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Nine Just Stop Oil activists have been arrested at Heathrow after the group said “the international uprising begins”, with protests taking place across European airports.
Footage shared to the Just Stop Oil account on X, formerly Twitter, appears to show people cycling near a high barbed wire-topped fence close to passenger planes before dismounting and being approached by officers.
The Metropolitan Police said: “These arrests have prevented significant disruption to the airport and the travelling public.”
A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said there had been “absolutely no impact on operations whatsoever” and that “no-one gained entry to anywhere they shouldn’t be.”
They added: “Heathrow continues to operate as normal today.
“We are in full agreement that the aviation industry needs to decarbonise, but unlawful and irresponsible protest activity will not be tolerated.”
It followed protests at multiple airports across Europe, JSO said.
It claimed German supporters of climate activist group Last Generation caused international delays at Cologne-Bonn Airport.
The German airport reported that “unauthorised people” gained access to its security area on Wednesday morning.
Flights were suspended due to the police operation and resumed once it had finished, but delays and cancellations are “to be expected during the course of the day”, the airport said.
The group added that supporters of Extinction Rebellion in Finland had blocked security gates at Helsinki Vantaa Airport, while five supporters of Futuro Vegetal accessed the taxiway at Barcelona airport but were intercepted before taking action.
In Switzerland, eleven supporters of Drop Fossil Subsidies blocked main roads around both Zurich and Geneva airports.
A JSO spokesman said: “We refuse to die for fossil fuels. Continued burning of oil, gas and coal, as we pass irreversible tipping points that threaten to spin our climate out of control in a rapidly accelerating way, is jeopardising the stability on which our entire society depends.
“This is not only irresponsible, it is an act of war against low lying island states and countries in the global south, who are already suffering devastating consequences as a result of our addiction to fossil fuels.
“Our political leaders must take action to protect our communities by working with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
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