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Authorities warn of action over Heathrow protests

14/08/2007

A Labour party MP and a senior Scotland Yard officer have warned that action will be taken to maintain public order if protesters at Heathrow cause safety concerns.

They were commenting on newspaper reports that protesters were planning to disrupt the airport's activities during their eight-day campaign to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Speaking on BBC Two's Newsnight programme Labour MP Khalid Mahmood raised concerns about some of the tactics protesters at the week-long Camp for Climate Action may employ to get their message across.

Hundreds more protesters are expected to arrive at the camp today ahead of "24 hours of mass action" between midday on Sunday and Monday.

Commenting on a story in the Evening Standard newspaper which mentioned that protesters could deliberately cause security alerts, he said: "There is an issue of lawful protests and I think there is absolutely no problem with that.

"But there is an issue with some of these people where there are bogus packages being left, and if people are possibly going to be climbing the perimeter fences and the possibility of an accident being caused to a landing or taking-off aircraft, there is a huge fatality issue there and I think people have to take responsibility."

The MP added that such actions would be "totally and utterly irresponsible" stating that the police would have to act in such circumstances.

Yesterday, the head of traffic and transport for the Metropolitan police said counter-terrorism policing could be used if serious violations occurred.

Commander Jo Kaye, who is overseeing security at the camp, told Channel 4 News: "The climate camp is about a demonstration about climate, quite obviously, and we will use public order policing tactics to police public order."

"We police it [Heathrow airport] 365 days a year and where we are working in a counter terrorist and security environment, we will use counter-terrorist policing."

Mr Kaye said police would use the "full range of their powers" in a lawful and proportional manner as there was a security element present in demonstrations.

However, a protester at the camp denied that they were planning to disrupt the airport's activities.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Matthew Robbins said: "The people who are going to be on the camp are the people who are going to decide what we do on that day. What we have got is a few set arrangements beforehand that we have decided we are not going to go onto runways and we are not going to go airside.

Meanwhile Chris Goater, head of environment policy for the Airport Operators Association, suggested that protesters are targeting the wrong industry by highlighting the issue of aviation and global warming.

Mr Goater stated that the aviation industry was working to curb its carbon emissions but he added that the current quantum of pollution caused was "incredibly small".

He told Channel 4 News: "I think [the protesters] are probably looking at the wrong target. If you look at other areas where emissions come from, aviation is an incredibly small part of the problem."

BAA, the operator of Heathrow and other major British airports including Gatwick, Stansted and Glasgow, has already sought to limit the impact the camp has on its business.

Last week it won a limited high court injunction but failed to block the camp from taking place. It has warned it will prevent its passengers from being "harassed or obstructed".

A new terminal, the fifth at Heathrow, will open in March 2008. The government is also planning to have another runaway operating at the airport by 2020.

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