Climate activists call out Taylor Swift after group sprays paint on private jets
(NEXSTAR) – Climate activists belonging to a group known as Just Stop Oil sprayed paint on private jets at Stansted Airport in England on Thursday morning, with the group hinting that the airport was targeted because its “where Taylor Swift’s jet is parked.”
A representative for the airport could not say whether the activists vandalized any jets belonging to Swift, nor whether Swift had used the airport ahead of her London concerts this weekend. The Associated Press, however, reported that neither of the planes targeted in Thursday's demonstration belonged to the pop star, citing local police.
In video shared to social media by Just Stop Oil, an activist can be seen using a cordless saw to cut through what appeared to be a fence surrounding the airfield. This person then uses a fire extinguisher to spray paint on two jets sitting on the tarmac.
At the end of the video, the activist and another woman, both wearing T-shirts reading “Just Stop Oil,” embrace each other in front of the vandalized jets.
“Jennifer and Cole cut the fence into the private airfield at Stansted where Taylor Swift's jet is parked, demanding an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030,” the video’s Instagram caption reads.
The two women, ages 22 and 28, were later arrested “on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use or operation of national infrastructure,” Essex Police said in a news release.
The police also said Taylor Swift’s plane was not at Stansted at the time, despite Taylor being in London for three concerts this weekend, the Associated Press learned. A representative for the Essex Police did not immediately respond to Nexstar's request for additional comment.
“Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene,” Essex Police wrote in the release.
The department later added, “We are not anti-protest but we will always take action where criminal acts take place.”
Operations on the runway at Stansted were briefly halted after police were called, but no flights were disrupted, a representative for Stansted confirmed to Nexstar.
A representative for Just Stop Oil was not immediately available for comment.
Thursday’s incident came one day after climate activists — also wearing Just Stop Oil shirts — were arrested after spraying paint on Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Wiltshire, England. Just Stop Oil later said the paint was made from cornstarch, and would not cause lasting damage.