Around 20 activists from the climate movement “Extinction Rebellion” brought early morning traffic on the B139, Kremstalstrasse, to a standstill on Monday morning. There was no further traffic between Westbrücke and Kärntner Strasse in the direction of Linz city area.
- Localization: Waldeggstrasse in Linz:
Half of the road blocked
The demonstrators blocked half of the road with a large wooden scaffolding that one person climbed onto. Three people chained themselves to the scaffolding. Banners read: “Your future is being blocked here” and “Smells like A26 traffic jam”.
Photo gallery: Climate activists blocked Linz’s Waldeggstrasse
(Photo: Extinction Rebellion Austria) Bild 1/6
View gallery
With the action, the activists want to highlight the doubling of traffic volume due to the construction of the A26, as the movement announced in a press release. “Austria’s transport sector has by far the most critical emission value. In order to avoid fines, health risks and the harshest consequences of the climate crisis, it is high time to stop the A26, the billion-dollar wasteland,” said “Extinction Rebellion”.
Police ended blockade
The demonstration was finally ended by the police. The majority of the activists left the road voluntarily after a brief conversation with the emergency services, according to the police report. Three people remained who had chained themselves together around the wooden structure and one activist who was on the tripod about three meters above the ground.
An arrest
Police and firefighters removed the demonstrators from the streets. An activist was temporarily arrested and taken to the Linz police detention center. The road was finally fully reopened to traffic around 9 a.m., the police announced on Monday afternoon.
For the State Councillor for Infrastructure, Günther Steinkellner (FPÖ), the “blockade of Waldeggstrasse by the climate terrorists once again represented a reckless, dangerous and simply stupid action.” He dismissed the climate activists’ arguments as wrong and called on the judiciary to take more decisive action in such cases.
This article was updated at 3:26 p.m.
