'Traffic carnage' at Heathrow airport as protesters take over terminal
Passengers reported “total carnage” trying to get into Heathrow airport today as protesters staged a demo against airport expansion.
Police were on site as crowds of cyclists dressed in red rode their bikes outside the airport in a bid to block traffic before staging a 'die-in' inside the terminal.
Demonstrators lay on the floor inside the terminal building and refused to move as passengers made their way to catch flights.
Traveller Danny Russell said he saw “traffic carnage” outside the airport as the hoards of protesters attempted to block the roads with their bikes.
Planned protest: Heathrow Airport said there was no disruption to flights. (REUTERS)
He said: “I’m in T3 and nothing going on here but outside on A4 bridge there are loads of protestors (dressed in what I could only see as large bedsheets with flags) causing traffic carnage.
“Loads of police plus helicopter. Roads to tunnel were stationary for 10 minutes at one point. Moving now.”
But a spokesman for Heathrow Airport told the Standard the planned protest had caused no disruption to flights or to the airport at all. The airport later tweeted traffic was 'now free flowing' after some complaints about disruption on the roads.
A spokesperson for the airport later added: "The peaceful demonstration that took place at Heathrow had absolutely no operational impact."
Other travellers reported seeing lots of police at the airport to deal with the flash mob.
Police in Croydon said some of their officers were at the scene.
The protest was organised by climate change group Reclaim the Power who are calling for no new runways to be opened at Heathrow. The activists claim airport expansion is the biggest cause of carbon dioxide.
The protesters read out testimonies from communities affected by climate change, urging those taking flights to think about the impact they have.
A second demonstration was held at the nearby Harmondsworth Detention Centre, where protesters dressed in red lay on the ground and obstructed traffic to highlight the link between climate impacts and migration, while a "picnic" protest was also held at Gatwick airport earlier on Saturday.
The campaigns were linked to other demonstrations around the world opposing airport expansion, timed to coincide with a UN conference addressing the impact of aviation.
Mary Adams from Reclaim the Power, the activism organisation behind the protest, said: "Expanding airports is completely irresponsible and will bring us out of reach of our own targets to stop climate change.
"This problem isn't being caused by business or normal families taking a holiday, but a wealthy elite 'binge flying', often to second homes. Yet it's poorer countries that are the hardest-hit by climate change, even though they have done the least to cause the problem.
"Expanding Heathrow is incompatible with creating a fairer and more equal world."
Ministers are currently considering whether to support the plans for Heathrow or Gatwick, and a decision is expected in the coming weeks.
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