PAClimate change protesters caused major disruptions at Heathrow airport today when they stormed one of the runways and set up camp on it.
13 members of the group ‘Plane Stupid’ cut through the perimeter fence at 3.30am, tied themselves together and sat in protest on the northern runway to express their opposition to plans for a third runway.
21 flights had to be cancelled because of the stunt and more delays are expected.
Heathrow is reportedly set to lose millions, while critics have questioned how the group were able to get on the tarmac so easily in the first place.
Scotland Yard said it had arrested nine people so far this morning on suspicion of Aviation Act offences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9cmn1xB5zw
A Heathrow Airport spokesman said:
A group of people have breached the airport perimeter fence and are currently staging a protest on the northern runway. We are working closely with the police who are dealing with the incident. The southern runway remains open. Our priority remains to ensure the safety of the airport community, including passengers, employees and protesters.
Earlier this month a report recommended that a new runway should be built at Heathrow rather than Gatwick.
After three years of investigation, the Airports Commission said Heathrow was best placed to provide “urgently required” capacity, but environmentalists have challenged the move and warned that building a new runway there will make it more difficult to reduce air pollution and climate change emissions.
Still smiling on the runway. Happy to be taking action on airport expansion and climate change. #NoThirdRunway pic.twitter.com/4AiQvoPeJK
— Plane Stupid (@planestupid) July 13, 2015
Plane stupid (remember us!?) live from the Heathrow runway #heathrow #keepitontheground pic.twitter.com/QacVVsV5wI
— Plane Stupid (@planestupid) July 13, 2015
Ooh, the big kit has arrived to try and move the folks on the runway #heathrow #NoThirdRunway pic.twitter.com/MVFvkC5ULP
— Plane Stupid (@planestupid) July 13, 2015
Ella Gilbert, one of the activists on the runway, said:
Building more runways goes against everything we’re being told by scientists and experts on climate change. This would massively increase carbon emissions exactly when we need to massively reduce them, that’s why we’re here.
We want to say sorry to anyone whose day we’ve ruined, and we’re not saying that everybody who wants to fly is a bad person. It’s those who fly frequently and unnecessarily who are driving the need for expansion, and we cannot keep ignoring the terrifying consequences of flying like there’s no tomorrow.
No ifs, no buts, no third runway. And we mean it.
