Eight people have been remanded to prison after being arrested at or close to Heathrow airport, making them the first to be locked up in any of the 10 countries where airport protests have taken place so far.
All were charged with conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure, an offence introduced last year to tackle disruptive protests by climate activists. Two others were bailed at a court hearing in London on Wednesday.
Protests calling for rich nations to phase out fossil fuels by 2030 have taken place at and around airports across Europe and North America since Wednesday, with activists blocking road connections, disrupting terminals and trespassing on the tarmac.
The protests are taking place as airports enter their busiest season, with hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers hoping to catch flights for their summer holidays. As well as in the UK, actions have so far taken place in Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the US.
The climate activist campaign group Just Stop Oil said all 10 of those charged in the UK were JSO supporters. Seven were arrested at Heathrow’s perimeter fence and a further three close to the airport, which is the UK’s largest and busiest.
Luke Elson, a support worker from London, was among remanded to prison. In a statement circulated by Just Stop Oil, he said: “I am a desperate uncle who is trying to safeguard my girls’ futures because what’s in store terrifies me.
“And whilst I say this, there are already countless people in the global south who are mourning the deaths of family members – loved ones who have been lost because of famine, drought and extreme heat. People are suffering now and millions more people will suffer soon. I must do everything I can to prevent that.”
The worldwide protests, taking place under the banner “oil kills”, are demanding that rich nations establish a legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030, as well as supporting poorer countries in their transition.
On Friday, the organisation behind the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty initiative offered its solidarity to the protesters. Tzeporah Berman, the chair of the initiative, said: “History will see the people who have been taking part in these protests as heroes not criminals. If our governments were taking the necessary action to stop expansion of oil, gas and coal and manage a fair phase out of fossil fuels to keep citizens safe, people wouldn’t need to do these protests.
“Instead of jailing citizens who are fighting for a liveable future, governments should be prosecuting oil companies and committing to work towards a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.”
