The activists, identified as Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, breached the airfield’s security, and were caught spraying two private jets with orange paint from fire extinguishers and taking selfies in front of the vandalized planes.
The official Just Stop Oil handle took to social media to share the video of the two and captioned it as, “Jennifer and Cole cut the fence into the private airfield at Stansted where @taylorswift13’s jet is parked, demanding an emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030.”
Essex Police responded to the break-in, and arrested the two women on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the operation of national infrastructure.
Despite the group’s claims, police sources indicated that Swift’s jet was not at the private airfield during the incident. Flight tracking data, however, showed Swift’s Falcon 7x jet landing at Stansted at around 11 PM the previous night.
In a statement to The Independent, Just Stop Oil highlighted the disparity between the lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy and the devastating impacts of
climate change on millions. “We’re living in two worlds: one where billionaires live in luxury, able to fly in private jets away from the other, where unlivable conditions are being imposed on countless millions.”
“Meanwhile, this system that is allowing extreme wealth to be accrued by a few, to the detriment of everyone else, is destroying the conditions necessary to support human life in a rapidly accelerating never-ending ‘cruel summer’. Billionaires are not untouchable, climate breakdown will affect every single one of us,” it added.
This act of protest comes amid growing scrutiny over Swift’s use of private jets, with social media users criticizing the significant carbon emissions. The subject first came to light when Jack Sweeney, a University of Central Florida student who runs social media accounts tracking private jets, claimed Swift had travelled roughly 178,000 miles on her two jets in 2023.
In response, Swift’s legal team issued Sweeney a “cease and desist” letter, accusing him of “stalking and harassing behaviour.”
The Just Stop Oil activists were in the news this week when protestors sprayed Stonehenge with orange colour.
