Black protest closes London City Airport

BTN News
Wednesday, 07 September 2016

All flights at London City airport were cancelled for some hours on Tuesday after protestors gained access to the runway at around 5.30am.


Nine protestors from Black Lives Matter UK chained themselves together on the tarmac.


About six hours later they were arrested and removed.


Black Lives Matter UK said in a statement: "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."


Black Lives Matter was set up as an international movement following the murder in America four years ago of black teenager Trayvon Martin.

Black protest closes London City Airport

BTN News
Wednesday, 07 September 2016

All flights at London City airport were cancelled for some hours on Tuesday after protestors gained access to the runway at around 5.30am.


Nine protestors from Black Lives Matter UK chained themselves together on the tarmac.


About six hours later they were arrested and removed.


Black Lives Matter UK said in a statement: "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."


Black Lives Matter was set up as an international movement following the murder in America four years ago of black teenager Trayvon Martin.