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'Swampette hostesses' join 100-strong human chain around Heathrow protest camp
Last updated at 17:07pm on 15.08.07The Heathrow climate change camp turned glamorous as young women pulled red suitcases on wheels as they entered the field occupied by eco-activists close to the airport's perimeter.
They then posed under a sign reading "Exit the System" in a cleverly orchestrated comment on the damage caused to the planet by air travel.
The arrival of the 'Swampettes', as they were dubbed, came after the camp's organisers sent out an email urging protesters to dress smartly to blend in better with air travellers and Heathrow workers.
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Demo flight: Protester Tina Miller, 20, from Liverpool, as a swampette stewardess at the Heathrow camp
The publicity stunt follows a tense stand-off between police and more than 100 demonstrators last night during which officers were prevented from entering the camp.
Up to 30 officers - with back-up units in riot gear - found their way blocked by a human chain of protesters.
The incident was the closest the two sides have come to a flashpoint and protest organisers today accused police of heavy-handed tactics.
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Human chain: Protesters form a human chain to keep police off the site
The organisers said the surprise move by police was repelled by demonstrators who raced to block the officers' advance.
Timothy Lever, one of the camp's spokesmen, said: "A large number of police attempted to break into the camp and they were peacefully removed by a large crowd of protesters with their hands in the air who gradually moved the police away.
"The police gave us no warning and did not say why they were coming on the site."
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A police photographer captures images that may be used as evidence in any future prosecution
Another organiser, Alice Coterley, said: "There is no reason for so many officers to come on site when things are completely calm and peaceful.
"This was a clear attempt to provoke us. Yet not one of us rose to the bait."
Protesters have fiercely defended the field they are illegally occupying.
Since the camp appeared on Sunday they have only allowed up to four officers to patrol on site to check for illegal activity.
Tensions rose as officers attempted to photograph many of those arriving at the camp last night.
Protesters, who recorded the incident, said police claimed afterwards they were attempting to count the numbers of those on the site.
Scotland Yard said: "Uniformed forward intelligence team officers patrolling the camp met with some opposition from some of the camp participants.
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"Additional officers were then deployed in support of them. Police worked with the camp liaison to resolve the issue.
"Policing levels have now returned to the normal patrolling officers."
Organisers estimate 550 people had joined the camp near the village of Sipson by last night, to be greeted by a scrum of media and at least two police photographers.
Some had begun to take extra measures to stop themselves being capturedon camera, with one young man wearing a green gas mask and a white mining helmet.
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Tensions: protesters at the Heathrow camp try to block officers filming them. Organisers have accused the police of being heavy handed
Others drew the hoods of their anoraks tightly around their faces or wore oversized sunglasses despite persistent rain.
Protesters refused to rule out illegal activity as they discussed plans yesterday for a "day of action" at the airport on Sunday.
But they insisted they would not resort to violence.
Police doubled their numbers at the site, with mounted officers, sniffer dogs and an ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) van working alongside vanloads of officers.
A spokesman for the camp, John Jordan, said protesters may choose to target businesses around Heathrow, but added: "Our quarrel is with the corporation and the Government, it's not with the passengers."
Reader views (14)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Have you noticed the weather changing a lot? Why do you think that is then?
You just sit on your bottoms and do sod all to at least try to stop climate change.
There are plenty of hard working people there, both protesters and people who live in Sipson, which will be demolished. Parents who are worried about the future of their children. Every scientist now agrees climate change is due to carbon emissions due to pollution etc.
Thank God for protesters! At least they are not ignorant. There will soon be no fresh water or fresh air and flooding beyond belief etc. What are you going to do? Eat your car and live in an aeroplane?
- Susanne, London
I want to know where the "exclusive" report about a "plot" to disrupt the airport. The first and last I saw of any hoax was in the Evening Standard. On the ground, everything is pretty peaceful. No disruption has yet been connected with the camp for climate action, other than the "sermon on the runway", which happened some time ago and they paid their fine. Plane Stupid are not organising the camp, but their legitimate concerns are on their website and may have influenced our priorities. Please do not be afraid of the injunction as the camp is perfectly legal. When I visited on Monday I was not even stopped and searched.
