Climate change activists forced a handful of flight delays and cancellations at London Heathrow Airport on Monday after breaching the airport's perimeter fence and protesting on one of the runways.
According to Sky News, more than a dozen demonstrators, part of an activist group known as Plane Stupid, began occupying Heathrow's northern runway around 3:30 a.m. local time on Monday. The protest comes in the wake of proposed expansion at the airport.
Earlier this month, Britain's Airport Commission revealed overwhelming support for construction of a third runway at Heathrow.
The airport's southern runway remained open amid the demonstration, but officials warned air travelers to check their flight status ahead of time.
The protestors, who linked themselves together and to fences, even took their cause to social media, live tweeting their efforts throughout the morning.
Nine protestors were arrested on aviation offenses, while others were transported away from the runway.
Sky News correspondent Joe Tidy detailed how authorities resolved the situation on Monday: "Airport authorities parked a ring of trucks and snow ploughs around the makeshift pyramid presumably to block the view of protesters from the nearby road. Around a dozen police cars, vans and fire engines were at the scene to remove and detain the protesters. One protester dressed as a polar bear had to be taken off the top of the structure using a cherry picker."
Sky News reports that at least seven British Airways flights were canceled at Heathrow on Monday as a result of the protest. Several international flights scheduled to arrive at Heathrow were also impacted by the unexpected assembly.
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