Flight delays at London City Airport due to Black Lives Matter protests

By:

Add as a preferred source on Google

The London City Airport runway has reopened, after police arrested nine Black Lives Matter protesters who disrupted flights this morning.

The Metropolitan Police were called to the central London airport at around 5.40am today, to reports of protesters airside. Police said there were nine protesters on the runway at the airport who had erected a tripod and locked themselves together. 

Read more: Come fly with me? City Airport to play songs during security screenings

Officers negotiated with the protestors and specialist officers arrived to 'unlock' the protestors, the police said. At approximately 9.30am officers started to arrest the protesters. Nine people have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, being unlawfully airside and breaching London City Airport bylaws.

City Airport (which was recently given the go-ahead to expand) said the protesters have now been removed and it is preparing to resume operations as soon as possible.

The protesters are said to belong to the Black Lives Matter (UKBLM) group. Last month the group blocked access to Heathrow Airport, with activists chaining themselves to a roundabout near the airport's entrance.

UKBLM also tweeted a picture of the situation on the runway this morning.


The runway at London City Airport has been shut due to protesters from Black Lives Matter (Source: @ukblm)