Runway invasion causes flight cancellations at London airport
All flights at London City have been cancelled after protestors gained access to the runway at around 5.30 this morning.
Nine protestors from Black Lives Matter UK have chained themselves together on the tarmac.
The airport said inbound flights were being diverted and it hoped to ‘resume operations as soon as possible’.
Inbound flights are believed to have been diverted to Southend and Gatwick airports and there have been no outbound flights from London City since the invasion this morning.
Police said they were investigating how the group had managed to get onto the runway and were exploring suggestions they had swum across the Thames or used a boat.
Scotland Yard said officers were negotiating with the group and waiting for the arrival of ‘specialist resources’ to unlock the protestors.
Black Lives Matter UK said 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."
It 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."
Black Lives Matter was set up as an international movement following the murder in America four years ago of black teenager Trayvon Martin.
A London City Airport spokesperson told the BBC: "The runway is currently closed due to protesters on site.
"We apologise to passengers for any inconvenience to their journey."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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