Police arrested four protesters from the organization “Just Stop Oil” near Manchester Airport on Monday morning.
Three women, aged 21, 30 and 53, and a 23-year-old man were arrested today (Monday) on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. They were found in possession of several “items” which police believe “would have been used to cause damage and significant disruption to the airport and its operations”.
Officials said the four suspects were protesters from the activist group Just Stop Oil. All were taken into custody for questioning.
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Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter, head of special operations at GMP, said officers had prevented inconvenience to “hard-working people heading off on their summer holidays”. He said: “We have worked hard with colleagues at Manchester Airport and police forces across the country, sharing intelligence, with the shared aim of preventing these disruptive and targeted attacks on our airports.”
“We have a duty of care to all members of the public. The right to protest must be respected but we have a duty to balance that right against the right of the public to go about their lives without unacceptable disruption and will act swiftly and decisively to arrest those seeking to cause unrest.
“These arrests have undoubtedly prevented a determined and targeted attack that would have caused significant delays and inconvenience to hard-working people heading off on their summer holidays. Anyone who notices anything suspicious or has any concerns about safety should speak to an officer or member of airport staff.”
Last month, protesters from the group held demonstrations at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. At Heathrow, the floor and departure boards were sprayed with orange paint, while at Gatwick, several protesters blocked the gates.
Last week, a judge sentenced five Just Stop Oil activists to prison for their part in a protest in which activists climbed gantries on the M25, causing widespread traffic disruption. Judge Shane Collery KC said “many people endured hours of delays” and told the defendants: “Your actions were disproportionate to your aims.”
He said their goal on November 9, 2022, was to “cause massive disruption so that Just Stop Oil can benefit from the resulting media attention.”
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