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Video: Ten arrested in airport protest
4:51pm Thursday 16th August 2007
TEN climate change protestors have been arrested at Biggin Hill Airport.
The group managed to shut the main entrance gates to the airport and lock them by bolting themselves to the metal bars.
Two of the group had put D-Locks around their necks and one was chained around the waist to the gate.
Another four chained themselves together and lay down on the floor in front of the gates.
The other three people were not chained to anything but all were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
Police had to cut the chained protesters from the gates, one at a time, before they were removed from the scene.
They will now all be taken to police stations in west London.
Police were called to the site at about 6.48am this morning and spoke to the demonstrators who refused to leave the site.
They were warned they would be arrested under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act if they did not go.
The action is part of a large-scale protest against airport expansion and climate change taking place at Heathrow Airport this week.
Passengers arriving for flights were diverted to other entrances in the airport.
No flights were diverted or delayed.
Twenty-one-year-old Katrina Forrester was chained to the gates from about 6am when the protest started.
She says they do not want to stop normal passengers from travelling but want the Government to take steps against climate change.
However, they are angry about the use of private jets and the carbon they produce compared to travelling on a commercial flight.
The graduate said: "We are against private plane users.
"They are just ignoring demands made by a large part of the country because they just do not care.
"The focus of the campaign is really on the government, big business and corporations."
Airport director Peter Lonergan said the main entrance is an access point for emergency services in case of an incident.
A back-up plan had to be put in place while the protesters were at the site.
He said: "Biggin Hill being an international airport obviously has contingency plans for such events and has made alternative arrangements for the arrival and departure of passengers and air crews.
"At no time were any of the flights disrupted or delayed.
"Aviation contributes about three per cent of carbon emissions and business aviation is a small percent or aviation movement and carbon emissions is less than half a percent.
"If protestors are serious about reducing carbon emissions they should focus on the major contributors such as fossil fuel power stations."
Your Say YourNews Shopper
Mandy, Biggin Hill says...
3:03pm Thu 16 Aug 07
Get a bloody job!
Brian, says...
3:13pm Thu 16 Aug 07
jacqui, orpington says...
4:20pm Thu 16 Aug 07
mandy, Biggin Hill says...
4:30pm Thu 16 Aug 07
Emma, Bromley says...
5:09pm Thu 16 Aug 07
Mandy's right. What concerned me more this morning when passing was the fact that there were about 4 police vans plus 6 cars - for 10 eco warriors?? For a start I didn't know there were that many Police vehicles in Bromley. And what about the crime in the remainder of the borough that occured this morning - does someone have to chain themselves to a mugger or burglar to evoke the same level of Police response??
mike, Bexley says...
5:10pm Thu 16 Aug 07
Lazy Rich, Orpers says...
6:59pm Thu 16 Aug 07
Well done
Irc, Keston says...
8:11pm Thu 16 Aug 07
how do these inconsiderate idiots expect too ??
Airport was unaffected during there "protest"
Resident, Swanley says...
10:05pm Thu 16 Aug 07
"Captain Sensible!!", "Heart of Darkness", Chavsend!! says...
1:50am Fri 17 Aug 07
Once again the "I want to stop the World and get off" mob are at it again.
Yes aren't they are lot of "Care in the Community" types but I bet there a few Social Workers amongst them? Anyway they're usually as dysfunctional as their clients!! LOL!!
Sammy, Bexley says...
2:23am Fri 17 Aug 07
"Captain Sensible!!", "Heart of Darkness", Chavsend!! says...
2:49am Fri 17 Aug 07
God why don't some of you puritanical types lighten up? LOL!!
And you mustn't use the term moron because it's not PC because it denigrates people with a learning disability. Shame on you.You naughty Un PC person!!
Robert Thurlow, Northfleet, Kent says...
3:03am Fri 17 Aug 07
I don't agree with all the views expressed but you have to admit that if you had a more rounded sense of humour that some of them are actually rather droll and very nicely crafted off the the cuff typical british humour.
Unlike you it does make me proud to be British because even in adversity us British can see humour in even the most dire set of circumstances!!
Mis, says...
6:44am Fri 17 Aug 07
Why don't these people go and chain themselves to the gates of one of those new coal-fired power stations that China keeps opening. I'm sure their police would be as understanding...
Neil Whitnall, Orpington says...
7:17am Fri 17 Aug 07
We all have a right to free speech, and they are entitled to campaign, and I suppose you are entitled to spout your rubbish.
But all this "Care in the community" stuff and "get a job" is insulting, as many campaigners have jobs.
They just believe in something.
I fear that they will be closer to the truth than the majority of you, who are closeted in a world of greed and ignorant to the harm that much of what we does to the world.
Remember it is not only the climate issue with airports such as Biggin Hill - it is the noise and pollution.
Reading these posts today makes me really question my faith in the majority of the Great?! British public.
Pat, says...
