Greenpeace activists fined for crash-landing a parachute in stadium before Germany-France match

A German surgeon has been ordered to pay a fine of $7,900 for parachuting into the stadium before a European Championship match in Munich two years ago as part of a botched climate protest

Germany France Euro 2020 Soccer

A German surgeon has been ordered to pay a fine of 7,200 euros ($7,900) for parachuting into the stadium before a European Championship match in Munich two years ago as part of a botched climate protest.

A Munich regional court convicted the 40-year-old Greenpeace activist Tuesday of endangering air traffic and negligent bodily harm for crash-landing his propeller-powered parachute inside the Allianz Arena just before Germany were due to play France in June 2021.

Three people, including the defendant, were injured in the stunt, during which he first threw a large inflatable ball bearing the words “Kick out oil” onto the pitch before becoming entangled in a steel wire.

Greenpeace said it regretted the incident and the defendant apologized for his actions during the trial. He was also ordered to pay 3,500 euros in damages to one of the people who were injured.

A 36-year-old man who helped organize the protest was ordered to pay a fine of 3,000 euros.