Two climate activists convicted of crime after blocking SAS aircraft

Two climate activists have been convicted of violating the Civil Aviation Act after they delayed an SAS aircraft on its way from Gothenburg to Stockholm in June last year, writes Göteborgs-Posten.

The two men affiliated with Extinction Rebellion went on the plane with the other passengers but then refused to obey the captain’s order to sit down and fasten their seat belts.

Instead, they read out a written speech about the climate crisis.

The incident caused the plane with destination Stockholm to be delayed.

The court argues in its judgment that the responsibility for balancing the risks that different activities entail in relation to the needs they fulfil for society ultimately rests with the legislator and the elected politicians.

According to the district court, an individual cannot, with reference to the emergency rules in the legislation, legitimise an offence because he or she makes a different risk assessment.

The penalties for both were set at 80 daily fines. In addition to violations of the Civil Aviation Act, they are also convicted of disobedience to law enforcement linked to an incident in 2019, when they blocked a road.

Two more similar incidents occurred at Visby Airport and Ängelholm Airport on the same day and the day before the incident at Gothenburg Landvetter. In those two other cases, it was activists who stopped the plane from taking off.

Source: Expressen