Seven Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested at Gatwick Airport this morning after using suitcases with lock-on devices to block a departure gate. The protest began at around 8am, with activists entering the airport’s southern terminal and positioning themselves on the floor to obstruct an entrance.
A London Gatwick spokesperson confirmed at around 9.15am that the airport was open and operating normally. “There are a small number of protestors at the airport who have now been arrested and are being removed from the airport,” the spokesperson said.
Footage posted by Just Stop Oil showed travelers stepping over the activists, whose hands were inside lock-on devices. In a statement, Just Stop Oil said: “As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportionate action necessary to generate much-needed political pressure.”
The group added that the protest at Gatwick is part of the international campaign Oil Kills, with 21 groups across 12 countries having demonstrated at 17 airports so far this summer. The campaign aims to declare areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy as sites of civil resistance worldwide.