Accompanied by largely peaceful protests, the IAA Mobility motor show in Munich came to an end. At the end, opponents of the IAA had under the motto “
According to initial estimates by the organizers, more than 3,000 people came to the protest at the beginning of the march; the police later said there were 2,500 participants. A police spokesman initially expressed satisfaction with how things went.
The organizers of the car and mobility trade fair drew a positive conclusion from the IAA. The President of the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), Hildegard Müller, pointed out that for days crowds of people had come to the offers in the city center of the Bavarian capital and were enthusiastic.
More than half a million visitors in six days
“On Saturday alone, over 100,000 visitors came to the Open Spaces,” said Müller. It was a mobility festival with a good mood and great curiosity. People are interested in solutions and innovations. The demonstrators are just “a small group that is trying to disrupt the event with their activism.”
The IAA organizers reported a total of more than half a million visitors in six days to the Munich exhibition center and the action areas in the city. A survey showed that for the majority of visitors, cars continue to be the main focus of interest. More than a quarter of those surveyed came because of the bicycle and micromobility on display.
“Spit in the soup for the car lobby”
The IAA was officially opened on Tuesday and, as was the case two years ago, was accompanied by a number of unannounced protests. Groups such as Attac, Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion demonstrated, and some of their actions were prevented by the police. On Saturday, the IAA opponents carried out several actions, including a house occupation.
Attac explained that the actions had “spit in the soup of the car lobby”. It was said that the IAA was a “brazen greenwashing show”. “Because whether it’s combustion engines, electric cars or even e-fuels: motorized private transport is not a solution,” said Noa Neumann from the youth organization Junges Attac. The public transport network must be better developed and affordable.
Attac criticized a “permanent police threat” and attacks by officers against demonstrators in Munich. According to the police, batons and irritant spray devices were used during actions at the Donnersberger Bridge on Saturday. The Munich police headquarters justified this by saying that a group of 80 people had tried to overcome the barriers.
The IAA took place in Munich for the second time. According to police statements, around 4,500 emergency services were deployed. Two years ago, there were several clashes between police and demonstrators during a demonstration, sometimes with batons being used.
