Climate extremists avoid jail time after plotting to shut down Heathrow as judge condemns publicity stunt trial

By isabelle // 2025-05-20

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Nine Just Stop Oil activists avoided prison despite plotting to shut down Heathrow Airport by gluing themselves to the runway, receiving only suspended sentences.
The group planned to breach security with angle grinders and superglue, risking mass travel disruptions and emergency delays before police intercepted them.
Judge Hannah Duncan condemned the activists for exploiting the trial as a publicity stunt, wasting court resources needed for serious crimes.
Sentencing inconsistencies persist, with harsher penalties for other protesters while JSO members repeatedly escape jail for disruptive actions.
Just Stop Oil is part of the A22 network, a global coalition of climate extremists whose tactics endanger lives yet face minimal legal consequences.

Nine climate extremists from the radical group Just Stop Oil (JSO) have avoided prison despite being convicted of conspiring to cause "unprecedented disruption" at London’s Heathrow Airport. The activists, who planned to glue themselves to the runway in a dangerous stunt, were handed suspended sentences or credit for time served after a seven-week trial that Judge Hannah Duncan blasted as a cynical publicity ploy. The case highlights the growing trend of climate activists escaping serious consequences for reckless actions that endanger public safety while exploiting the justice system for media attention.

A plot to cripple Heathrow

The activists, armed with angle grinders, superglue, and cable ties, were intercepted by police on July 24, 2024, before they could breach Heathrow’s perimeter fence. Prosecutors revealed the group intended to cut through security barriers, storm the runway, and immobilize themselves in a move that would have forced the airport to shut down, stranding thousands of travelers and risking emergency response delays. Emma Fielding, the prosecutor, stated the defendants "entered into a plan to cause unprecedented disruption to Heathrow Airport," adding that their actions would have brought operations to a "standstill." Yet despite the severity of their intentions, no actual harm occurred, a fact Judge Duncan acknowledged while condemning their lack of remorse.

Judge slams activists for exploiting the courts

In a scathing rebuke, Judge Duncan accused the activists of treating the trial as an "extension of the protest," wasting precious court resources while victims of violent crimes waited for justice. "A courtroom is not a street or a town square," she declared. "There are women and children who have been abused, sexually assaulted or raped who are waiting for courtrooms. You used one for seven weeks. Some of you dragging it out as much as you could at every opportunity, lying about your actions and intentions that day all to get more publicity." The judge’s remarks underscore a disturbing pattern: climate extremists weaponizing legal proceedings to amplify their radical agenda while evading meaningful accountability.

A double standard in sentencing

The lenient sentences stand in dramatic contrast to the harsh penalties imposed on other protesters. Earlier this year, two men who blocked the River Thames bridge for 40 hours were jailed for two and a half years. Meanwhile, JSO activists who stormed a Formula 1 race track escaped prison entirely. This inconsistency reveals a troubling bias in how courts handle eco-radicals, rewarding their theatrics while ignoring the real-world consequences of their actions. Past JSO stunts, including vandalizing the Magna Carta and throwing soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, have been met with minimal punishment, emboldening further extremism.

A global network of chaos

Just Stop Oil is part of the A22 network, an international coalition of climate agitators that includes Germany’s Last Generation. These groups share tactics—disrupting critical infrastructure, harassing the public, and manipulating the media—while demanding an immediate end to fossil fuels, regardless of the economic and human cost. Their actions have already had deadly consequences. In the UK, delayed emergency responses due to road blockades have resulted in permanent injuries and even deaths. Yet activists like JSO’s co-founder Roger Hallam, whose five-year sentence for traffic obstruction was recently reduced, continue to evade serious repercussions.

A system enabling extremism

The Heathrow case is a microcosm of a broader failure: a justice system that prioritizes political posturing over public safety. By allowing eco-radicals to exploit courtrooms as stages for propaganda, authorities incentivize further chaos. Judge Duncan’s condemnation was justified, but her lenient sentencing was not. Until courts impose real consequences for these dangerous stunts, climate extremists will keep pushing boundaries, putting lives at risk in the name of their fanatical agenda. Apparently, if you’re a radical activist, you can plot to shut down an international airport, waste weeks of court time, and walk free. But if you’re an ordinary citizen caught in their crossfire? You’re on your own. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com BBC.com DailyMail.co.uk