Short break after about 15 minutes
Bayern game interrupted by protest action
08/27/2022, 7:42 p.m
After almost a quarter of an hour, referee Daniel Schlager interrupted the Bundesliga game between FC Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the Munich arena, several protesters storm the field, trying to attach themselves to the gates. The security personnel intervened consistently.
The top Bundesliga game between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach was briefly interrupted in the evening. The trigger was a protest action a few minutes after the game on the fourth day of the game had kicked off. The group “Last Generation” acknowledged this in a press release after the game. Several people ran onto the field after a good quarter of an hour, apparently with the goals of the two keeper Manuel Neuer and Yann Sommer as their goal. It seemed as if they were trying to attach themselves to the posts there. However, quick and consistent intervention by the security staff prevented the game from having to be paused for a longer period of time.
The words “Stop the fossil madness” could be read on the protesters’ clothing, said commentator Wolff-Christoph Fuss from the broadcaster Sky. This suggests, especially in connection with the attempted tethering to the gate, that activists are calling for more decisive and sustainable action in the fight against the climate crisis. Similar actions are currently taking place at sporting events. In Formula 1, for example, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, what Sebastian Vettel and other pilots could understand in principlebut criticized the chosen means as far too dangerous.
The protests are directed against the adherence to fossil fuels and the change towards sustainability and environmental protection that is too slow from the activist point of view. Sporting events are likely to be used as a stage, mainly because of the high level of publicity. In the Munich Arena already had during last year’s European Championship someone on behalf of Greenpeace tried to land an aircraft in the stadium and only narrowly escaped a serious accident due to a crash landing.
The “Last Generation” quotes an activist in its statement: “If we want to see football rolling with our children in the future, we must not close our eyes to the climate crisis now.” However, the protesters did not have much time to get their message out to the people. Referee Daniel Schlager immediately interrupted the game, then the security staff quickly intervened and led the troublemakers off the field. The players followed the action from close range, there was no unrest to be seen.
