wake-up call which could have ended in disruption

AFTER an early wake-up call on an August morning, the four headed for Manchester Airport.

- BY ANDREW BARDSLEY

Itisa ritual which many families go through to begin their holiday. Jumping into a taxi before dawn, to make the most of the day in their final destination.

But this group of four weren’t looking forward to an afternoon by the pool or a dip in the sea. ‘They were intent on disruption, causing the maximum possible.

Their early morning taxi was actually undercover police officers, who had learned of the Just Stop Oil (SO) plot to target the airport and were intercepting them in the nick of time.

‘The airport now estimates that ‘tens of thousands’ of passengers would have been affected by the plan by the environmental activism group.

Had they not been stopped on a street in Gatley before they arrived at Ringway, the four protesters planned on cutting their way through the perimeter fence before gluing themselves to the taxiway.

The plot would have caused ‘chaos} a judge said, and left many families stuck in the departure lounge rather than on their way to sunnier climes. But this was the aim behind the JSO plan, which aimed to cause huge disruption and gain media attention for their cause.

‘The targeting of Manchester Airport marked an escalation in JSO’s campaign of direct action, which, after beginning over three years ago, was recently announced would end. JSO has urged the government to end new fossil fuel licensing, and used civil resistance to back up their campaign.

JSO tactics included causing disruption at sporting events, historic buildings and = monuments and blocking the M25 motorway. The Manchester Airport plot was not the first protest that some of those four had been involved in.

Daniel Knorr was one of two JSO activists who invaded the pitch during an Ashes test match at Lord's in London in 2023.

He ended up being carried off the field of play by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, and was later convicted of aggravated trespass.