Climate Activists Vandalize Aircraft, Target Taylor Swift’s Jet

Climate activists in the United Kingdom were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after targeting Taylor Swift’s jet and vandalizing other aircraft with orange paint on Thursday.

The two protesters, identified as Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, are part of a U.K. environmental group called Just Stop Oil. According to a post on X, the pair targeted Stansted Airport hours after Swift’s jet had landed. Their stated motive was to highlight the need for an “emergency treaty to end fossil fuels by 2030.”

According to AP, Swift’s jet was not on the airfield at the time of the incident, but the protesters managed to damage two other aircraft using fire extinguishers filled with orange paint. The demonstration temporarily halted runway operations, but no flights were disrupted.

Swift’s carbon footprint has come under fire from climate activists as the pop star has embarked on an 18-month tour consisting of 152 shows spanning five continents. The criticism has been amplified by private jet tracking technology such as @SwiftJetNextDay on X, which tracks private flight information including fuel burn, cost and emissions.

Following Thursday’s incident, Just Stop Oil released a statement writing, “Until world leaders act to protect us, Just Stop Oil supporters, working with other groups internationally, will take the proportional action necessary to generate much needed political pressure. This summer, areas of key importance to the fossil fuel economy will be declared sites of civil resistance around the world.”