Just Stop Oil breaks into Stansted VIP airfield and sprays jets of orange paint ‘hours after Taylor Swift’s plane lands’

Just Stop Oil protesters sprayed jets at a London airfield where the group claimed Taylor Swift’s private plane had landed hours earlier.

Two protesters entered a private airfield at Stansted Airport around 5 a.m. on Thursday, painting two jets using fire extinguishers filled with orange paint, the group said.

Essex Police later said two women, aged 22 and 28, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use of national infrastructure.

A statement said: “Police officers arrived on scene within minutes and arrested two people.

“The airport and flights are operating normally.

“A 22-year-old woman from Brighton and a 28-year-old woman from Dumbarton were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interfering with the use or operation of national infrastructure.” This comes a day after two Just Stop Oil protesters. were arrested after spraying orange paint on the historic Stonehenge monument as the group appeared to intensify their protests.

On Thursday, Just Stop Oil said Cole Macdonald, 22, and Jennifer Kowalski, 28, stormed the private airfield, demanding that Britain’s new government work to end mining and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.

The two men used an angle grinder to penetrate the fenced area before covering the planes in orange paint.

Taylor Swift was previously criticized for regularly using a private jet to travel short distances.

But the Shake It Off singer’s publicist recently told the BBC that she uses carbon offsets to compensate for her private jet travel.

Stansted Airport said runway operations were suspended for a short period after the incident, but no flights were disrupted and the airport was operating normally.

Just Stop Oil previously announced it was planning widespread protests at airports across the UK and Europe, which threatens to cause travel chaos for holidaymakers this summer.

Protesters are in some cases considering taking to the podiums in the UK and other destinations including Spain, Greece and Turkey.

Environmental campaigners were branded “pathetic” by Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called their protest at Stonehenge on Wednesday a “disgraceful act of vandalism”.

Two protesters have been arrested on suspicion of damaging some of the stones at the ancient site near Salisbury, Wiltshire Police said.

Video footage posted on social media showed two people dressed in white shirts running towards the monoliths with cans of spray paint around 11am.

The group said they used orange cornmeal to create “an eye-catching spectacle” at Stonehenge, adding that it would disappear in the rain.

But concerns have been raised that rare lichens which live on the stones could be damaged. English Heritage chief executive Dr Nick Merriman said there appeared to be “no visible damage” to Stonehenge after activists from Just Stop Oil sprayed it with orange powder paint on Thursday morning . .

Dr Merriman told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s difficult to understand and we are deeply saddened by this vandalism, but we have been truly touched by the messages of sympathy and support we have received.

“Our experts have already managed to clean the orange powder from the stones because we were very worried about what would happen if they came into contact with water.

“At this time there does not appear to be any visible damage. The site is open to the public again and for tomorrow’s solstice.”

A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said: “While governments allow oil companies to run amok destroying our communities, the actions of individuals mean very little.

“That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding our next government sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.

“If they fail to defend the people they represent, supporters of Just Stop Oil, along with the citizens of Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland will join the resistance this summer, if their own governments do not take significant action. »