Passenger Flights Not Affected by Incident

Two women were arrested at London Stansted Airport (STN/EGSS) on June 20 on suspicion of vandalizing aircraft in a restricted area of the airport where private aircraft are parked. 

Local police said officers responded to a report of “people gaining access to a private area of the airport well away from the runway and main passenger terminal” and damaging two aircraft without providing further details.

Police added that there were no disruptions of normal passenger flights at the airport located about 30 miles northeast of London. The two women who were arrested are aged 22 and 24 and cut through a fence to gain access to the private ramp. A photo released by the environmental group Just Stop Oil shows one of the activists sitting on the ground next to an aircraft spray-painted orange. Visible in the background is the hangar for Harrods Aviation, an executive FBO located on the opposite side of the field from the main passenger terminal. Some reports indicated that they were attempting to target Taylor Swift’s airplane or chose that airport because they thought that was where it was parked for her latest tour. However, Swift’s airplane was not at Stansted.

The environmental group claimed credit for the aircraft vandalism as well as the vandalism the previous day at England’s iconic Stonehenge World Heritage Site, a monument which has stood for about 5,000 years. They are demanding that the incoming UK government work with other governments to agree on a plan to stop the use of coal, oil, and gas by 2030.

Aero-News Network firmly believes in free speech and the right of people to protest against perceived wrongs or injustices. At the same time, when protest crosses over into criminal behavior such as displayed in this incident we strongly disapprove and fully support enforcement of all laws surrounding this and similarly misguided “protest” actions such as vandalizing works of art, blocking public roads, and disrupting sporting events such as what occurred at the PGA tournament in Cromwell, Connecticut on Sunday.

We are likely not alone in being baffled as to how “activists” think such outrageous behaviors evoke any sympathy at all for whatever their cause du jour may be. Quite the opposite in fact: people do not want their lives or livelihoods sacrificed or turned into chaos because they think they have the right to impose their beliefs on all of society by throwing temper tantrums and damaging property. Rational people will rightly be angered by these actions and will forego any semblance of caring about the people involved or their causes. They deserve any and all legal and financial repercussions arising from these actions, regardless of how loudly they or any others complain. In this case, if they sprayed actual paint on the aircraft and are convicted in a court of law, their “protest” could turn out to be quite expensive for them. Which would be fitting, in our opinion.

FMI: https://www.stanstedairport.com/