Protesters Shut Down British Airport - Updated

(Stansted Airport, Essex, England) A group of more than 50 global warming extremists breached the perimeter of Stansted Airport, shutting it down for more than five hours.

Armed with bolt-cutters, activists from the group Plane Stupid cut through the wire perimeter fencing shortly after 3am and chained themselves to metal fences they had brought with them.

Many of the protesters - who settled just 164ft (50m) from the runway - were driven to the airport in a 30-year-old second hand fire engine, while others arrived by bicycle and car.

The stand-off with police lasted for more than five hours as each protester had to be cut free by officers with metal cutters.

By the time all 57 demonstrators had been removed and arrested, 56 flights from the Essex airport had been cancelled or delayed, provoking fury from waiting passengers.

Not mentioned was the disruption caused to European air travel in general. Flight delays at one airport dramatically affect scheduling at all connecting airports.

One of the leading figures taking part in the demonstration was 21-year-old Lily Kember, a third year anthropology student at Edinburgh University from Kensal Green in north London.

Speaking by mobile phone before she was cut away from the fencing and arrested, Miss Kember said:

"Being arrested is a terrifying prospect, but not nearly as terrifying as the threat of climate change. There are 100 flights leaving here an hour - that is so much CO2.

"Our parents' generation has failed us and its now down to young people to stop climate change by whatever peaceful means we have left."

As they staged their protest, each activist wore a high visibility vest bearing the words "Please Do Something" while several held banners proclaiming "Climate Emergency".

Essex Police are investigating.

Calling these people "protesters" I believe is inappropriate. Protesters customarily stand across the street, wave placards and shout slogans. When a group uses bolt cutters to break into restricted property to disrupt business, likely causing considerable monetary loss, the members cease being protesters and become trespassers and vandals.

The group's individual members should be prosecuted aggressively and fined heavily. It also appears that the airport and the airlines have a legitimate cause for action in a civil court. Plane Stupid should be sued for the cost of its stunt plus a painful punitive award.


[Update 12/12/08]

Well, isn't this interesting? A tycoon with shops in airports around the world bankrolled the global warmiacs.

Mark Constantine, the owner of Lush Cosmetics, was today accused of profiting from airline passengers while funding groups whose actions can severely disrupt their journeys.

Lush has contributed £20,000 to anti-aviation organisations including Plane Stupid, which masterminded the protest at Stansted by more than 50 activists that brought flights to a standstill for two hours on Monday, reports London's Evening Standard.

Constantine owns 600 shops worldwide and he's a global warmiac against any expansion of air travel.

I contend that Constantine should be sued into bankruptcy or, more logically, maybe a painful hoovering of the pocketbook.

Companion posts at The Jawa Report here and here.