Protesters block Berlin air show roads, forcing delegates to walk

Protesters blocked roads leading to Berlin’s ILA air show and forced delegates to walk into one of Europe’s biggest aerospace gatherings as police moved in to clear the access points. The disruption hit at the opening moments of the event in Schönefeld, near Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and gave the show a tense political start before Chancellor Friedrich Merz was due to arrive.

ILA Berlin is no small industry fair. Organizers say the biennial show dates back to 1909 and, in 2026, was drawing more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries to Berlin ExpoCenter Airport from June 10 to June 14. Trade visitors were scheduled for June 10 to 12, with the public admitted on June 13 and 14. The event is presented as a meeting point for aviation, space, defense and suppliers across the aerospace value chain, under the theme #PioneeringAerospace.

Witnesses said demonstrators sat in the road and shouted slogans including Free Palestine, while dozens of police were visible at the scene and at least one protester was carried away. The blockade did not shut the exhibition, but it prevented buses from reaching the site and left many delegates to make the final approach on foot. For an event built to project industrial scale, international business and technical ambition, the image on opening day was instead one of barricades, officers and slow-moving arrivals.

The disruption underscored the political exposure facing Europe’s aerospace sector as it pushes to expand both civilian aviation and defense production. ILA Berlin 2026 is being pitched as a political platform for Europe’s aerospace industry, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, researchers and armed forces. That makes it a natural target for activists who see aviation and defense companies as symbols of emissions, militarization and Europe’s ties to conflicts far beyond Germany.

The timing sharpened that pressure. The run-up to the show had already been shaped by the cancellation of a flagship Franco-German fighter-jet project, adding uncertainty to a sector that depends on political support, public money and long delivery timelines. In that setting, a blocked road in Schönefeld became more than a local inconvenience. It was a reminder that public opposition can now shape not only the atmosphere around major aerospace events, but also the reputational costs of the industries gathering inside them.