Villagers turn to civil disobedience in battle against third runway at Heathrow
Date added: 20 July, 2015
Writing in the Guardian, Sandra Laville reports on how some residents of the Heathrow villages, facing eviction and loss of their homes and communities, refuse to be cowed by the airport threat. Some, who have never broken the law before have been forced by circumstances not of their choosing, to adopt civil disobedience as they fight to save their way of life. Some of the 13 activists from Plane Stupid, who cut through Heathrow’s perimeter fence and occupied land close to the northern runway last week came from Sipson. They felt their actions were justified not only because of the homes to be bulldozed and the community to be lost, but because of the hugely increased carbon emissions that a runway would cause. They will appear at the Uxbridge magistrates’ court on 19th August, accused of aggravated trespass. One commented: “I find the whole idea of direct action and of being arrested very stressful. But I feel it has to be done.” On the 20th July local builder, Neil Keveren (previously chairman of anti expansion group, SHE) went to court for his action in blocking the access tunnel to Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 for 20 minutes recently. He was given a £895 fine. Some think this may become like the long battle for Greenham Common. . Tweet
Villagers turn to civil disobedience in battle against third runway at Heathrow
Faced with destruction of Harmondsworth and other villages, residents began taking matters into their own hands – and things escalated sharply
With its 11th century church, listed buildings and 15th century timber barn managed by English Heritage, Harmondsworth is a paean to reverence, tradition and antiquity.
Faced with destruction of their village as they know it, to make way for a third runway at Heathrow, however, some residents have begun to adopt tactics such as civil disobedience as they fight to save their way of life.
That campaign escalated sharply last Monday, when 13 individuals cut through the patrolled perimeter fence around Heathrow in the early hours of the morning, chained themselves together and lay down on the northern runway in the name of the campaign group Plane Stupid, closing the runway for three hours and cancelling 13 flights.
Harmondsworth could be the Greenham Common of a generation say protesters as court dates set
20 JULY, 2015 (Colnbrook Views)
As court dates are set for protesters involved in the two separate incidents at Heathrow Airport in recent weeks, activists warn that Harmondsworth will be the Greenham Common of a generation and the defining battleground for “a fight against catastrophic climate change”.
The Guardian yesterday reported that protesters from Plane Stupid arrested following the protest on the northern runway last Monday will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on August 19.
Twelve protesters were arrested in total, charged with “aggravated trespass” and “entering a security restricted area of an aerodrome”, according to the paper.
During the protest Police told the activists they could face civil claims from the airport running into millions of pounds for the disruption, but the airport appears to be taking a softly softly approach. Heathrow’s vast media machine completely ignored the protest, posting only a brief note about the disruption itself.
Neil Keveren, previously chair of Stop Heathrow Expansion, who carried out a separate unofficial protest in the access tunnel to Terminals 2 and 3, appeared in court today. Keveren said he had never broken the law before but felt it had to be done.
They took away our democratic choice by kicking the Davies commission decision into the long grass before the election.
He spent six hours in a police cell following his protest.
Featuring an 86-year old whose home will be demolished to make way for a third runway, The Guardian notes that law abiding residents of Harmondsworth are increasingly prepared to turn to direct action in the face of broken promises. It quotes one resident as suggesting that Harmondsworth could be the Greenham Common of a generation, the defining battleground of “a fight against catastrophic climate change”. http://www.colnbrook.info/harmondsworth-could-be-the-greenham-common-of-a-generation-say-protesters-as-court-dates-set/