Airports get an injunction against potential Just Stop Oil protesters to disrupt flights

Three airports have obtained a High Court injunction against potential Just Stop Oil protesters on their sites. On Friday, lawyers for Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands airports appeared before a judge in London to seek an injunction to prevent demonstrations on their seats or departing flights.

Timothy Morshead KC, for airports, said activist group Just Stop Oil had “explicitly threatened a campaign of protest at UK airports” and there was an “imminent” risk of blockages, obstruction and disruption.

He continued in written statements: “Protesting at airports or on a flight departing from them has an obvious potential for harmful effects.”

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The application for the injunction comes weeks after two Just Stop Oil campaigners were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after appearing to spray orange paint over private jets at Stansted Airport, with one plane parked at the airfield believed to be it belongs to the singer Taylor Swift.

In a post on X on June 20, Just Stop Oil said: “Jennifer and Cole cut the fence at Stansted private airfield where @taylorswift13’s plane is parked, calling for an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels until in 2030″.

On Friday, Judge Rosalind Coe KC granted the injunction against “unknown persons whose purpose is or includes protesting on the premises” in relation to the three airports.

She said that while there are regulations and criminal laws that may apply to such demonstrations, “they do not prevent the threat or action that an order would.”

Judge Coe said the order would be reviewed after 12 months.