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Protesters target Heathrow with music, jams and action
Benedict Moore-Bridger02.12.08
Militants trying to stop the expansion of Heathrow are planning a series of direct action protests in the New Year, the Standard can reveal.
They will carry out co-ordinated attacks designed to cause maximum disruption. Protesters said they wanted to make the Government pay for "broken promises" by targeting leading MPs and Heathrow officials.
Hardcore activists have enlisted residents from some of west London's wealthiest boroughs to attend militant training camps aimed at bringing Heathrow to a standstill.
John Stewart, chairman of protest group HACAN ClearSkies, said plans included jamming roads around Heathrow with cars on a go-slow, chaining themselves up at the airport, blasting loud music early in the morning outside MPs' homes and even invading a runway or boarding a plane.
Mr Stewart said even middle-aged housewives were taking up the fight. "They are keen on a 'go-slow' around the perimeter around Heathrow, spending a day blocking the entrance to BAA's headquarters and playing music," he said.
"Going on to the runway or boarding a plane is very much a last resort. That is all or nothing - it is almost life or death. There is no question that frustration is mounting. These ideas are coming from residents, many of whom have lived in the area for 20 or 30 years.
"They have lived with a series of broken promises and there is a real anger that they have been messed around.
"There is a determination that even if it requires direct action they will not be messed around this time." At a conference in July, HACAN ClearSkies members began formulating plans for direct action attacks.
Activist group Seeds For Change were enlisted to help train members in non-violent direct action, including how to climb security fences, organise flashmobs, and what to do if arrested.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon is expected to give the green light for expansion plans before Christmas to increase Heathrow's capacity by 50 per cent, allowing a controversial third runway and sixth terminal to be built.
Mr Stewart said that as soon as the announcement is made, a flash mob of up to 600 people will descend on Heathrow's new Terminal 5 to protest.
Then later this month plans will be finalised for further action in the New Year.
"It is being ratcheted up. People feel they have nothing to lose even if it does mean being arrested, many of them middle-aged ladies. A lot of these people are our members. They are not the sort of people who ever contemplated breaking the law before, far less blocking BAA's headquarters or boarding a plane.
"Hopefully it will make the powers that be think twice."
The news comes ahead of the National Climate March organised by the Campaign against Climate Change this Saturday, where protesters will march through London for a rally at Parliament Square.
Speakers will include Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, and former environment minister Michael Meacher.
A spokesman for airport operator BAA said they agreed "there is a debate to be had about aviation and airport expansion", but added: "The 180,000 passengers who travel through Heathrow airport daily have a right to go about their lawful travel plans without being harassed or intimidated."
Reader views (13)
So they have deferred the decision we expexted this, they are playing for time to see what other reasons they can up with. They know that a third runway should not be built re all the pollution noise traffic demolition of schools chuches etc. We will not stop fighting until they see SENSE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
- Mr & Mrs P Rumble, London
Well Done! Keep up the good work. We will bring this government down yet!
- Vince London, West London
If The Goverment can even consider demolotion a village two major Hotels and a Major Rd whats stopping them demolotion London tom build moore runways it won't happen watch this space that's why we must stop the third Runway
- Richard, Uxbridge England
I am ready for direct action of any sort, the prime minister of thailand has resigned, his people occupied the airport and prevented any flights in or out, I am only interested in the same result if the 3rd runway gets the go ahead, I am prepared to die, imagine that, I am 64 soon, so I have nothing to lose
- Pam, twickenham
When the rights of passengers are seen as more important than the rights of ordinary working people then we have the breeding ground for civil disobedience.
When the ethics of the market place are more important than human health then the political process has failed. When it's seen as acceptable for a Spanish construction company to bulldoze an English village then democracy here really is dead. When entire communities can be blighted for 6 years during a sham consultation politicans will have to be held accountable at the ballot box.
