Four Just Stop Oil protestors jailed after GMP foil disruption activity plans close to Manchester Airport
Four Just Stop Oil protesters—Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr—have been jailed for a collective seven years and five months after being arrested near Manchester Airport. They were found with tools and plans to disrupt airport operations by gluing themselves to taxiways. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) foiled the plot through a coordinated operation, preventing potential large-scale disruption. The defendants were convicted of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance, while a fifth individual, Noah Crane, was acquitted. Authorities praised the efforts of law enforcement and the justice system in ensuring public safety and deterring future disruptions.
Four Just Stop Oil activists who plotted to shut down Manchester Airport by gluing themselves to taxiways have been jailed for a combined seven years and five months, a court ruled Tuesday.
Indigo Rumbelow, Leanorah Ward, Margaret Reid, and Daniel Knorr were arrested in the early hours of August 5, 2024, as they walked toward the airport carrying bolt cutters, angle grinders, glue, sand, and high-visibility protest vests. Officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit detained the group on South Park Road in Gatley after a nationwide surveillance operation.
A handwritten note found on Ward revealed their intent: breach the airfield, stick themselves to the tarmac, and summon media coverage to amplify their climate message. “I regret that our attempts were unsuccessful due to being caught,” Ward later told investigators.
Police searching the group’s rented Gatley hideaway recovered Knorr’s provisional license and a camera harness discarded in a bin. A fifth defendant, Noah Crane, was acquitted.
At Minshull Crown Court, the four were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance. Passing sentence, the judge condemned a plan timed to wreak havoc during the peak summer getaway.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said joint preparations across UK forces “foiled their plans” and protected thousands of holidaymakers. Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten, who led the nine-month inquiry, warned the plot showed “complete disregard” for families’ travel plans. Manchester Airport operations director Rad Taylor praised the interception, noting that aircraft and passenger safety hung in the balance.
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