Manchester Airport on Trial  – case 2 begins Monday 21st February 2011 

Show of support outside court: Meet at 9am outsideTraffford Magistrates' Court, Ashton Lane, Sale, M33 7NR

In May 2010, seventeen people took direct action at Manchester Airport, temporarily shutting it down.  They did this to stop some of the 5 million tonnes of carbon emissions that the airport is responsible for annually and in opposition to plans to destroy family homes and biodiversity spots to expand the World Freight Centre.  The 'Manchester Airport on Trial' campaign is being run to support the activists during their court case and to continue to oppose the airport's plans to become the 'Heathrow of the North' by 2050.  Six defendants are pleading not guilty to the charge of aggravated trespass.  They will argue that their actions were necessary to prevent emissions and will call expert witnesses to examine the impacts of aviation and climate change both locally and in terms of public health.  The defendants will state that their actions were further justified given the failings and corruption of the decision-making processes at a Parliamentary and local authority level.