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By Billie Schwab Dunn
Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter
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Just Stop Oil protesters painted multiple private jets on the airfield they claim Taylor Swift's jet landed at just a few hours before.
The British environmental activist group is mainly focused on the issue of man-made climate change. While it isn't known who owns the jets targeted, according to a press release from the group, Swift's jet is currently stationed at London Stansted Airport.
The pop superstar is bringing her record-breaking Eras Tour to London. She is expected to perform in the city from June 21 to 23. Newsweek emailed Swift's publicist for comment on Thursday.
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Just Stop Oil shared the news on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "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."
The accompanying video shows two women cutting fencing wire at the airfield site. Then, the clip shows the activists spraying two different jets with orange paint.
Another post from the group on X reads: "80% of the population have never taken a flight. Just 1% of people cause 50% of global aviation emissions. Private jet users are responsible for up to 14x as much carbon emissions compared with a commercial flight."
The two activists have said they want the U.K. government to commit to cooperating with other countries to develop an equitable plan to halt the "extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030."
In a statement online, one of the protesters said: "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."
The two women have since been arrested, with Essex Police sharing a statement about the incident.
"Officers have responded quickly and made two arrests following reports of people gaining access to a private area of an airfield at Stansted Airport," the statement reads. "We were called shortly before 5.10 a.m. today (Thursday 20 June). It was reported two people had gained access to an area well away from the runway and main passenger terminal, before causing damage to two aircraft.
"Officers were on the scene within minutes and detained two people. The airport and flights are operating as normal. A 22-year-old woman from Brighton, and a 28-year-old woman from Dumbarton, have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and interference with the use or operation of national infrastructure."
Elsewhere in the statement, Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said the police were "not anti-protest but we will always take action where criminal acts take place." He added that they maintain a constant presence at London Stansted Airport, which they have a good working relationship with.
Swift's private jet usage has been a talking point in recent years. In 2022, she faced backlash after a report by environmentally oriented marketing firm Yard found at that time that her extensive use of a private jet made her the biggest celebrity polluter of the year up to that point.
The report used publicly available data to compile a list of the top greenhouse gas-emitting celebrities, based on their routine use of private jets. Swift came out on top, with a total of 170 flights on her private jet that added up to nearly 16 days in the air.
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"Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals," a spokesperson for Swift told Newsweek at the time. "To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect."
The conversation about Swift's jet use continued in 2023, as the singer-songwriter flew between New York and Kansas City, Missouri, to see her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She also made trips between performances in South America for her Eras Tour. The star was criticized after it was revealed her private jet flights had allegedly produced 138 tons of CO2 emissions in just three months.
While data provided by the MyClimate Carbon Tracker stated that Swift doesn't crack the top 30 celebrities when it comes to private jet carbon emissions, she has continued to be a talking point online whenever the topic is raised.
In 2023, the pop superstar embarked on her ambitious 21-month world tour, spanning 152 shows across five continents.
According to a study from Greenly released in April, Swift traveled nearly 37,053 miles, generating 77.5 tons of CO2 equivalent over almost 113 flight hours during the American leg of her tour. The study was conducted before Swift downsized to a single private jet.
The acclaimed artist is thought to have released 61.6 tons of CO2 equivalent on her South American portion of the tour, which covered 29,431 miles. As a result, the Eras Tour emitted about 139 tons of CO2 equivalent for 66,484 kilometers of travel on the North and South American legs alone.
This doesn't consider the fact that Swift has also flown to Asia and Australia for her world tour and is currently in the middle of the European leg.
After her last European show in the middle of August, the singer will make a few last-minute appearances in American cities, including Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis. She's scheduled to end her tour in Canada, with multiple shows in November and December. The tour is expected to conclude on December 8 in Vancouver, five days before her 35th birthday on December 13.
Update 06/20/24 at 3:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with further information.
Update 06/20/24 at 5:48 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from Essex Police.
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