8,000 Frankfurt protesters form a 4 km human chain to show their opposition to aircraft noise
About 8,000 protesters linked hands to form a human chain along the bank of the Main river, which they see as the boundary between the south of the city, badly affected by aircraft noise, and the quieter north. This included a massive Mexican wave along the line. Those campaigning against the noise from Frankfurt airport are calling for the extension of the ban on night flights from 2300 to 0500 or 2200 to 0600 and a cap on aircraft movements. The huge and effective German protests against aircraft noise started at Frankfurt, after the opening of the 4th runway that opened in October 2011. Now aircraft noise is being seen not as a regional problem but a national German problem, and also a European problem. Citizen groups across Germany are collaborating with each other, and with those in other countries.
25th June 2012 (Frankfurter Rundschau)
AIRCRAFT NOISE-PROTEST FRANKFURT
Human chain against aircraft noise on Main
Aircraft noise opponents do not give up. Photo: DAPD
There is also a news video clip that starts 4minutes 25 seconds into this link (in German)
[Apologies for the bad translation from the German into English].
From the Peace Bridge to the rafters extends the human chain. About 8,000 participants formed a human chain, holding hands along the river Main, to demonstrate against aircraft noise.
Mit einer Menschenkette am Main demonstrieren tausende Menschen gegen den Fluglärm in der Rhein-Main-Region.
Mit einer Menschenkette am Main demonstrieren tausende Menschen gegen den Fluglärm in der Rhein-Main-Region.
Several thousand opponents of aircraft noise have been passed on Sunday afternoon, the hand and formed a human chain from the Peace Bridge to the bridge rafters. They stood in two rows on the south bank of the Main. At 15.30 clock, transformed the four-kilometer long human chain in a jubilant Mexican wave. Alexandra walking from the citizens’ initiative “unity against aircraft noise” later spoke at the rally of “8000-9000 people.” According to police, there were 5000.
Ursula fencers of the citizens’ initiative Sachsenhausen announced that the initiative for a “new barrel” will open. Thought it would be a constitutional complaint, as this would violate the noise of the fundamental right to bodily integrity.
Human chain against aircraft noise
Gallery (22 images by clicking)
Werner Gerhardt, who had traveled with 35 colleagues from Berlin, said, who kick this fundamental right under foot was “an enemy of the constitution.” Aircraft noise is not a regional problem. “This is a national, if not a European problem.” The citizens’ groups protested, wanting to work more closely together in the future. The desire for “networking” has been expressed in meetings with them.
The real estate investor and former publisher Bernd Lunkewitz admitted as a third speaker, “I am a businessman and often flown back and forth.” The airport operator Fraport is lying when it claims it want to create jobs. “It’s about money. About anything else. ”
In addition to the closure of the North Western Railway, on 21 October 2011 was put into operation, the citizens’ initiative is calling for the extension of the ban on night flights from now from 2300 to 0500 or 2200 to 0600 and a cap on aircraft movements.
At the end of the rally, an old song was dropped Maffay with new text: “Something About The Way You have to go in order to understand the south of Frankfurt, …”.
The Main is considered a kind of border between the noise from aircraft noise that plagues the south of Frankfurt and the quieter north. And there are seven bridges exactly, if you count from the Peace Bridge to the rafters bridge the Iron Bridge and the Holbein bridge.