Two charged after Just Stop Oil protesters target Taylor Swift’s private jet

Two Just Stop Oil (JSO)protesters have been charged with criminal damage, aggravated trespass and interfering with national infrastructure after private jets were sprayed with orange paint at Stansted Airport.

It is alleged Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, painted two parked jets orange in the airfield after the pop star Taylor Swift’s plane landed, before she performed in London as part of her Eras tour.

Essex Police claim the pair were arrested after they gained access to a private area of the airfield and caused damage to two aircraft”.

The force said the pop star’s plane, which Just Stop Oil said had landed at Stansted “mere hours before”, was not at the airport when the planes were vandalised.

The group told i the singer’s purchase of carbon offsets would not make up for the impact of her “selfishness”, adding: “You cannot buy your way out of this climate emergency.”

JSO said the planes were targeted to call for an emergency treaty to end all fossil fuels by 2030.

The group released a clip showing an activist cutting a hole in the fence at the airfield, before using a fire extinguisher filled with orange paint to spray two jets.

Kowalski and Macdonald caused more than £5,000 worth of damage, according to the charges brought against them.

Officers were called at around 5am after reports of people gaining access to a private area of the airfield.

Two people had entered an area “well away from the runway and main passenger terminal” before causing damage to two aircraft, the force said.

Kowalski and Macdonald are due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

The vandalism comes after two Just Stop Oil activists sprayed orange paint on the prehistoric Stonehenge monument on Wednesday.

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Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: “I would like to reassure passengers and the wider public that we are well prepared and resourced to deal with incidents of this nature.

“Almost immediately after we were made aware of this incident, which took place away from the main passenger terminal, we were on the scene.

“We maintain a constant presence at the airport and this presence will be heightened over the summer period.

“We have a good working relationship with Stansted Airport to ensure you can go about your travels with minimal impact.

“We are not anti-protest but we will always take action where criminal acts take place.”