Environmental activists protesting against car culture have disrupted traffic on several major roads around Munich before the opening of a leading auto show in the German city.

Demonstrators against the IAA Mobility fair unfurled banners with slogans such as “Block IAA”, in some cases abseiling from highway bridges to do so, the news agency dpa reported.

At one location, they pasted over a highway sign with the words: “Smash Car Lobby & Industry.”

Police and fire service officers ended the protests, and the affected stretches of autobahn were reopened by lunchtime.

More protests are expected on Friday, though organisers have not specified what they plan to do.

The IAA Mobility fair, which takes place every two years, opens on Tuesday. The event is held every two years and is taking place in Munich for the first time. It previously took place in Frankfurt.

The show moved after the German Association of the Automotive Industry changed the concept of the show to change its focus and include more discussion of environmental issues, new technologies and innovation as well as other modes of transportation, including e-scooters and bicycles.