8:24am Fri 17 Aug 07
Sammy, Bexley says...
8:42am Fri 17 Aug 07
Pat wrote:See what I mean about Daily Mail Readers?
Believe in what exactly??... They are a bunch of misguided wannabees.... Half of all the clap trap they espouse they know nothing about, other than what they read off a napkin sized leaflet... Im tired of all these prigs who see government intervention for all ills as a perfectly reasonable way forward... Do they really understand what they want our government to do.... Higher taxes, restricting movement, slowing down technology.... These people need to reconstruct their brains and start thinking for themselves rather than the trendy nonsense rattled off by intellectual nobodies like certain pop stars...
"Captain Sensible!!, "Heart of Darkness", Chavsend!! says...
9:29am Fri 17 Aug 07
Sammy you do seem to have a fixation with the Daily Mail? Pray what wonderful scandal sheet do you read that gives you the right to denigrate others reading habits? or did you have a horrible childhood experience with the Mail that's scarred you for life? LOL!!
Robert Thurlow, Northfleet, Kent says...
9:42am Fri 17 Aug 07
Back in the 1950's the Americans did have an experimental airframe that was nuclear powered. I know it never got off the ground.(It did actually do a series of sucessful test flights!!) I don't mean that as a pun because nuclear and materials technology was nowhere near as good as it is today. But it is a thought because at least this form of energy is zero emission?
OK I've probably overegged the positive aspects of nuclear energy because of the hazards of disposing of nuclear waste but necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention and if needs dictatate then civilian uses of say these power plants could provide a benefit in terms of non pollution?
I just thought I'd like to bring the debate back to the issues that the article is really about.
I'm not talking from an ill informed position either because I am an engineer by profession and I just find the idea might have some merit because this debate is becomming somewhat rabid!!
Rich, Lewisham says...
9:44am Fri 17 Aug 07
Robert Thurlow wrote:How did it do sucessful test flights but not get off the ground?
I don't know if this is like waving a red flag at a bull but I'll toss this into the debate? Back in the 1950's the Americans did have an experimental airframe that was nuclear powered. I know it never got off the ground.(It did actually do a series of sucessful test flights!!) I don't mean that as a pun because nuclear and materials technology was nowhere near as good as it is today. But it is a thought because at least this form of energy is zero emission? OK I've probably overegged the positive aspects of nuclear energy because of the hazards of disposing of nuclear waste but necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention and if needs dictatate then civilian uses of say these power plants could provide a benefit in terms of non pollution? I just thought I'd like to bring the debate back to the issues that the article is really about. I'm not talking from an ill informed position either because I am an engineer by profession and I just find the idea might have some merit because this debate is becomming somewhat rabid!!
Robert Thurlow, Northfleet, Kent says...
9:53am Fri 17 Aug 07
Mandy, laidlaw says...
9:54am Fri 17 Aug 07
Sammy wrote:Actually Sammy, I don't read the Daily Mail but When I see vans and vans of police to keep 10 protesters under control and my sons friend had to wait an hour and a half for the police to arrive after he had been mugged by teenagers, I think I have a right to moan!
Looks like the Daily Mail reading spineless morons have had a good days moaning about this. Good luck to the protesters. At least they are doing something about what they believe in rather than just whining and moaning like most of the people who have posted. It makes me ashamed to be British when I hear reactionary, ill informed idiots banging on like this.
Chris, London says...
9:58am Fri 17 Aug 07
Bob, Hayes says...
9:59am Fri 17 Aug 07
Irc, earth :) says...
5:52pm Sat 18 Aug 07
Bob wrote:Probably by some knackard, smoke belching worn out van .............
Shame they didn\\\\\\\'t just remove the gates with the protestors still attached to them and then left them overnight (with apolice gaurd of course to make sure nobody throw anything at them) Air travel only accounts for a small % of our carbon output and contibutes a lot to the ecomomy. By the way how did they travel to the airport by car???
Cram Grebsivlas, California, USA says...
9:10pm Sat 18 Aug 07
Jon, bromley says...
12:55pm Sun 19 Aug 07
katie, bromley says...
1:52pm Mon 20 Aug 07
mel, bromley says...
2:06pm Mon 20 Aug 07
Chris wrote:that is soo ridiculas. that is something that cant be changed. It makes me mad to think that u people are so narrow minded. I havent got children yet and to be honest i dont think i want them and only because of what this world is coming to. I cant stand it now and imagine wot its going to be like in 50 years time. im glad i wont around to see it so y would i want my offspring to!!!
Cow flatulence causes more global warming than planes and cars; so why is it we don't see these protesters chaining themselves to cattle in the name of their cause?
Demonstrators were protesting against private plane users
Police removed the protesters from the airport entrance
Some of the protesters chained themselves together
The scene outside the airport this morning. Picture by Paul Campbell
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Frequent Flyer, the air says...
2:33pm Thu 16 Aug 07