Four Just Stop Oil protesters arrested in police swoop near Manchester Airport
5 August 2024, 10:43 | Updated: 5 August 2024, 10:45
Four Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested near Manchester Airport in the latest crackdown by police.
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Three women - aged 21, 30, and 53 - and a 23-year-old man were detained by officers from Greater Manchester Police's Specialist Operations Branch on Monday.
The group were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance, the force has said.
It's the latest in a series of arrests by police following a crackdown on Just Stop Oil's disruption across key airports in the UK.
It comes follows the sentencing of five Just Stop Oil activists - including founder Roger Hallam - who were given record jail sentences over M25 protest last month.
Saturday saw hundreds have gathered in Parliament Square in solidarity with the 21 activists currently being detained following protests across the UK.
The latest arrests formed part of the unit's "proactive policing operation", with those arrested found to be in possession of items police believe were intended to cause damage and significant disruption to the Airport
The four activists remain in police custody, the force said, as enquiries continue.
Just Stop Oil said following the weekend's protests: “As ministers warn us of overflowing prisons, we have seen the number of nonviolent political prisoners imprisoned for taking action on the climate, rise to 21 in recent days.
"The state will always find space to imprison those who threaten the interests of fossil capital, whilst releasing violent offenders to make room. This demonstrates where their priorities lie."
Head of Specialist Operations, Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter said: “We have been working hard with colleagues from Manchester Airport and police forces across the country, sharing intelligence, with the common goal to prevent these disruptive and targeted attacks on our airports.
“We have a duty of care to all members of the public," he continued.
"The right to protest must be respected, but we have a duty to balance that right against the rights of the public to go about their lives without being subject to unacceptable disruption and will undertake swift and decisive action to arrest those intent on causing disturbances.
“These arrests have no doubt prevented a determined and targeted attack which would have brought significant delays and upset to those hard-working people heading off for their summer holidays.
“Anyone who sees anything suspicious or who has concerns about safety or security should speak to an officer or a member of the airport staff.”
It follows five Just Stop Oil members - including one of its co-founders - being handed jail terms of between four and five years for conspiring to organise protests that blocked the M25.
They made plans for protestors to climb onto overhead gantries for four days in November 2022.
