Just Stop Oil activists vandalize private jets

Two climate activists from Just Stop Oil sprayed orange paint on private jets at the Stansted Airport in Essex, England, where Taylor Swift’s private jet had recently landed.

The protestors—Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald—broke into the airfield at 5 a.m. looking for Swift’s jet, which is criticized for having record-high carbon emissions. Unable to find it, they spray-painted several other planes with orange paint using fire extinguishers.

The activists were arrested. Their group warned of future protests targeting key areas of the fossil fuel economy.

The incident comes a day after the same group sprayed Stonehenge with orange powder paint, leading to arrests and condemnation from government officials, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called it “disgraceful vandalism.”

Just Stop Oil has previously targeted several high-profile events and locations to protest fossil fuel use. It infamously threw paint on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflower’ painting, and members of the group have run into Wimbledon courts during matches.

But is it helpful?
Radical protests are found to help raise awareness on issues but do not impact the public’s support for them, per a study from the University of Bristol.