At the end of the IAA in Munich, opponents of the car and mobility trade fair want to mobilize with further actions. A demonstration under the motto “#blockIAA” is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 11 a.m., called for by an alliance of various organizations critical of the IAA. At the same time, a bicycle demonstration is planned, which BUND Nature Conservation is calling for, among others. Various unannounced promotions are also expected.
The IAA will take place in Munich for the second time until Sunday. It is accompanied by protests and actions by various groups. The organizers of the #blockIAA demo have registered 3,000 participants. At the IAA two years ago there were several clashes between police and demonstrators during a demonstration, sometimes with batons being used.
Already actions on Saturday
IAA opponents demonstrated against the car and mobility trade fair on Saturday in Munich with blockades, abseiling actions, banners, a symbolic squat and a rave demonstration. Near Theresienwiese, around 100 activists blocked a side street with human chains and sit-ins and symbolically occupied an empty house.
The symbolic squatting is intended to protest against a system in which houses are empty as objects of speculation, there is a lack of apartments and open spaces, but public space is made available to car companies for profit interests, said a spokeswoman for the “No Future for IAA” campaign alliance. This is “absolute audacity”. The police surrounded the blockade. The action was peaceful. The traffic disruptions caused by the action were minimal.
The occupation and the sit-in were broken up by the police, a spokesman said in the evening. Accordingly, the blockade was viewed as a gathering and those involved were asked to sit on the sidewalk. After they failed to do so, they were carried away one by one, it was said. The action was carried out in the afternoon by a rave demonstration against the IAA with around 100 participants. No further interactions were evident beyond expressions of solidarity.
Around 150 to 200 people also blocked the square in front of a large Mercedes car dealership in the early afternoon. Here too, the police were on site with numerous emergency services. The campaign is attributed to the Smash IAA alliance.