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A protest at City Airport today sparked a furious row among people who claimed that demonstrators “appropriating someone else’s struggle” had held up thousands of passengers.

Flights at the airport were grounded after nine Black Lives Matters protesters got onto the runway and chained themselves to a tripod early this morning.

Police negotiated for more than five hours with the group, who said the action was taken “"in order to highlight the UK's environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally”.

But the action sparked a row about the relevance of the protest. Some people labelled the activists “hipster-looking flower-crowners” while others staunchly backed their actions.

Felix Holloway tweeted: “Notice how all the Black Lives Matter protesters at London City Airport are white hipster-looking flower-crowners. Not a single black person in sight.”

One Twitter user wrote: “All the protesters who had chained themselves together on the runway were white.”

Another said: “Why are all the Black Lives Matter protesters blocking the London City Airport runway white? Did they fail to send out the memo?”

Richard Yeboah wrote: “I support the Black Lives Matter movement. But there must be a coherent strategy in terms of protest. Don't instigate agitation.”

But many others praised the protesters, pointing out they were of different racial backgrounds.

Charlez Simmons tweeted: “And yes all the protesters that were at London City Airport where both black and white people supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement.”

Jay Sumana tweeted: “The only people affected at London City Airport are bankers/bourgeois. They affect me by making me pay tax so good on #BlackLivesMatter.”

Emily Collins wrote: "Full support and solidarity to @ukblm for their #shutdown of London City Aiport. #shutitdown #blacklivesmatter."

Another person, tweeting under the name Finn Balor, said: “Solidarity with all of our Black Lives Matter comrades. We are with you!”

Airport campaign group HACAN East tweeted: "Emails have been pouring in from local people in support of today's occupation of City Airport runway by, we understand, Black Lives Matter."

The campaigners are said to have gained access to the Royal Docks site by using an inflatable boat to cross the River Thames.

In a statement, the protest group's UK division also cited expansion plans at the airport as the cause of their action.

They said: "Recently London City Airport was given approval to expand its capacity, a move that consigns the local community in Newham to further deterioration of their environment. The average salary of a London City Airport user is £114,000 and 63 per cent of them work in business, finance or other business services.

"It is an airport designed for the wealthy. At the same time 40 per cent of Newham's population struggle to survive on £20,000 or less. When black people in Britain are 28 per cent more likely to be exposed to air pollution than their white counterparts, we know that environmental inequality is a racist crisis."

An airport spokesman said: "We're currently experiencing disruption to all flights due to protesters at the airport. Police are currently on the scene."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said nine people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, being unlawfully airside and breaching London City Airport bylaws.

"All have now been removed from the runway and taken into police custody," said a spokesman.