It was drama at the Stansted airport in London as activists in prevented the mass deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians who failed to secure asylum in the United Kingdom, according to reports by the British media.
The activists, working under the name Stop Charter Flights – End Deportations, blocked the runway of the Stansted airport carrying banners and chanting songs condemning deportations.
A video recording showed some of them were under the wing of a plane, while some others chained themselves to the runway.
As a result of the protests, several flights scheduled to land at the airport were diverted.
Members of Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants and Plane Stupid also participated in the campaign.
A member of Plane Stupid, which is a group of environmental protesters seeking an end to airport expansion, Audre Lourde, explained to a website why it took part in the protest.
She was quoted as saying, “There’s no such thing as a single issue campaign, because we do not live single issue lives.
“We do not see ourselves as ‘environmentalists’, nor do we see the fight against airport expansion or the fight against climate change as isolated from any other issue.
“Airport expansion is a form of violence and a form of oppression, one that a minority of people will benefit from the profits, whilst countless people will suffer from loss of community and health, both locally and globally.”