Climate Protesters Arrested After Scaling Heathrow Jet
A Metropolitan police investigation is under way after four Greenpeace protesters burst through a poorly secured door at Heathrow to scale a British Airways jet today.
The four campaigners boarded the 8.15am flight from Manchester to Heathrow carrying high visibility vests and a banner stating “climate emergency - no third runway”.
On arrival at Heathrow, the Greenpeace members were the last passengers to disembark from the plane at gate five, at the far end of Heathrow’s Terminal 1.
Once off the aircraft, they ducked through a door next to a branch of Costa Coffee and descended stairs to a set of double doors on the ground floor next to the BA A320 plane.
The protesters pushed through the door, which was held in place by a magnet lock, before clambering up mobile stairs attached to the air bridge - used by passengers to get on and off the plane - and climbing on to the top of the jet, where they hoisted their banner.
It is understood that Greenpeace identified the route to the airport apron on a recent reconnaissance trip. One of the protesters remained on the ground to assure BA and BAA staff that the stunt was peaceful.
A Greenpeace spokesman said the protest had highlighted a “shocking hole” in BAA security at Heathrow, but added that the demonstration was intended to highlight the greater hole in the government’s aviation policy, which sanctions a third runway at Heathrow.
A spokesman for BAA, the airport’s operator, said: “There is an important debate to be had regarding airport expansion, and BAA respects people’s democratic right to protest lawfully.
“However, direct action on the airfield is unlawful and irresponsible. The government is currently consulting on the future of Heathrow airport and all parties have the opportunity, through the proper democratic process, to make their views known.”
The GMB union called for an investigation into whether the increasing use of agency staff by BAA had contributed to the security breach.
A spokesman for Manchester airport said the protesters were not stopped from boarding the plane because they were not carrying illegal items.
He could not confirm whether security staff at Manchester had discovered the banner but allowed the Greenpeace members to board the aircraft.
“They were fully ticketed passengers, so if they had the banner in a bag or suitcase and it did not contain anything illegal, it would be put through as normal baggage,” he said.
© 2008 The Guardian
The use of agency staff could contribute to information leakage, and does provide ideal opportunities for individuals to infiltrate the lower levels of corporate-run organisations.
In terms of security, union staff would be far preferable.
Unfortunately, because it’ll seem cheaper and because the technology is looking for an application, I foresee greater repressions of agency staffs’ employment rights from intrusive security measures, instead of greater union representation.
Good going, Greenpeace BTW.
Sometimes you just have to be creative in your protests in order to get heard. Also, in the process, it’s a bonus if you make the powers-that-be look retarded as Greenpeace did by breaching their “security” and getting on top of the plane.
Politicians all round the world are still acting as if green house gases and climate change did not exist. For instance, in the face of a peoples rally outside the NSW parliament house today, Mr Michael Costa, treasurer of the NSW government and heavy hitting politician for privatization of the states coal burning power stations, put in a two page article extolling the virtues of privatization, stating that regulation will do the trick of ownership. (Let there be light through regulation, not ownership, sydney morning herald , Feb 28)
But apparently we need the money from the sale to buy yet another power station because of increasing future demand. In a government heavily laced by the coal industry, this does not fit with the necessity of 90 per cent reduction in green house gas emissions required very soon. The quickest way to use less electricity is to turn it down, immediately, at the source. It is necessary to create a shortage of electricity in order to accustom nations to a way of life without cheap inconsequential supplies, especially at discount rates to heavy industry.
In his two page article, Mr Costa did not once mention the words climate change or emissions reduction. Leaving out such neccessity indicates the government is a bunch of bare faced liars. This is also in the midst of current corruption scandals involving several of the governments ministers.
a Virgin Atlantic aircraft using Biofuel left Britain today under great fanfare. This is supposed to be some kind of advance, this is going to save oil but at the same time starve millions of people. What is wrong with these clowns, when are we going to get back to sanity.
“There is an important debate to be had regarding airport expansion, and BAA respects people’s democratic right to protest lawfully.
“However, direct action on the airfield is unlawful and irresponsible. The government is currently consulting on the future of Heathrow airport and all parties have the opportunity, through the proper democratic process, to make their views known.”
Condescending bastards, like we’re suppose to believe that “all parties have the opportunity, through the proper democratic process, to make their views known.”
“Proper democratic process” has become one of those buzzword phrases that I just can’t stand to hear anymore. It’s empty drivel they spit out just when it suits them. I don’t know if they’re dumb enough to think that they have any credibilty in my eyes. This “talking down” to us has got to go!