XR protester James Brown climbed on top of a BA plane at London City Airport (Picture: SWNS/XR)

An environment activist climbed on top of a British Airways plane at London City Airport as part of Extinction Rebellion’s climate protest today.

James Brown was taken on to the plane as a passenger and was the first person to board as he is partially sighted.

He managed to clamber on to the top of the plane’s body before lying down on top of it.

A video of his protest was streamed on the group’s Facebook page and ended after firefighters arrived to bring him down.


James had booked onto a flight headed for Amsterdam.

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XR protester James Brown has climbed on to the top of a BA plane (Picture: Extinction Rebellion)

James on top of the plane (Picture: Extinction Rebellion)

Firefighters covered James with a blanket before attempting to get him down (Picture: Reuters)

James also streamed himself while sat on top of the plane where he said he was ‘s****** myself’.



He told viewers: ‘Here I am on top of a f****** aeroplane at City Airport. I hate heights, I’m s******* myself, I managed to get on the roof. I am so shaky.

‘This is all about the climate and ecological crisis, we’re protesting against government inaction on climate and ecological breakdown. They declare a climate emergency and then do nothing about it.

‘In fact they go the opposite direction, they sanction the expansion of airports, Heathrow, Bristol and others. We can’t let this go on, we cant have our cake and eat it.’

He later noticed security were approaching and said: ‘Oh good security are coming. I hope they don’t take too long ‘cos this is f****** scary.

‘I cant believe I managed to get on the roof. And its windy.’

He added: ‘This is for my kids. It’s for everybody’s kids.

‘It is for all young people who face a future of climate breakdown.’

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Firefighters eventually arrived to remove James from the plane (Picture: Reuters)

James Brown said he was campaigning for his children (Picture: PA)

James has been covered with a blanket (Picture: Reuters)

The campaigner is a Paralympic cyclist who took bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games for Ireland in the cycling time trial.

In 2016 he was banned from the sport for two and a half years for a doping violation.

As he was the first person to be brought onto the plane, no other passengers were on board, Extinction Rebellion said.

The other flyers were being held in the terminal until James could be brought down.

In an interview before his protest, he said he was taking part in protests for his children.

An Extinction Rebellion campaigner who streamed his action said: ‘We have to shout out loudly this cannot continue.’

The man was identified as former Paralympic cyclist James Brown (Picture: Reuters)

He was previously arrested by police for flying a drone near Heathrow Airport during a previous Extinction Rebellion protest (Picture: PA)

James quickly managed to get onto the roof as he was the first person to board the plane (Picture: Extinction Rebellion)

In a selfie video, the Paralympian filmed himself saying he was terrified (Picture: Extinction Rebellion)

Earlier today, another climate activist was arrested after a plane was grounded on the runway when he began giving a speech on board a flight to Dublin, moments before take off.

He ignored cabin crew asking him to sit down and was filmed walking up and down the aisle, spreading his message about the climate crisis.

Protesters have vowed to create a day of chaos today at the airport in east London to demonstrate against the climate impact of flying and the Government’s ongoing support of airport expansion.

Two men scaled the roof of the airport this morning while others have glued themselves to the roads outside.



The protest group said they believed around 50 people had been arrested during the protests at the airport today.

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Climate change protesters lie in joined bathtubs in Trafalgar Square (Picture: AP)

One protester scaled the roof of the airport in east London (Picture: AP)

Around 50 people have been arrested today (Picture: AP)

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Security at the airport said that nobody would be allowed into the airport without a boarding pass in an attempt to prevent protesters getting in.

But a number of activists bought tickets for flights and made their way into the terminal building before being stopped.

Earlier, the grup staged a ‘sit-in’ inside the airport’s DLR station, with some activists seen with their hands tied together with cable ties.

Others were seen singing outside the entrance to the airport terminal, where a crowd of around 200 people had gathered.

London City Airport has said it is ‘committed to building a more sustainable future for the airport and the aviation industry’

and has said it will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Two activists dressed in suits cut their hands on barbed wire when they climbed onto the roof (Picture: AFP)

Police officers detain protester Phil Kingston, 83, it’s the ninth time he has been arrested (Picture: AP)

Activists blockade the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) station at London City Airport (Picture: AFP)

British Airways owner IAG also pledged on Thursday to meet that emissions target, becoming the first major airlines group to make such a commitment.

IAG said it would achieve its target with steps such as carbon offsetting for British Airways’ domestic flights from 2020, investing in sustainable aviation fuel and replacing older aircraft with more efficient jets over the next five years.

Britain has set a goal for a net zero carbon economy by 2050 and a United Nations objective to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

But protesters say cheap and easy short-haul flying will make it impossible for Britain to meet its climate goals and will have dire consequences for the world.

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