Publicity & Politics News
Below are links to stories on protests, publicity events and other aviation stories that have hit the news.
Munich protest banner drop off the spectacular Stadhaus – “No Third Runway”
Protesters from Plane Stupid Germany have performed a stunning protest against the proposed third runway at Munich airport. They displayed two large vertical banners beside the huge clock, just above the Munich Stadhaus world-famous Glockenspiel. One banner reads "KOA Dritte" - No Third Runway. The other reads "Weltstadt" with a heart, as Munich has as one of its slogans, World City With a Heart. The protest is about runway plans, without a democratic referendum, and that the airport has tried to influence the decision process by contributing about €1 million to the pro-runway campaign. The. The new runway would demolish a village, ruin the homes of many people and devastate a huge area. Plane Stupid also fear the contribution to climate change, as the airport is the largest CO2 emitter in Bavaria.
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Thousands gather at German airports to protest against aircraft noise
On Saturday 24th, thousands across Germany - perphaps as many as 30,000 - took part in protests at airports, against airport expansion and aircraft noise. At Frankfurt airport there were around 10,000 people, wanting a night flight ban from 22:00 until 6:00 and a cap on the number of take-offs and landings each day. At Berlin there were about 10,000 protesters against the planned new Brandenburg airport. And at Munich airport, over 500 people had a picnic in the terminal, protesting against a planned 3rd runway, the decision on which is due in June. There were also protests at Halle, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Bonn and Cologne - as well as at Nantes.
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Airport protests against expansion are breaking out across Germany
John Stewart, who has just returned from a trip to Germany to visit many of the groups actively involved in campaigning against new runways, writes about his trip. He says protests are breaking out across Germany, following the large and energetic protests by thousands of articulate and law-abiding citizens that have been taking place each Monday evening at Frankfurt. There will be a national day of action on Saturday 24th March, with protests at Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Dusselforf and Cologne. The causes of the protests tend to differ from city to city but the scale and intensity of them has shocked the authorities. They are being widely covered in the German media. Residents around Frankfurt's new runway are particularly angry at the way they believe they were misled about the new flight paths and the noise of the planes. The big concern at Cologne and Leipzig appears to be night flights. At Munich a new runway is planned, and there is impressively organised opposition.
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Bird watchers, politicians, fisherman, environmentalists, yachtsmen and other worried residents join new campaign against Thames Estuary airport
On 10th February, about the coldest night of the winter, around 80 people attended a rousing meeting in Leigh on Sea, to both find out about what proposals for a Thames Estuary airport mean, and join a new campaign against it. Speakers included Keith Taylor (Green MEP); David Amess MP; Peter Wexham, a Southend councillor; George Crozer, an Isle of Grain Parish Councillor; Paul Gilson, a local fisherman, and David Hedges from the RSPB. They covered a wide range of issues relating to the impacts that a massive estuary airport might have, as well as the history of failed proposals in the past. A new campaign group is being set up, gearing itself up for the consultation on estuary airport proposals and also on future UK aviation policy, that starts next month. Another meeting will soon be arranged at Canvey, to grow the campaign there.
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Cheap flights comic show ready for West End take-off
Fascinsting Aida will be touring with their new show, "Cheap Flights" - in London from 8th December to 7th January. If you have not yet heard the song, catch it on YouTube even if you can't get to the show.
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Runway invasion at Southend airport by Plane Stupid and Climate Rush
15 activists from Plane Stupid, and Climate Rush, entered Southend airport at 9am, got onto the runway, and stayed there for over an hour, before being arrested. They did a dance routine dressed as pilots and cabin crew, and planned to put up some solar panels. The protest was against the planned increase in flights from Southend in 2012, and the planned 300 metre runway extension. Protestors said the expansion will not create as many jobs as could be created by building renewable energy instead - saying "we need solar power, not plane power."
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Dan Glass – the “super-glue airport expansion fighter” – goes down well in Toronto
Dan Glass — the UK climate activist who super-glued himself to Gordon Brown — has been catapulted into the Canadian spotlight after being barred from speaking in the US by the FBI. Dan, with many others, was central to the successful campaign to halt a Heathrow 3rd runway. Dan spoke to a receptive gathering of anti-airport activists in Toronto, who are fighting the long-proposed Pickering airport, sharing details of strategies that worked so well.
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The only way to fry? First commercial British flight fuelled by used chip fat is met by naked protesters
In response to the Thomson biofuel flight, using 50% used cooking oil in one engine, three Plane Stupid activists staged a naked protest - showing that biofuels are not green, and the Thomson PR exercise is bare faced cheek. Thomson intends, after a 6 week gap, to have many more biofuel flights in 2012. They hope to use used cooking oil, but the airline may have to use other fuels, as it is not likely to get enough of the oil - which is already much in demand.
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John Stewart, UK’s “most effective environmentalist” barred from entering US
Environmentalists from across the US and Europe are surprised and outraged that John Stewart, voted the UK’s most effective environmentalist, was questionned for 6 hours and barred from entering the US. John was invited to the US by a coalition of environmental organisations for a one month speaking tour, but was turned back at JFK airport. John, who does not have a criminal record and meets the requirements for the US Visa Waiver program, had his visa waiver rescinded mid-flight. The tour will go ahead, but using videoconferencing so John and Dan Glass can speak at the meetings as planned.
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