Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Nine Just Stop Oil activists arrested near London's Heathrow Airport


Nine Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. Screen capture/Just Stop Oil/X


July 24 (UPI) -- Nine Just Stop Oil activists were arrested Wednesday near London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of conspiring to interfere with key national infrastructure.

Airport operations were not disrupted. The arrests were made under Britain's Public Order Act.

"At around 9 a.m., seven Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested at two locations on the perimeter road outside Heathrow. At around 10:50am, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a further two had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to disrupt Heathrow," Just Stop Oil said in a statement.

The group is demanding Britain work with other nations to establish a treaty to end extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.

Related
Just Stop Oil activists paint Stonehenge orange; two arrested
COP28 climate agreement is a step backward on fossil fuels
U.N. review shows the world is falling short of climate goals, signs of progress

"Our new government must take swift and meaningful action to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030, by establishing a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels. Anything less is a death sentence," Sally Davidson, one of the arrested activists, said in a statement.

Metropolitan Police in London said the arrests "prevented significant disruption to the airport and the traveling public."

Just Stop Oil video posted on its X account showed police arresting the activists.



The activist group said the arrests in Britain came after German activists "blocked air traffic at Cologne Bonn Airport, causing international delays."

The German airport reported that its security area was violated by "unauthorized people" Wednesday morning.

"There has been absolutely no impact on operations whatsoever. Thanks to swift action from the police and airport colleagues, there is no disruption to passenger journeys. Heathrow continues to operate as normal today," A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said.

"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.

The Just Stop Oil Wednesday statement 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 jeopardizing the stability on which our entire society depends."

No comments:

Post a Comment