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No Airport Expansion! is a campaign group that aims to provide a rallying point for the many local groups campaigning against airport expansion projects throughout the UK.

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Publicity & Politics News

Below are links to stories on protests, publicity events and other aviation stories that have hit the news.

 

French campaigners against a huge new airport at Nantes to hold rally for cycles and tractors in Paris on 12th November

Date added: 24 September, 2011

The campaigners against the building of a new airport outside Nantes in South West France will be travelling by bicycle and tractor to Paris - leaving Nantes on 6th November and arriving in Paris on 12th November where there will be a big rally. Opponents of the proposed airport say it is not needed, it will destroy 2,000 hectares of good farmland, and do much harm. Campaigners from other countries are invited to join the cycle ride and/or the rally in Paris.

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Protest against military aviation at Fairford Air Tattoo

Date added: 18 July, 2011

A small, but passionate, protest took place at this year's Fairford Air Tattoo -part of which is for the sale of military planes and weapons. The main reasons for the protest were both the massive pollution and carbon emissions caused by the military, and the use of bombs that contain depleted uranium. These cause a degree of pollution and probably health effects which would be regarded as completely unacceptable in western nations such as the UK.

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Cairn wins injunction against Greenpeace over Arctic oil drilling protest

Date added: 10 June, 2011

A Dutch court granted Cairn an injunction against Greenpeace, that for every day Greenpeace disrupts Cairn’s oil drilling operations it will incur a penalty of €50,000, up to a maximum of €1m. This year Cairn is spending $600m to explore prospects with an estimated 3.2bn barrels of oil equivalent. Police have arrested 20 Greenpeace activists for their actions. Greenpeace believes that an oil spill would wreck the Arctic’s pristine environment and be impossible to effectively clean up.

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The Aberdeen Climate 9: An appeal to better judgement

Date added: 7 June, 2011

Defendants Tilly Gifford and Dan Glass from the Climate 9 had their appeal heard at Edinburgh Appeal Court against the conviction they received for blocking the taxi way at Aberdeen Airport in March 2009. Dan and Tilly made the decision to appeal against the conviction as they believe the action they took was justified, proportionate and necessary in the face of catastrophic climate change. During the 4 hour hearing this morning the court heard a strong case from the defence, and the decision will be taken within 6 weeks.

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Aberdeen Climate9 appeal at the Edinburgh Appeal Court June 7th 2011

Date added: 6 June, 2011

Defendants Tilly Gifford and Dan Glass are appealing the Climate9 conviction of Breach of Peace at Edinburgh Appeal court on June 7th with results to follow.  The Climate9 trial lasted for 2 weeks in Aberdeen and was the first jury-led climate change trial in Scotland. The appellants were convicted in August 2010 for their role in the climate change protest at Aberdeen airport on March 3rd 2009, when they occupied the taxiway, briefly shutting the airport down.  

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Greenpeace activists occupy oil rig in fight to prevent Arctic drilling

Date added: 22 April, 2011

After a brave fight to protect the arctic from dangerous oil drilling, the occupation of oil rig has ended, all activists are safe. Environmental activists from 12 countries had occupied the world's 2nd largest rig owned by Cairn, on its way from Turkey to Greenland to drill among the icebergs. The protesters found the semi-submersible platform steaming from Turkey, and boarded it.  The protest is to highlight the enormous dangers of drilling for oil in cold, Arctic seas.

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TakeVAT strikes again, with a massive aviation VAT poster in London

Date added: 24 February, 2011

TakeVAT, the group which caused disruption at Heathrow 3 weeks ago, has struck again. They “subvertised” an advertising billboard on a busy South London street as part of their ongoing campaign to highlight the fact that the aviation industry - one of the most noisy and carbon intensive - pays no VAT. There is no VAT on airline tickets, the purchase of planes or on spare parts for aircraft. This amounts to around £9 billion loss to the Treasury each year.

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Campaigners remain defiant after Manchester airport protest verdict and sentencing

Date added: 22 February, 2011

Campaigners from the ‘Manchester Airport on Trial’ group were sentenced after a 2 day trial at Trafford Magistrates’ court. The judge recognised the “sincerity” and “laudable motives” of the protesters, and handed down lenient sentences of 2 year conditional discharges and £310 court costs. One defendant received 80 hours of community service. The 6 campaigners stood trial for an action last May 2010 where they formed a human circle around the wheel of a Monarch Airline jet.

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Start of 2nd trial of Manchester airport protestors: climate expert speaks out on aviation industry’s ‘special treatment’

Date added: 21 February, 2011

The trial of 6 climate protesters who breached airside security at Manchester Airport began today at Trafford Magistrates Court. They will plead not guilty to the charge of aggravated trespass after they formed a human circle around the wheel of a Monarch Airline jet in May 2010. The defendants argue they acted to prevent death and serious injury by stopping emissions from the airport. Leading scientist Kevin Anderson, from the Tyndall Centre spoke for the defence.

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Manchester Airport On Trial. Day 2: Guilty verdicts, but the fight continues

Date added: 8 December, 2010

On the second day of the Manchester trial, the judge found Amanda Walters and Mark Haworth guilty of obstructing the highway at the airport, back in May. They were given fines of £175 an £250 respectively plus were ordered to pay £460 in costs each plus a £15 ‘victim surcharge’ each. During the day, the court heard that the expansion of the Airport would have significant impacts on local homes and globally in contributing to climate change.

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