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Crane Occupied at Terminal 5

juvenile_deliquent | 06.10.2003 12:42 | Ecology | London

Eight protesters have occupied a crane on the construction site of Heathrow's Terminal 5. They entered the site this morning at 7.30 according to BBC news.

The following is from BBC news coverage;


Airport protesters occupy crane
Eight protesters have occupied a crane on the construction site of Terminal Five at Heathrow Airport.
Airports operator BAA said the demonstrators got through the site perimeter at about 0730 BST on Monday.

It is believed they are protesting at plans to expand Heathrow - although it is not clear if they are part of any formal campaign group.

BAA said police are at the scene and are trying to talk to the protesters.

The crane is one of 22 on the Terminal Five project and staff who were working nearby have been redeployed to other parts of the site.

Building of the fifth terminal began earlier this year and BAA has since proposed a possible third runway and sixth terminal.

Residents' groups and environmentalists have been threatening to mount a campaign of direct action against any plans to expand airports in the south east.

The government is still considering a number of options about how to expand capacity of airports in the south east - including further development of Heathrow.


Story from BBC NEWS:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/london/3168064.stm

Published: 2003/10/06 11:58:54 GMT


nice one ;-)

juvenile_deliquent

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Why has there been no big campaign against this?

06.10.2003 14:26

This airport terminal must be strongly resisted as strongly as possible, so why has there been no mass campaign organised against this like there was against the Newbury bypass and the M11 link road?

Rockwell


Update

06.10.2003 18:08

Update- four of the eight protesters have now come down. They were all arrested for Aggravated Trespass and are currently being held at Heathrow Police Station.

An update from BBC News;

Airport protesters occupy crane

Four of the protesters who occupied a crane on the construction site of Terminal Five at Heathrow Airport have come down.
Airports operator BAA said eight demonstrators got through the site perimeter at about 0730 BST on Monday.

Hounslow Against New Terminals (HANT), a group of local residents and protesters against airport expansion, has claimed responsibility for the protest.

It said the group occupied the crane in protest against the government's "aggressive airport expansion programme" and plans for a sixth terminal and third runway at Heathrow.

The four who were talked down are being questioned by police while the remaining protesters have said they are in for the long haul - possibly three or four days.

One activist, who gave his name as Colin, said: "We are occupying this crane indefinitely because if BAA gets its way, our community will pay with the loss of our homes, schools and health. We are sick of corporate greed bulldozing the needs of our population."

A BAA spokeswoman said: "The protesters occupied a single crane located at the perimeter of the airport. We consider this type of direct action to be completely irresponsible."

The crane is one of 22 on the Terminal Five project and staff who were working nearby have been redeployed to other parts of the site.

Building of the fifth terminal began earlier this year and BAA has since proposed a possible third runway and sixth terminal.

'Fully understand'

Residents' groups and environmentalists have been threatening to mount a campaign of direct action against any plans to expand airports in the south east.

The government is still considering a number of options about how to expand capacity of airports in the south east - including further development of Heathrow.

John Stewart, chairman of campaign group HACAN ClearSkies, said they were not involved in the protest but "fully understand why people are taking direct action".

"People around Heathrow feel that all they have had from successive governments is a series of broken promises.

"The government has only listened to the siren call of the aviation industry for ever more expansion.

"Perhaps the voice from the top of the crane will make them sit up and take notice."

juvenile_deliquent


Rockwell Do ou want to organise this?

06.10.2003 19:35

I will give you a hand.

ram


No third runway campaign

10.10.2003 08:44

Local residents like myself have been protesting for the past year against the third runway at Heathrow and airport exapnsion in the south easst . We have picketed BA's hq , attended No Airport Exapnsion rallies and organised a march on the site of the proposed third runway. We do need more help and to take direct action because even local people don't seem to realise the implications of airport expanion nationally.
More power to the crane people!
Ali
www.notrag.org.uk/

Ali
mail e-mail: adixon@fsmail.net


Crane occupation

14.10.2003 18:45

Clearly no major pressure groups are opposed to Heathrow expansion because the alternatives are less appealing. Those alternatives are to build new airports, from scratch, in other areas of Britain.

These new airports would need new major transport links meaning new roads, more pollution, more congestion. That's why it's sensible to expand existing airports and existing infastructure.

William Hague's love-child