An airport blockade has once again been staged by the US-inspired group Black Lives Matter – this time on the runway of London City Airport.
It is understood that about 9 protestors from BLM’s UK offshoot “locked themselves together” and gained access to the runway at approximately 5.40am today. All in-bound flights to the airport, which is used in particular by business customers, are being diverted. The vast majority of outgoing flights have been cancelled due to the fact that they have no runway from which to take-off.
Photos from the scene suggest many of those involved in the protest are white.
The UK is the biggest per-capita contributor to temperature change & among the least vulnerable to its affects. pic.twitter.com/Bb5SmKWyt6
— #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016
A London City Airport spokesman said the protestors were still on the runway at 9.30am and that the airport could not give a specific time when flights would resume.
The police are on site.
Activists in support of BLMUK #Shutdown London City Airport to protest the UK's environmental impact on black people pic.twitter.com/7LvFnB9Pv3
— #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) September 6, 2016
Explaining why it had staged the protest, a Black Lives Matter UK spokesman said: “Whilst at London City Airport a small elite is able to fly, in 2016 alone 3,176 migrants are known to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean. Black people are the first to die, not the first to fly, in this racist climate crisis.”
“We note, however, that the UK is willing to charter special flights to remove black people from the country based on their immigration status.”
This protest follows a well-publicised blockade of roads leading to Heathrow Airport last month, which caused travel chaos for thousands of holidaymakers.
This protest, like the previous one, has caused outrage among passengers whose flights have been delayed, cancelled or diverted to other London airports.
However, if it has served a useful purpose, it is that it has highlighted the ease with which a security breach can take place at City Airport.
The real issue raised by today's London City Airport protest is the poor security at the airport. @LondonCityAir @metpoliceuk
— Michael Oakes (@MichaelAOakes) September 6, 2016
The vast majority who travel from City Airport are commuters, raising questions about how a protest apparently intended to confront refugee deportations has anything to do with financiers travelling to, say, Zurich for a business meeting.
Last month Heat Street reported that Black Lives Matter UK had abandoned its attempt to stage a protest at the Notting Hill carnival following criticism on social media.
