Black Lives Matter Protesters Are Occupying the Runway at London City Airport

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A month and a day after the Black Lives Matter protest at Heathrow Airport, a second BLM airport protest is currently taking place. All flights at London City Airport have been disrupted after protesters gained access to the runway, which has resulted in it being temporarily closed.

At about 5:40 AM, the Metropolitan Police were called to the site after nine protesters "locked themselves together" on the runway.

The Black Lives Matter UK Movement has since confirmed they're the ones protesting 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."

The group 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."

The airport said inbound flights were being diverted and would be resuming operations "as soon as possible." Scotland Yard said its officers were "negotiating" with the airport and awaiting the arrival of specialist resources to "unlock the protesters."

Seven arrests have been made, and two protesters are still on the runway.

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