Climate Activists Sink Vehicle Parts at Munich Motor Show

author: FutureCar Staff    

The heart of the automotive industry currently beats in Munich, Germany thanks to the IAA Mobility 2023 which opens its doors to the public on September 5. As expected, climate activists took notice, organizing a different kind of protest with the effect of sinking cars at the lake in front of the exhibition center.

The stunt took place on early Monday morning, which is the press day of the show. It included parts of three different vehicles – a Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 sedan, a first-gen VW Touareg SUV, and the roof of an unspecified model. Those were floating on the shallow lake, looking like actual vehicles being submerged in the water.

Two climate activists sat next to the three vehicles holding Greenpeace-branded banners in a quest to be heard. One of them reads "Shrink now or Sink later", referring to the need for even lower emissions in order to prevent flooding and other catastrophic events caused by global warming.

The stunt was criticized by social media users who thought that the vehicles polluted the lake, although Greenpeace made it clear that these were just mockups, with the engine and oil-rich mechanical components having been removed. In a post on X (ex-Twitter), Greenpeace wrote: "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!"

The latest Greenpeace protest is similar to the one organized at the IAA Mobility 2021, with activists standing in the water while holding photos of extreme weather events and banners warning about the effects of climate change.

Another group of activists from a campaign called "Extinction Rebellion" protested by abseiling from a bridge over the Georg-Brauchle-Ring which is near the BMW World. As a result, the police set diversions and speed limits in this area, until the protest ended. Extinction Rebellion also wants to highlight the need for lower emissions, worrying about the large and energy-consuming SUVs that have nearly doubled their portion over the past decade. The activists oppose events including automakers, saying that "we don't need more electric cars, we need fewer cars".

The incidents take place as Georg Eisenreich, the Minister of Justice in the German region of Bavaria wants to set tougher penalties for "certain criminal offenses" by climate activists claiming that: "As important as the fight for climate protection is, the rule of law cannot accept crimes in the name of climate protection". According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung the federal police reported 580 offenses by climate activists since last year, including blocking streets, and sabotage attempts at oil and gas pipelines.

FutureCar Staff