London Airport Closed As ‘Black Lives Matter’ Protesters Gathered On Runway

MEP: All flights at London City Airport have been disrupted and cancelled after a number of Black Lives Matter activists managed to occupy its runway.

The airport tweeted that it was experiencing disruption due to the protest and that it would resume normal service as soon as possible. Police were on the scene, it added.

A CityJet flight that was due to arrive in Dublin at 8am has been cancelled and a British Airways flight has been delayed.

The Black Lives Matter UK movement has confirmed it is responsible for the protest.

We're currently experiencing disruption to all flights due to protestors at the airport. Police are currently on the scene.

— London City Airport (@LondonCityAir) September 6, 2016

“The runway is currently closed due to protesters on site. Police are present and we will resume normal operations as soon as possible. We apologize to passengers for any inconvenience to their journey,” an airport spokesperson said.

The Evening Standard newspaper earlier reported that protesters had used a boat to reach the runway. London’s Metropolitan Police said that there were nine protesters on the runway and they had erected a tripod and locked themselves together.

“Officers are currently on scene and are negotiating with them. We are awaiting the arrival of specialist resources that are able to ‘unlock’ the protesters. No arrests have been made at this stage,” the police said at 8.30 a.m. London time.

Black Lives Matter UK 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.”

It added: “This action was taken in order to highlight the UK’s environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally.

“As the largest per capita contributor to global temperature change, and yet among the least vulnerable to its deadly effects, the UK leads in ensuring that our climate crisis is a racist crisis.”

The Black Lives Matter movement was formed in the United States, after the acquittal of the white officer who shot dead unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.