Two climate activists have been arrested after breaking into London Stansted Airport (STN) spraying two jets with orange paint.
The incident occurred early in the morning of June 20, 2024.
The activists, identified as Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald of British environmental activist group Just Stop Oil, gained access to the private airfield at around 05:00 local time.
Just Stop Oil recorded how the two activists managed to get into the airport and pull off their stunt, and shared it on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The video shows the activists using an angle grinder to cut through the metal fence that leads to the private runway. They then cover at least two parked private jets with orange paint, before hugging each other in front of the camera.
Just Stop Oil captioned the post, “Just Stop Oil paint private jet hours after Taylor Swift lands”.
The group said that it is demanding an “emergency treaty” to end fossil fuels by 2030.
However, a Stansted Airport representative told media outlets that Swift’s private jet was not at the airport when the incident occurred.
In a press release by Just Stop Oil, Kowalski, a former sustainability manager, said that she felt she had to take “desperate measures” to be heard.
Kowalski is quoted as saying: “Over the years, I’ve had to realize that even working in sustainability provides me with essentially no ability to make the necessary changes to prevent the complete collapse of our natural systems. I have to take desperate measures to make my voice heard.”
The pair were later arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use or operation of national infrastructure.