Two women are due to appear in court on Saturday (June 22) after private planes at Stansted Airport were painted orange by Just Stop Oil protestors.
Cole Macdonald, 22, of Baker Street, Brighton, and Jennifer Kowalski, 28, of Williamson Avenue, Dumbarton, have been charged with criminal damage valued at more than £5,000, aggravated trespass and interfering with national infrastructure.
They are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.
Essex Police were called to the airport on Thursday (June 20) shortly before 5.10am with reports that two people had gained access to a private area of an airfield, well away from the runway and main passenger terminal, and caused damage to two aircraft.
Officers were on the scene within nine minutes of receiving a call and detained the intruders. After a brief suspension, the airport and flights operated as normal.
Just Stop Oil, the climate activism group, claimed Taylor Swift’s private jet had landed there hours earlier – but the Indie understands that the American global music icon, who is currently on a world tour, had not touched down at the Essex hub.
A source close to the airport told the Indie that Ms Swift does not use her own jet on tour for security reasons. It is understood that she charters different aircraft when flying to different venues. The 34-year-old superstar is performing at Wembley Stadium on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 21-23).
Chief Supt Simon Anslow, of Essex Police, said: “Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene.
“We maintain a constant presence at the airport and this presence will be heightened over the summer period.
“We are not anti protest, but we will always take action where criminal acts take place.”
Just Stop Oil said that the two women arrested used fire extinguishers filled with orange paint on two private jets on the airfield “where Taylor Swift’s jet landed mere hours before”.
Photos show them posing in front of the painted planes by the Harrods Aviation hangar, the UK destination of choice of successive US presidents.
The group are demanding that the next UK Government commit to working with others to agree an equitable plan to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
Before their protest, Macdonald said: “We’re living in two worlds: one where billionaires live in luxury, able to fly in private jets away from the other, where unlivable conditions are being imposed on countless millions.
“Meanwhile, this system that is allowing extreme wealth to be accrued by a few, to the detriment of everyone else, is destroying the conditions necessary to support human life in a rapidly accelerating never-ending ‘cruel summer’.
“Billionaires are not untouchable – climate breakdown will affect every single one of us.”
Kowalski, a former sustainability manager, said: “Over the years I’ve had to realise that even working in sustainability provides me with essentially no ability to make the necessary changes to prevent the complete collapse of our natural systems. I have to take desperate measures to make my voice heard.
“In 2024 we all have to be considering what we can do each day to change the course our society is on. We need an emergency treaty to stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