- Ben Samuel, Nottingham, UK
Why does Charlotte assume that "these people" are on welfare? They are just ordinary workers, mothers, fathers, people like the rest of us except they feel strongly that we must do something to stop irrevocably damaging the climate by emitting more and more CO2 and are prepared to stand up and be counted. This is a perfectly legal, well advertised peaceful protest by well-behaved and caring people. Why should they be treated like criminals? This country has a noble tradition of peaceful protest. We should be proud that this is happening and the awareness and debate it is creating. Go climate campers!
- Catherine, Manchester, UK
Go get jobs, instead of scrounging off the taxpayer, climate change nutters! The police should arrest them all and hold them as terrorists because that is what they are, extremists with their own illegal agenda, obstructing the lives and welfare of law-abiding people.
- Margaret Wood, Richmond, Surrey, UK
Political Correctness gone mad again! Bring in the tear gas and water cannons! How dare these eco-terrorists interfere with the lives of law-abiding citizens with their whacky global warming theories!
- Sc, Manchester UK
These people should be treated the same as any other terrorists, arrest them all! Cut off their welfare too then they will have to get a job instead of bludging on the taxpayer! If they worked instead of bludging then they would know that the rest of us need cars and aeroplanes to get around!
- Charlotte, Bolton, England
In my day the SPG (Special Patrol Group) would have been deployed and this group of tree hugging anarchists put quickly behind bars. Who are they to stop the police from filming and entering the site on which they are trespassing?
- Chris, Cape Town
If only all the people who felt as disillusioned with their government did the same at Westminster we might actually have the revolution most people so desperately want! Good on the protesters!
- Daveb, London
As much as I agree with the above, if protesters are planning illegal activity it is the duty of the police to prevent them.
Why is crime OK in the name of protest?
- Stuart, Dunstable UK
I will be flying in and out of Heathrow for work this week. It will be completely unacceptable if any of these protestors are allowed to enter the airport premises as this is private land and they have no business being there. I hope and pray the authorities throw all resources at stopping these crazy tree huggers. Do none of them have a job they should be doing?
Come on downing street, protect the tax paying citizens of this country who want and need to get on with thier lives!
- Paul, Wimbledon, London
The protesters have no rights to refuse the police access to this land. They are trespassers on it. Only the landowner can legally refuse the police access (in some circumstances).
On another point, I have no respect whatsoever for the demonstrators who wear masks. Only cowards or people with serious criminal intent hide their faces. The whole point of civil disobedience is to be seen to be there, and perhaps to be arrested for some minor offence (thereby gaining publicity for the cause and clogging up the legal system, if the police choose to over-react).
- Nigel, London
I think it's vital that the protestors have achieved as much publicity as they have already. The government and big business seems to think it can go and do whatever it wants. It follows the mantra that unlimited economic growth is best for the country. But already that mantra is showing holes and cracks. It isn't sufficient now that we better understand the profound effects that economic ideal is having on the environment and indeed on society.
Airport expansion needs to be limited given the awareness of climate change. We need new debates and new solutions to the old paradigm of traveling as cheaply and as much as we can.
It seems to take this sort of direct action to get the debate out and to empower more people to stand up and be counted. Cheers to them.
- Blake Ludwig, London, UK
That is not a realistic risk. Even with a genuine uniform staff would not be granted access to any restricted areas without the appropriate pass. Wearing suits and getting into a critical area of the security or check-in process is a more likely risk, which can still be dealt with by the police. Hopefully the protestors will restrict themselves to play acting in comedy uniforms outside the terminals, a method which still gets their message over without ruining many thousands of customers' travel plans.
- Adrian, Windsor
I say yes to the protesters, leave those people alone and be grateful they are there putting up with the elements in order to get it through to the politicians that the planet is too frail for us to go on and on treating it the way we are at the moment. Politicians also need to get a grip on things soon otherwise their grandchildren won't have a place to grow up and neither will you!
- Antonia, London
