Climate protesters march at Frankfurt motor show

[Stevicus]

Frankfurt motor show hit by huge climate protests - CNN

(CNN)Thousands of climate protesters descended onto the streets of Frankfurt Saturday to protest against the role of Germany's car industry in climate change and the destruction of the environment.

The march paraded past Frankfurt's annual motor show (IAA), one of the largest in the world, with protesters calling for an end to combustion engines and a transfer towards emissions-free vehicles.

Protesters were seen holding placards reading "STOP SUV," "SUV not cool" and "we can't replace our lungs."

So, the same country that gave us "Fahrvergnügen" is now giving us "Verkehrswende" and "Energiewende."

Others were seen displaying banners calling for a "Verkehrswende" or a transport transition; a reference to Germany's planned shift towards renewable energy sources, or "Energiewende."

Several climate groups participated in the protest, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion, and Sand in the Gearbox.

Marie Klee, a spokeswoman for the climate action group Sand in the Gearbox, hailed the success of the protest, saying that the response from individuals "willing to take part in a civil disobedience campaign and put their bodies in the way of the powerful auto industry" had exceeded their expectations.

"An IAA in this form will most certainly not exist anymore. The days when VW, Daimler and BMW and co. celebrated their destructive tin cans without any interruption are over," she said.

Along with Greenpeace, many different climate groups were present at the protest, including Friends of the Earth and Extinction Rebellion. Thousands of cyclists also took part in the "Sternfahrt" or "Star Ride," which involved them blocking key motorways on their way to the protest.

Apparently, "Sternfahrt" means "Star Ride," and all this time I thought it had something to do with Sgt. Schultz eating too much apple strudel.

Doing their part for the environment.

 

[BSM1]

Makes one wonder how these protesters got to the event....useful idiots?

 

[Stevicus]

Makes one wonder how these protesters got to the event....useful idiots?

The article mentioned that there were a lot of bicyclists, so maybe they came that way.

 

[Stevicus]

I should clarify that I generally agree with their motives, but there was a sign that said "End Cars." How is that practically possible?

My impression is that Europe has a much more extensive passenger railway system, so the idea of "ending cars" might seem more plausible with that kind of infrastructure in place.

We don't really have that in America. A lot of cities have insufficient public transportation, so there is a great need for motorized vehicles.

Plus, a lot of urban areas in the west started to increase in population after the invention of the automobile, so the communities were planned and built with the idea that most everyone would have a car. That's how sprawled metropolises like Los Angeles happened, where owning a car is mandatory. There's just no other way to adequately get around.

Even in smaller cities, there's still quite a bit of sprawl, as people move further out in order to get away from the city and create their own little havens. But they also bring more cars.

If people really want to "end cars," then we'll need a much better public transportation system than we have currently. I remember when I visited "Tomorrowland" as a kid, they talked about how people movers and monorails would be the transportation of the future. That never really materialized, and it seems we're still stuck on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

I recall in the movie Logan's Run, they used these little cars that would woosh through these tubes to get to whatever destination they wanted. Something like that could probably reduce motor vehicle usage to a significant degree.

 

[BSM1]

The article mentioned that there were a lot of bicyclists, so maybe they came that way.

...and they put the bicycles together themselves using papyrus reeds...oh, that's right...it took petroleum products produced by using (wait for it) fossil fuels. Go figure...

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I should clarify that I generally agree with their motives, but there was a sign that said "End Cars." How is that practically possible?

My impression is that Europe has a much more extensive passenger railway system, so the idea of "ending cars" might seem more plausible with that kind of infrastructure in place.

We don't really have that in America. A lot of cities have insufficient public transportation, so there is a great need for motorized vehicles.

Plus, a lot of urban areas in the west started to increase in population after the invention of the automobile, so the communities were planned and built with the idea that most everyone would have a car. That's how sprawled metropolises like Los Angeles happened, where owning a car is mandatory. There's just no other way to adequately get around.

Even in smaller cities, there's still quite a bit of sprawl, as people move further out in order to get away from the city and create their own little havens. But they also bring more cars.

If people really want to "end cars," then we'll need a much better public transportation system than we have currently. I remember when I visited "Tomorrowland" as a kid, they talked about how people movers and monorails would be the transportation of the future. That never really materialized, and it seems we're still stuck on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

I recall in the movie Logan's Run, they used these little cars that would woosh through these tubes to get to whatever destination they wanted. Something like that could probably reduce motor vehicle usage to a significant degree.

Too true. America is designed around automobiles. Even with "aggressive efforts" to get there, I doubt we could see an America that is within our lifetimes. Europe, maybe, but those without cars in America still heavily depend on cars. Europe would require adjustments, it seems. America would need a paradigm cultural shift in regards to how we get around.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Makes one wonder how these protesters got to the event....useful idiots?

I'm curious how much trash they're going to leave on the ground when they leave?

 

[Twilight Hue]

Makes one wonder how these protesters got to the event....useful idiots?

That's why I got no respect for these people. They have big mouths and never lead by example.