Just Stop Oil protesters arrested at Heathrow airport on suspicion of criminal damage

‘Unlawful and irresponsible’ protests will not be tolerated, warns the UK’s busiest airport

Two Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested at London’s Heathrow airport on suspicion of criminal damage after dousing parts of Terminal 5 in orange paint.

Floors and passenger information screens were sprayed in the latest incident of the climate activists targeting aviation hubs.

The protest group said Phoebe Plummer, 22, and Jane Touil, 58, entered Heathrow at around 8.35am on Tuesday (30 July), with police and security arriving within minutes.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police remain at the scene to “deal with any further offences”

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Working with partners we have quickly resolved a protest incident in Terminal 5 and all involved have been removed from the airport. The airport continues to operate as normal and passengers are travelling as planned. We are in full agreement that the aviation industry needs to decarbonise, but unlawful and irresponsible protest activity is not the way forward and will not be tolerated.”

One of the protesters, Ms Plummer, was freed on bail this week after being found guilty of causing criminal damage to Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Sunflowers in 2022.

The incident comes a day after protesters from the group blocked an entrance to a security search area at Gatwick airport in an apparent attempt to disrupt travellers trying to make their flights.

Images and videos shared across social media, as well as on the Just Stop Oil website, show them sitting on the floor. In some, people can be seen stepping over the the protesters.

Eight people were arrested and a spokesperson for Gatwick said the airport continued to operate as usual.

In a statement, Just Stop Oil said: “As long as political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action to protect our communities from the worst effects of climate breakdown, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportionate action necessary to generate much needed political pressure. This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world.”