A supporter of the climate advocacy group Just Stop Oil was detained and forcibly removed from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal Five today after displaying a sign reading “Oil Kills”. The incident occurred around 10:20 AM, with the situation escalating quickly as airport security and police intervened.
The activist, who was joined by two individuals filming the event, was surrounded by a significant number of police officers and security personnel by 10:40 AM. They were moved to a side corridor and informed they were breaching a corporate injunction, leading to their removal from the premises.
The protest aligns with a series of global actions by Just Stop Oil and allied groups, which are pressing governments to commit to ending the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030 through a legally binding international treaty. This comes in a week that saw the global average surface air temperature record broken twice, signalling a dire need for action on climate policies.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil highlighted the urgency of the situation: “Governments and fossil fuel companies are waging war on humanity. Innocent people already face unlivable conditions and scientists are warning us we are on course for large parts of the world becoming uninhabitable.”
Simultaneously, Fossil Free London staged a protest outside the Department of Transport to oppose the expansion of London City Airport. Similar demonstrations occurred across several countries including Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and the USA, as part of an international uprising named ‘Oil Kills.
The campaign, involving 13 groups from over 10 countries, is a response to recent extreme temperature records and the ongoing threats posed by fossil fuels to global climates. Dr. Joyce Kimutai, a climate scientist at Imperial College London, commented on the temperature records: “This is exactly what climate science told us would happen if the world continued burning coal, oil, and gas. It will continue getting hotter until we stop burning fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions.”
As the climate crisis intensifies, Just Stop Oil and its international partners are escalating their efforts, declaring key locations in the fossil fuel economy as sites of civil resistance. The group urges individuals worldwide to join their cause in what they describe as a necessary act to avert further climate catastrophe.
