Photo: Greenpeace
Greenpeace activists protested in Munich, Germany, against the IAA Mobility Show. The event has opened its doors to journalists and will offer access to the public starting September 5. People arriving there on the first day saw car parts sunk in the lake in front of the exhibition center.
Protests kicked off in August and continued through September. Nearly 25,000 people took part in the rallies, which bring together eight associations, including Greenpeace.This time, to show their resentment against the ever growing auto industry, activists sank car parts in the lake located in front of the Munich Exhibition Center, where the IAA Mobility Show is held. The protest took place on early Monday morning. Protestors sank a Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210, a first-generation Volkswagen Touareg, and also dragged the roof of an unspecified model into the water.
The car parts floating looked like actual cars sunk into the lake. Two climate activists stood next to the car parts holding Greenpeace-branded banners with messages that read "Shrink now or sink later." It is a reference to lowering the level of emissions in the car industry in order to prevent global warming and the catastrophic phenomena that it causes.
Yet the move is a two-edged sword. Trying to get attention while protesting against pollution, the activists polluted the lake themselves, social media users claim. But the Greenpeace representatives insisted that the parts they used for the protest were only mockups. None of the cars involved in the protest had an engine or any oil-rich mechanical components.
They also claim that the focus is all wrong. "With its adherence to internal combustion engines and big SUVs, the auto industry is sinking itself and the planet. Instead of car shows, we need more focus on good public transport and punctual trains," they explain.
It is not the first time that activists try to make themselves seen in Munich, ahead of the car event. Two years ago, a group of Greenpeace activists stood in the water holding photos of extreme weather aftermath and banners that warned about the effects of global warming.
And the one that involved car parts sunk in the lake was far from being the the only protest in Munich these days. Several activists that call themselves Extinction Rebellion abseiled from a bridge over the George-Brauchle-Ring near the BMW World. They wore banners that demanded the car industry to stop rolling out SUVs.
Last Friday, activists blocked the Mercedes-Benz stand set up in downtown Munich, displaying banners that read “the car is over.” Several activists were arrested.
Georg Eisenreich, the Minister of Justice in Bavaria has threatened activists with tougher penalties for certain criminal offences, explaining that the law cannot accept crimes in the name of climate protection.
The car parts floating looked like actual cars sunk into the lake. Two climate activists stood next to the car parts holding Greenpeace-branded banners with messages that read "Shrink now or sink later." It is a reference to lowering the level of emissions in the car industry in order to prevent global warming and the catastrophic phenomena that it causes.
Yet the move is a two-edged sword. Trying to get attention while protesting against pollution, the activists polluted the lake themselves, social media users claim. But the Greenpeace representatives insisted that the parts they used for the protest were only mockups. None of the cars involved in the protest had an engine or any oil-rich mechanical components.
They also claim that the focus is all wrong. "With its adherence to internal combustion engines and big SUVs, the auto industry is sinking itself and the planet. Instead of car shows, we need more focus on good public transport and punctual trains," they explain.
It is not the first time that activists try to make themselves seen in Munich, ahead of the car event. Two years ago, a group of Greenpeace activists stood in the water holding photos of extreme weather aftermath and banners that warned about the effects of global warming.
And the one that involved car parts sunk in the lake was far from being the the only protest in Munich these days. Several activists that call themselves Extinction Rebellion abseiled from a bridge over the George-Brauchle-Ring near the BMW World. They wore banners that demanded the car industry to stop rolling out SUVs.
Last Friday, activists blocked the Mercedes-Benz stand set up in downtown Munich, displaying banners that read “the car is over.” Several activists were arrested.
Georg Eisenreich, the Minister of Justice in Bavaria has threatened activists with tougher penalties for certain criminal offences, explaining that the law cannot accept crimes in the name of climate protection.
BREAKING: Greenpeace activists protest against international auto show #IAA23 in Munich, Germany. They demand an end to the climate-damaging business model of car manufacturers.#Mobility4All means more climate friendly and inclusive options such as public transport! pic.twitter.com/C5OISwIy1m
— Greenpeace e.V. (@greenpeace_de) September 4, 2023
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