Twenty people were arrested during a protest at Lawrence G. Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, on Saturday morning, police said.
Some of the protesters reached a security perimeter and trespassed on the tarmac, according to Massachusetts State Police. They said they made 20 arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct and potentially other charges.
The climate activist group Extinction Rebellion took credit for the protest, which came two days ahead of Earth Day, saying in a statement that their plan was to prevent planes from taking off. The group opposes a proposed expansion of private jet hangar space at the airfield.
Hanscom holds the most private jets in New England, and while the quasi-public agency The Massachusetts Port Authority has proposed adding 27 hangars, opponents say the move would increase carbon emissions and only serve the wealthy.
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