NI paralympian climbs jet at London airport as part of Extinction Rebellion protest

A PARALYMPIC medallist from Northern Ireland has climbed on top of a British Airways plane as the Extinction Rebellion protests continued.

James Brown, who is visually impaired, filmed himself sitting on top of the Amsterdam-bound plane at London City Airport yesterday afternoon.

In a Facebook live stream, Mr Brown, who had bought a ticket for the flight, said: “Oh man I’m shaking. This is all about the climate and ecological crisis.

“We’re protesting at government inaction on climate and ecological breakdown. They declare a climate emergency and do nothing about it.”

He was later removed from the plane by police.

His actions were branded “reckless, stupid and dangerous” by Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

An Aer Lingus flight from City Airport to Dublin was also delayed when a protester on board stood up to deliver a lecture on climate change just as the plane was due to take off.

Police said more than 1,000 people had been arrested since protests began around Parliament and Whitehall on Monday, including around 50 at the airport yesterday.

Activists also shut down Dublin city centre for a fourth day for a protest over agriculture and forestry.

Yesterday protesters set up camp outside Red Flag Consultancy’s offices in Ely Place, gluing themselves to the main entrance and fence of the property.

The group said they had chosen the offices as the firm “has been associated with numerous harmful campaigns”, adding that the company has “recently been hired by several agriculture organisations, including Bord Bia, to promote Ireland’s meat and dairy industry as sustainable”.

Red Flag CEO Karl Brophy said the group was misinformed. He added: “All of our work is based on facts and science, unlike the claims these protesters are making about us, many of which are false.”