In the early hours of Thursday, two protesters infiltrated a private airfield at Stansted Airport, using fire extinguishers filled with orange paint to vandalize several jets. The incident, which occurred around 5 am, was part of an ongoing series of stunts by eco-activists. The protesters claimed they were targeting a singer’s aircraft that had supposedly landed hours earlier, but it was later confirmed that the plane was not present.
This act of vandalism follows a similar incident the previous day, where protesters sparked outrage by desecrating Stonehenge with orange paint, leading to the arrest of two activists.
Footage from Stansted shows the protesters, identified as Jennifer Kowalski, 28, from Dumbarton, and Cole Macdonald, 22, from Brighton, cutting through a wire fence at the perimeter of the airfield and crawling under to gain access. Once inside, they proceeded to spray paint several jets before sitting in front of their handiwork and embracing each other smugly.
Essex Police quickly responded to the incident. A statement from the police reads: “Officers have responded quickly and made two arrests following reports of people gaining access to a private area of an airfield at Stansted Airport. We were called shortly before 5.10 am today (Thursday 20 June). It was reported that two people had gained access to an area well away from the runway and main passenger terminal, before causing damage to two aircraft. Officers were on the scene within minutes and detained two people.”
The airport and flights continued operating as usual, with no significant disruptions reported. The two individuals were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use or operation of national infrastructure.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow assured the public that such incidents are taken seriously and are dealt with promptly. “I would like to reassure passengers and the wider public that we are well prepared and resourced to deal with incidents of this nature. Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene. We maintain a constant presence at the airport, and this presence will be heightened over the summer period. We have a good working relationship with Manchester Airport Group and Stansted Airport to ensure you can go about your travels with minimal impact. We are not anti-protest but will always take action where criminal acts take place.”
Stansted Airport also released a statement, noting that the runway operations were briefly suspended as a precaution, but no flights were disrupted. “Shortly after 5 am, Essex Police arrested two protesters who had entered the private aviation area of the airfield, away from the runway and main passenger terminal. As a precaution, runway operations were suspended for a short period, but no flights were disrupted, and the airport and flights are operating as normal.”
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