Bike demo on A8: Another cancellation for Augsburg climate activists

In April 2023, the rally also took place on the A96 - this time the motorway remains closed to cyclists, according to the VGH Munich. © IMAGO/Wolfgang Maria Weber

Climate activists wanted to ride the A8 for a bicycle demonstration. The Munich Administrative Court has now rejected them again – and thus confirmed the ruling from Augsburg.

Augsburg – On Sunday (14 May), hundreds of cyclists cycled the approximately 77 kilometres from Augsburg, via Kissing, Mering and Fürstenfeldbruck to Munich's Königsplatz. Originally, the climate activists wanted to drive almost three kilometers of the route on the A8 – the Administrative Court (VGH) Munich decided on Friday in an urgent procedure that the expressway may not be used for the demo.

No bike demo on the A8: VGH Munich gives renewed cancellation

With this decision, the VGH confirmed the ruling of the Administrative Court of Augsburg, which in turn had given the city of Augsburg the green light to move the rally to Munich on an alternative route. In this case, the city of Augsburg, in its function as the assembly authority, has the last word in determining the route, according to the courts.

The VGH Munich stated that the meeting would lead to a full closure of the A8 in both directions for at least two hours. This would result in massive traffic jams and even considerable dangers to life and limb. Emergency traffic, especially to the Augsburg University Hospital, will also be affected. In this respect, the encroachment on freedom of assembly is justified.

By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Sign up here.

"Contradicts all empirical values" – climate activists are considering a lawsuit before the Federal Constitutional Court

The climate fighters, on the other hand, consider the estimated closure period to be too high. In a statement published online, the climate camp says: "This contradicts all the experience we have with motorway closures. If the bike demo uses the motorway for 15 minutes, we assume a closure period of 45 minutes to a maximum of 75 minutes."

According to their own statements, the climate activists are now considering filing a constitutional complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. Alternatively, in a few months' time, another attempt will be made to obtain a permit for a cycling demonstration on the motorway.

It was only last April that a cycling rally of the ADFC took place on the motorway for the first time: three kilometres of the A 96 between Sendling and Blumenau were temporarily closed to cyclists.

You can always read all the news from all over Bavaria with us. News and stories from Bavaria can also be found on our Facebook page Merkur Bayern.