Climate activists stage protests at European airports

A number of climate protesters were arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, police and Just Stop Oil said on Wednesday, as similar action took place across Europe.

The pressure group, which wants an end to oil and gas extraction and use, said seven of its supporters were detained at two locations on the airport perimeter road at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT).

London’s Metropolitan Police said nine activists were held for “conspiring to disrupt Heathrow Airport” and were taken into custody.

A Heathrow spokesperson said operations were not affected.

“We are in full agreement that the aviation industry needs to decarbonize, but unlawful and irresponsible protest activity will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson said.

Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, obtained a court injunction earlier this month barring anyone from entering on its grounds “in connection with Just Stop Oil” or any other environmental campaign.

Anyone breaching the injunction faces being imprisoned for up to two years.

Lawyers for Heathrow told the court that the site was a “clear and obvious target for planned disruptive action” by climate protesters.

Injunctions were also issued for three other UK airports, as Just Stop Oil threatened to engage in action “at airports across the country” unless their demands were met.

Just Stop Oil wants the UK to halt new oil and gas licensing and to work on a fossil fuel treaty with other countries to end all oil, gas and coal extraction and burning by 2030.

UK’s newly elected Labour government has said it will not issue new licenses for exploring oil and gas — a major Just Stop Oil demand for the previous Conservative government.

At Germany’s Cologne Bonn airport, climate activists glued themselves on the runway on Wednesday morning, with flights grounded briefly before resuming.

“Disruptions in the form of delays and flight cancellations are to be expected during the course of the day,” the airport said.

In Norway, around 12 activists blocked the runway at Oslo airport, while Just Stop Oil said other groups took similar action in Spain and Finland.

The protests are part of the A22 Network of activist groups committed to non-violent protest, which said it was planning to disrupt airports in a number of countries in the coming months.

Protests were planned in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, United States and Norway, UK-based activists from the alliance said earlier in July.

Global aviation is responsible for around 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions, more than the annual carbon footprint of Brazil and France combined.