- Christine Shilling, Harmondsworth - will be stranded between runways - blighted by noise and pollution
We have put up with several years of Bully tactics from this government --- RUNWAY OR NO RUNWAY— our village and our homes are blighted, Families broken and destroyed --- We need to be treated fairly our treatment is a joke we will be evicted out of our village homes unable to afford a similar property while BAA (Spanish) will make multi millions from the homes we have worked hard for. In addition, some families will be left between two runways and a taxiway all of this is morally wrong.
If we stop the runway, BAA (Spanish) should be accountable for the blight caused to our homes and re-invest invest in the area for the damaged caused.
This government has put the pound before the people.
And
Deception in front of decency.
Mrs M Payne
- Maxine Payne, sipson village, west drayton ( The proposed village to be demolished at heathrow by BAA )
Mr Hoon cannot say yes to a third runway at Heathrow as pollution levels cannot be lowered to the EU limit. In fact when T5 opened all monitors in the area have risen. We are expecting Mr Brown and his ministers to be honest and say NO as there is no way you can put another airport the size of Gatwick along side Heathrow and expect pollution level to go down. Another good reason for saying NO is that it will certainly kill some of the older members of our community and I include my own mother as she has nowhere to go if Sipson is demolished. Money is the root of all EVIL !!!
- Linda Mccutcheon, SIPSON , UK
Protesters closing airports have made international news headlines, yet communities being silently strangled by airport expansion have gone almost unnoticed. Sipson village is finally getting coverage because it is on Death Row. There are other villages facing a similar fate. Can anyone wonder why reasonable, decent people are looking at direct action?
- Save Sipson, Harlington, UK
This is no longer a local issue. There are many thoughtful people around the globe who are very concerned about climate change. As the 3rd runway is such a high profile issue it is seen as a barometer as to whether we are serious about our carbon reductions or not. The world is watching and our government should be taking a lead on this. If we let this one pass, then we might as well forget the whole issue and let our children suffer the consequences.
- John Goling, London
So its civil disobedience,as this government has not the vision to build the hub in a place that mitigates human misery - why? BAAs 200 million bung to the cross rail initiative - which incidentally will not carry that many people from LHR - and BAs belief that a new airport will break its cosy relationship with its LHR airport. The hubs we compete against were all purpose built - in part to reduce the misery from its operations, only in broke unimaginative and deeply flawed Labour thinking would this third world plan make do and mend approach be considered - The UK is dying because of decisions like this - and who wants to live in Europes most polluted city with death rates due to pollution and asthma all down to the planning mistake of LHR. If you fly from LHR you as members of the public are sticking two fingers up to your fellow man - shame on you - boycote LHR and show BAA it can't push us all around like this.
- Christian Ball, London, UK
Passengers of course have a right to travel without being harrassed or intimidated.
We have a right to live in homes we have bought, a right for breathe clean air, a right to a good night's sleep, a right for our children to continue to attend a highly rated Ofsted school (Heathrow Primary), a right to worship in churches of our choice - a right in short to live in communities of our choice - unhindered by the Spanish construction which now owns BAA and plans to devastate our communities and our lives.
- Christine Shilling, Harmondsworth, UK
Right to travel MUST NEVER come before the rights of my children not to have asthma or for old folks to die younger (increased morbidity will result from any form of expansion)because of NOX poison or for families right to be able to walk outside a home to enjoy a garden space or parkland - this evil horrendous and warped plan will set many people on a collision path with BAA and BA and if they think press on using LHR is bad today after T5 lets just see how bad it will get when no one can get near the airport - they have lied and bullied and manipulated too much for too long - this will end here.
- Christian Ball, London, UK
Expanding Heathrow is pure madness based on an assessment given by three environmental scientists on BBC Newswatch last evening. Even if carbon emissions could be stopped in their tracks today, the temperature in the world's atmosphere in 2100 would still be 3 degress higher than today. One scientist predicted that it could reach 6 degrees warmer -- which in his view meant the extinction of all human life on the planet. It is very very scary for the children of today, and for their children. Yet still we hear that Brown/Hoon intend to allow Heathrow expansion, feeding the gloval warming cycle rather than reducing it. Are there any politicians taking the longer view on an issue that scientists consider threatens our continued existence on the planet?
- Phil Jones, London UK
