EXTINCTION REBELLION protesters are planning to disrupt Heathrow airport tomorrow, their fifth consecutive day of action.

The anti-climate change campaign group confirmed today that it plans to occupy runways at London’s main airport over the Easter weekend as part of an “escalation” of ongoing protests.

Extinction Rebellion, whose protests have brought major routes in central London to a standstill this week, has sent out an appeal to members to take part in an “arrestable action” at the airport.

News of the bid to ground flights first appeared in the form of leaked messages posted on Twitter today by journalist Max Jeffery, which said: “Tomorrow we raise the bar. We are going to shut down Heathrow.”

The note said the protesters felt “deep remorse for those whose holiday and family plans will be disrupted tomorrow,” but it added: “The aviation industry needs to be targeted and we are all aware of the deep structural change that needs to come.”

Extinction Rebellion demands that governments publicly acknowledge that the world’s ecology is in crisis and announce a “global climate emergency.”

The group is also pressing the British government to act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

In addition, it says ministers must create a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecological justice and and be led by its decisions.

In the past few days, activists have set up protest camps and staged demonstrations at Marble Arch, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo Bridge and Parliament Square.

Currently, more than 400 arrests have been made by police attempting to break up the occupations. 

Protests by the group have also spread abroad, with New York’s Times Square being shut down last night by protesters acting in the name of Extinction Rebellion and students in Amsterdam occupying university facilities.

Before being arrested, a demonstrator at Oxford Circus, who told the Star that his “name doesn’t matter,” said: “I am aware that the government’s commitment to keeping corporations happy is denying our planet a sustainable path.

“I don’t feel humiliated or scared at all about taking this stance, but I hope it makes people talk about why so many concerned citizens are getting thrown in and out of police cells for being concerned about the future.”

Scotland Yard said it would not respond to any speculation regarding disruptive protest actions.