Climate activists block arrival of Davos forum participants at Swiss airport

By Timur Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Climate activists from the Dept for Climate group blocked the airport in Altenrhein in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen on Monday morning. Police are also on the scene.

The activists are blocking the airport because every year participants attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) land there before traveling onwards to Davos.

According to the St. Gallen cantonal police, however, there are currently no restrictions for passengers.

"Flight operations are continuing. We are monitoring the situation and will see how we proceed after the next meeting," a spokesman for the St. Gallen cantonal police told the daily 20 Minuten.

Airport operator People's Air Group confirmed to Swiss daily Blick that flight operations have not been affected so far. It said the airport was ensuring that operations were as unrestricted as possible.

With climate activists blocking the exit, passengers who had just landed were stuck in their cars, he said. The activists have erected a wooden structure in the airport parking lot.

With the blockade, the activists want to draw attention to the elites such as the states of the Global North and corporations, which in their eyes are responsible for the debt in the Global South and the climate crisis.

In concrete terms, the activists are therefore demanding the unconditional cancelation of the foreign debt of the countries of the Global South.

In addition, the polluters should pay for the losses and damages they cause in the countries most affected by the climate crisis.

The activists see themselves as part of the global campaign Make Them Pay.