Polar bears & anti-2nd-runway campaigners descend on Gatwick terminal with dance & song

On Saturday morning, in Gatwick’s South Terminal, an invasion of fancy-dress polar bears took place, who danced, chanted and unequivocally put their “NO NEW RUNWAY” message across. The dancing polar bears – Plane Stupid – descended on the terminal, to make their point that a new runway (either at Heathrow or Gatwick) is a threat to our carbon targets.  Asking” Whose Climate?”(response “Our Climate”) and “Whose Future?” (response “Our Future”) and with huge banners proclaiming “Any Runway is Plane Stupid” and “Climate Chaos Obviously” (rather that Gatwick Airport’s mantra of “Gatwick Obviously” they entertained travellers, putting their message across in a good humoured way (somewhat perplexing the security guards …) for half an hour. No arrests were made, and the polar bears then danced their way out of the terminal. Other protesters against the 2nd runway plans sang the “No Way, 2nd runway, NEVER NEVER NEVER” song, and marched a banner around the terminal. T-shirts read:  “NO 2nd runway.” “Save our tranquillity.” “Save our economy.”  “Save our countryside.”  ” Save our environment.”  “No new flight paths”  (No passengers were inconvenienced in the making of this protest).  
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25.4.2015

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Despite the light hearted tone of the protest, it indicates the intensity of opposition to a new runway at Gatwick.  This comes from all across the political spectrum, and from all sectors of the local communities around Gatwick.

The reasons for intense local opposition are many and varied, including noise, air quality, total change in character of the area, threat to parts of the local economy, pressure on surface transport, need for thousands of more homes, loss of Green Belt ….. and so on ……..

There are also serious concern about the UK’s carbon emissions, and the likelihood of a new runway breaching UK aviation carbon limits. That would be likely to then cause the UK to miss its national carbon target.

 

The Gatwick song (to the tune of “What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor” lyrics are here.The Gatwick Song (2)

Refrain:    

“No Way, 2nd Runway (x3)

Never, never, never


the two banners

Polar bear line

Backs of t-shirts

Any new runway is Plane Stupid

Marching round the terminal

Polar bears leaving