Should eco-protesters face tougher sentencing for acts of vandalism? (2024)

Just Stop Oil activist sprays private jets in orange paint

Just Stop Oil protesters have today been arrested on suspicion of damage and interference with the use of national infrastructure after being accused of spray painting private jets at Stansted Airport.

Two women, aged 22 and 28, were detained by police within minutes of them spraying the aircraft with orange paint.

Cole Macdonald, 22, and Jennifer Kowalski, 28, broke into the private airfield as an act of protest against the government's environmentally damaging extraction and burning of oil and gas.

It is believed that they targetted singer, Taylor Swift's, private jets who is believed to have landed at Stansted this week after playing a show in Liverpool.

Swift has faced backlash over her carbon footprint after frequently using her two private jets - even once to fly 13 minutes from one area of St Louis to another part of the city.

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Two activists have been arrested after spraying private jets at Stansted Airport (Image: Getty)

According to Bloomberg, the billionaire singer flew her two private jets 364 hours last year - emitting roughly 1,216 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to around the average annual emissions of 81 Americans.

It is believed, however, that the Just Stop Oil activists didn't spray Swift's jets but other private jets held at the private airfield.

After the vandalism of the planes, the group said: "Jennifer and Cole cut the fence into the private airfield at Stansted where Taylor Swift’s jet is parked, demanding an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030."

A further statement provided by the group 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.

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"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."

Two eco-activists were also arrested on Wednesday on suspicion on damaging some of the stones at Stone Henge near Salisbury, police said.

The environmental activists were labeled “pathetic” by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described their protest at Stonehenge as a “disgraceful act of vandalism”.

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