Extinction Rebellion protesters seek to shut down City Airport for three days
Fears of travel chaos at London City Airport are looming large as climate change protesters gear up to blockade the terminal and disrupt flights.
Extinction Rebellion has vowed to cause a “Hong Kong-style” occupation at City Airport over the coming days in an attempt to grind London’s business terminal to a halt.
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As part of a two-week long ‘shut down’ in the capital, the eco-activists are turning their attention to the Royal Docks airport for what they claim will be their “biggest action yet”.
City Airport is bracing itself for possible flight delays and disruption in its terminal amid fears that the demonstrators will aim to block departure and arrival gates.
Bosses at the airport are working with the Metropolitan Police to try to identify protesters that have bought one-way plane tickets as a way of sneaking into the airport as a passenger.
Green campaigners have taken aim at City Airport after claiming it is used “disproportionately by private jets and by financiers, businesspeople and other members of the polluter elite,” despite passengers being evenly split 50/50 between leisure and business last year.
The airport has also come under fire from the green campaigners in the wake of a recent expansion and its master-plan to grow over the next 15 years.
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“We continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police to prepare for the threat of Extinction Rebellion protests. Our shared priority is the safe operation of the airport and to minimise disruption for passengers using the airport over the coming days,” a City Airport spokesperson said today.
Hundreds of demonstrators have so far been arrested in Central London as part of the fortnight of protests, during which major bridges and popular tourist destinations have been blocked.