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Extinction Rebellion campaigners will be holding a protest at Heathrow tomorrow amid fears the group will attempt to shut down the airport.

Activists, who have blocked roads, transport and landmarks for the last four days, revealed in a WhatsApp Group they were "raising the bar" to target the busiest airport in the UK ahead of the long weekend.

A spokesman this evening confirmed campaigners will be staging a protest at the airport tomorrow but did not reveal its nature.

With at least 100,000 people expected to fly from Heathrow on Good Friday, any demonstrations will cause widespread chaos for Brits attempting an Easter break.

The message, which began 'Dear rebels', said: "Tomorrow we raise the bar. We are going to shut down Heathrow.

"There is a deep remorse for those whose holiday and family plans will be disrupted tomorrow. It is not our intention to cause further separation."

Do you know anything about the plans? Contact webnews@mirror.co.uk

(Image: Twitter)

The message continued: "However, the aviation industry needs to be targeted and we are all aware of the deep, structural change that needs to come."

Screenshots of the plans were leaked online.



Organisers behind the climate change protest which has brought parts of central London to its knees have previously said they are prepared to escalate the group's tactics if their demands "are not met".

Dr Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of the Extinction Rebellion (XR) group, said demonstrators would continue to act despite the first people being charged over the disruption.

It has seen activists glue themselves to public transport and block bridges and major roads across the capital.

(Image: Twitter)

The fourth day of protests began with a challenge to Environment Secretary Michael Gove to meet with activists at Parliament Square to find a solution to the issue.

And organisers said they expected even more people to join the protests, with a statement - which was later deleted - adding: "Easter Weekend is tomorrow and thousands more rebels will join.

"Police struggle to arrest 350 and there are ten times that number prepared to be arrested.

"The hollowed-out British state is overwhelmed."

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(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Speaking from Waterloo Bridge, Dr Bradbrook said the group has had "very heated discussions about what's for the best" in terms of its methods.

"It's certainly an option that tactics will be escalated if our demands are not met," she said.

The news of Heathrow Airport's potential shut down came as police began charging people over the protests in London, following 428 arrests by the Metropolitan Police since Monday, according to the latest figures.

When Mirror Online contacted Extinction Rebellion for comment, a representative would not confirm or deny the plans.

Instead the group issued a statement urging the public to watch a David Attenborough show due to air tonight.

It read: "We are facing a man-made disaster on a global scale.

“It may sound frightening but the scientific evidence is that if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.

“We’re running out of time but there’s still hope … I believe that if we better understand the threat we face, the more likely it is that we can avoid such a catastrophic future.

“What happens now and in these next few years will profoundly affect the next few thousand years.

"Sir David Attenborough begins to tell the truth.

"Let’s all watch BBC’s Climate Change – The Facts tonight. BBC1 9pm."

The statement also outlined its demands, which are as follows: