the ban on night flights in Frankfurt. (TTIP).

Otherwise, the demands of the demonstrators are the same as three years ago. “The runway must go” they chanted over and over again and hope to get rid of the new 4th  runway. They also want a cap on aircraft movements on 380 000 and a ban on night flights from 22.00 to 06.00am.

After almost an hour, the noise opponents have unblocked the road again. But they will continue their regular Monday evening airport protests in the terminal.

 

Badly translated (apologies) From the original German at:

http://www.echo-online.de/region/suedhessen/Laermgegner-blockieren-Flughafen;art24719,5649199

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Earler:

 

Indignation in Frankfurt at the approval of the 3rd Terminal, for yet more flights and more noise

Frankfurt airport protesters continue their huge gatherings on most Monday evenings (they have a break in the summer, and do vigils instead). There have now been 108 Monday protests and 34 vigils, with around 1,000 at the protests and around 100 at the vigils. After the news that planning had been granted for a 3rd Frankfurt airport terminal, there were far more people than usual at the vigil, with around 500, mobilised by the news. It was “the first Monday after the Tuesday,” and people were deeply angry at the news, and that it had been broken in August, in the holiday period.  The terminal enables the airport to grow, with more flights and more passengers. That means more noise misery for the thousands who already find the over-flights unacceptable. Opponents want the right to sleep, which they say is a fundamental right that is destroyed by aircraft noise. It is unacceptable for people to be rudely woken from their sleep at 5am and that they can no longer sit in the garden when the weather is good is described as “a monstrosity”. “We do not want to live like this.”  Opponents hope the decision can be reversed, when there is a proper study of the surface transport infrastructure required for a new terminal. .

 

Wave of indignation

 From    (fr-online.de) 18.8.2014

[Imperfect Google translation from the German, below].

About 500 people hold in Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport vigil. Photo: Andreas Arnold

At the vigil in Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport, far more people than usual.The approval granted planning permission for the third terminal mobilized the expansion opponents.

It is “the first Monday after the Tuesday,” says Erwin Stufler of the citizens’ initiative against aircraft noise in Mainz. Since the start there have been 108 Monday demonstrations against the airport expansion and 34 Vigil, who carry on the protest during the holidays. Is common that more than 100 people participate in these vigils. After last Tuesday, as the Frankfurter Supervision issued the building permit for the third terminal on the grounds of the Frankfurt airport, was mobilized vigorously, and actually come in the evening about 500 expansion opponents into the terminal first “We realize that people are absolutely angry” and “pissed” – also because the permission “hewn out in the summer holidays” was. “We realize that it goes to the point that the political opponents of facts creates,” says Stufler, the da Costa and protest veterans Roger Treuting organized from Rüsselsheim a small panel discussion while standing with the airport architect Dieter Faulenbach.

He had “never thought that in my country violates human rights” would. The right to sleep is a fundamental right that is destroyed by aircraft noise. That people were being torn 5am clock from sleep and could no longer sit in the garden when the weather is “a monstrosity”. Hofmann recalled “the general law of self-defense”. The people under the approach and departure routes befänden itself “in an emergency”. He urged the expansion opponents to defend themselves “stronger and more aggressive.” “We do not want to live like this.” Airport would not be sufficient, but will be dismantled. The airport does not belong to this place, not in the region. ”

…and it continues  ………..

http://www.fr-online.de/flughafen-frankfurt/mahnache-am-frankfurter-flughafen-welle-der-empoerung,2641734,28159840.html .


Facebook

Opponents ofthe 3rd Terminal, are at  “Kein Terminal 3″  (No Terminal 3) campaign on Facebook  .

https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/2014/08/indignation-in-frankfurt-at-the-approval-of-the-3rd-terminal-for-yet-more-flights-and-more-noise/


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More older news stories about Frankfurt airport at

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