This weekend, activists from the Code Rouge climate movement are planning to target the Belgian aviation sector. However, it remains unclear what impact this will have on flights.
Code Rouge is a movement which fights against fossil fuels and for climate justice through mass civil disobedience. It made a name for itself following the blockades of the Belgian TotalEnergies sites last year and of several of Engie's Belgian infrastructures this summer. For its third major action, it will hold the aviation industry to account.
"The next action will take place somewhere between the evening of Friday 15 and Sunday 17 December 2023," Code Rouge wrote on its website. The exact details remain deliberately vague for the time being, and details will likely only emerge a few hours before the action begins.
Prepared for tense situations
It is currently unclear what form the protest against the industry will take. Across Europe, activists have targeted airports by breaking into runways, including at Schiphol outside Amsterdam. In Belgium, similar protests have taken place, but they have never reached the tarmac.
Whatever the activists are planning, it has raised concerns at Brussels Airport. The airport's spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli told The Brussels Times that the company will be taking these actions into account over the weekend, even though it remains unclear as to whether its activities will be targeted.
"As always we are working with the Federal Police and have taken measures to ensure the security of our staff members and passengers," she stated. The airport's priority is to ensure that flights are not cancelled.
Last Generation activists on the tarmac in Munich airport, December 2022. Credit: Last Generation / X
Code Rouge has affirmed that the activists are not seeking "to cause irreversible damage to equipment or infrastructure" and that the actions will not put anyone in danger. But fears for the safety of staff and passengers at Belgian airports remain, and flights may be disrupted.
Instructions given to potential volunteers indicate that the group is expecting to be confronted by the police. The organisers ask whether participants are willing to take the risk of being arrested and "experience tense situations".
The group also strongly recommends that volunteers take part in civil disobedience training and that they avoid taking "anything that could reveal information about them," such as mobile phones or identity cards.
Climate and social impact
The climate activist group explains that it is targeting the aviation industry as flying has the biggest climate impact. "Although the science clearly shows that reducing flights is the only valid short-term solution, the industry continues to grow and sell green lies of 'sustainable' aviation fuels and electric planes which provide no short-term emission reductions," the group explained.
The activists will specifically target private jets, meaning actions at Belgium's regional airports – where many of the flights are domestic – are not ruled out. The group is also calling out the use of cargo flights as they "serve high-speed transportation including online orders of low-quality goods such as fast fashion."
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They also highlighted the public health hazards posed by airports, from emissions-related illnesses to noise pollution. In line with the findings of a recent Greenpeace study, the group also stressed that the aviation industry "enjoys preferential treatment over other modes of transportation worldwide, despite its disastrous climate impact."
Finally, it underscored that, while aviation is a major source of employment, many of these jobs are carried out in increasingly precarious and difficult working conditions. This is mirrored in the many strikes that the industry has faced in recent years.
