Early this morning, Just Stop Oil activists executed a protest at Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal, aiming to disrupt departures during the peak of the summer holiday season. The group’s efforts, however, were quickly thwarted as passengers manoeuvred around the makeshift barricades, leading to the arrest of the protesters involved.
At around 8:00 AM, seven activists entered the terminal, donning Just Stop Oil T-shirts and brandishing orange placards. Their strategy involved erecting a wall of suitcases to block the departure gates, but the blockade proved ineffective. Passengers, including families with small children, simply stepped over the suitcases, leaving the protesters frustrated on the floor.
Despite the group’s declaration on social media that they had successfully blocked the departure gates, the stunt was quickly dismissed by the public and on social platforms as “pathetic” and a “complete waste of time.” Gatwick Airport confirmed that operations continued normally, and the demonstrators were promptly removed and arrested.
This incident marks another attempt by Just Stop Oil to draw attention to their cause through disruption. The group has pledged a ‘summer of chaos’ at UK airports, aiming to pressure the government into taking more robust actions against fossil fuel dependency. However, today’s event seemed only to spark ire among travellers and ridicule online, rather than garner support for their environmental cause.
The protest coincided with ongoing disruptions at other airports across Europe, where Just Stop Oil and affiliated groups have caused significant delays and cancellations, impacting thousands of holiday-goers. The collective actions are part of an international campaign aiming to halt the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.
As of now, the arrested activists from Gatwick are being processed, and further updates from the authorities are expected. Meanwhile, Just Stop Oil continues to advocate for drastic measures to combat climate change, though their methods have sparked a broad debate on the effectiveness and ethics of such disruptive tactics in advancing environmental policy changes.
