An activist in a suit has scaled the roof above the entrance to London City Airport (Picture: AFP)

A climate change activist climbed onto the roof of London City Airport as Extinction Rebellion protests entered their fourth day today.

The man then hung a banner above the airport entrance that read ‘Our Fragile Planet is Dying’.

He was later seen pulling up a second protester who is now standing alongside him on the airport’s roof.

An anti-Extinction Rebellion protester was later heard screaming ‘it’s a hoax’.


The group have warned of a ‘Hong Kong-style’ occupation of the east London airport, with dozens of police officers seen stationed outside the airport’s terminal building.

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Police watched as the man navigated some spikes (Picture: AFP)

There were cheers from protesters when the man made it onto the roof (Picture: AFP)

Activists had planned on lying, sitting, or gluing themselves in front of departure and arrival gates but nobody is being allowed into the airport unless they have a boarding pass.



Instead, with a heavy police presence, the protesters are staging a ‘sit-in’ inside the airport’s DLR station, with some activists seen with their hands tied together with cable ties.

Others are singing and playing music outside the entrance to the airport terminal, where a huge crowd has now gathered.

The latest protest is against the climate impact of flying and the Government’s ongoing support of airport expansion.

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The man has pulled up a fellow protester onto the roof with him (Picture: AFP)

The second activist began shouting at crowds that had gathered below (Picture: AFP)

Protesters glue themselves to tarmac outside the airport to create a road block (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

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.

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.

Activists block access to London City Airport by staging a ‘sit-in’ (Picture: AFP)

One protester is arrested by police at the airport (Picture: LNP)

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GP Dr Chris Newman, 38, from North London, attended the protest today wearing a stethoscope and scrubs.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m a GP, I have a duty to look after the health of the public and its very clear that the way this county is going, that people are going to be suffering the horrendous consequences of climate change and ecological destruction.

‘This includes heat, disease, violence and war. It could be 80 years, it could be 50 years, it could be 20 years, and we’re going to be on the front line.’

He added: ‘As a doctor, I’m proud to be part of Extinction Rebellion. This is a public health intervention. Many of my colleagues have been here, many have been arrested.

‘We’ve tried other means, telling the government what we think they should do – and they haven’t done it.’

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Police officers arrest protester Phil Kingston, 82, outside the airport (Picture: Reuters)

A demonstrator wearing an Extinction Rebellion tie is removed by police at the entrance to the airport (Picture: AFP)

Another woman is carried out of the DLR station leading to the airport’s entrance (Picture: AFP)

While protesters demonstrated outside, one Extinction Rebellion activist stood up from his seat on a flight to Dublin and began making a speech about the climate crisis.



BBC Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt was on the same plane and tweeted that the ‘smartly dressed man in lat middle age’ began walking up and down the aisle to deliver his message.

He said the plane was at the end of the runway when the man stood up, and the pilot taxied back to the boarding gate, where police came on board and escorted the protester away.

Pictures show the man showing no resistance as he is led away by officers.

A video which has been posted online by a disgruntled passenger, showed cabin crew trying to get the man back into his seat as he delivered his speech while holding up an iPhone, before he was taken off the plane.

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An Extinction Rebellion protester who attempted to deliver a speech while on a plane at London City Airport has been arrested (Picture: @wazzas)

Extinction Rebellion spokesman Rupert Read said: ‘By non-violently shutting down this airport, in homage to the style of the Hong Kong democracy protesters, we are demonstrating the utter frailty of the transport systems that countries such as ours, unwisely, have come to depend upon.’

The group said hundreds of people have already signed up to take part in the protest, which will seem them ‘non-violently use their bodies’ to close the airport.

It said those taking part are willing to risk being arrested to achieve their aim.

A few people have already been arrested by police today, with one woman giving a thumbs up to fellow protesters as she was carried away by officers.

Hundreds of police officers are being drafted in from across England and Wales to help the Metropolitan Police with the protests.

Nobody is being allowed into the airport unless they have a boarding pass (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Police talk to protesters ahead of today’s planned demonstrations at London City Airport (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Only people with boarding passes are being allowed into the terminal= (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Police officers from across the UK have been drafted in to help deal with the protests (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Activists have been camped on rounds around Parliament Square and Whitehall since Monday calling for urgent action on climate change and wildlife.


The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 800 people had been arrested since Monday, with another 220 detained on Wednesday.

Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said there are plans in place to intervene and ‘deal proactively’ with anyone who has the intention of shutting down the airport.

A London City Airport spokesman said they were working with the Met Police to prepare for the protests and all passengers would be required to show their boarding pass to access the terminal.

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London City Airport is bracing for a few days of disruption from Extinction Rebellion (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

There was a large police presence from early this morning ahead of the planned demonstration (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

The airport is currently surrounded by police and if protesters can’t get inside they will block roads and the DLR line (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Protesters have been causing disruption in central London all week (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

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