Ten Just Stop Oil activists arrested over Heathrow plot

Ten Just Stop Oil activists suspected of planning to disrupt Heathrow Airport have been arrested, police have said.

Seven people were detained in the vicinity of the airport on Wednesday morning and taken into custody.

Cutting gear and glue were found on the activists, the Metropolitan Police said.

Three others were arrested at other locations, also on suspicion of conspiring to interfere with a site of key national infrastructure under the Public Order Act. They all remain in custody.

None of the activists was able to get into the airport, the force added.

“Doing so would have led to the suspension of flight operations causing a major impact to international aviation,” Scotland Yard said.

Chief Superintendent Ian Howells, who led the operation, said: “These arrests are an excellent example of co-ordinated action by colleagues from across the Met to prevent the significant disruption intended by JSO.

“This planned action was extremely reckless and would have represented a real risk to the travelling public.

“Had it not been for these arrests, flights would have been suspended, impacting thousands of passengers and businesses including hard-working families going on their summer holidays.

“It could also have caused serious danger to passengers and aircraft with flights being diverted and cancelled.

“This type of action is completely unacceptable. The Met will continue to work with our national policing colleagues, airport operators and the wider aviation sector to prevent such criminal acts and to safeguard the travelling public.

“Anyone who compromises the safety and security of our airports will face the full force of the law.”

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 group said “the international uprising begins” and that a number of people had been arrested “in two locations on the perimeter road around Heathrow”.

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.

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.”

A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: “There has been absolutely no impact on operations whatsoever” and that “no-one gained entry to anywhere they shouldn’t be.

“Thanks to swift action from the police and airport colleagues, there is no disruption to passenger journeys.

“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.”