11 arrested in UK private planes protest

Eleven people were arrested today after climate change protesters staged simultaneous demonstrations at two airports against private air travel.

The group, who blocked off Biggin Hill airport in Kent by chaining themselves to the main entrance gate and lying down in the main access road, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.

Meanwhile about 20 protesters at Farnborough airport in Hampshire blockaded the gate for around two and a half hours.

Richard George, 26, a spokesman for the Kent group, which is linked to the climate change camp at Heathrow airport, said the protest was aimed at the “super-rich” who by using private aircraft fly in the most carbon inefficient way possible.

“This is a protest against the super-rich with their own planes who are putting two fingers up to attempts by the rest of us who try to cut our carbon emissions by saying they will not only continue to fly, but they will fly in the most carbon inefficient way possible,” he said.

He stressed that the protest was in no way a “dry run” for what is planned at the weekend for Heathrow.

“This is not the sort of thing that will be happening at Heathrow. We have no intention of shutting down Heathrow. That is a very different situation.

“The growth in private aviation scandalously mocks the efforts of people who try to reduce their carbon footprint,” he said.

Around 30 police officers were at the scene including several in boiler suits.

Police said arrests were made after the protesters refused to leave the site.

Three of the protesters, who had chained themselves to the main gate, were arrested after being cut free by officers with specialist cutting equipment.

Four others lay in front of them on the ground with their arms apparently chained together inside fluorescent yellow tubes.

Chief Inspector Mick Dod from the Metropolitan Police’s Territorial Support Group said, although their protest was peaceful, it was nevertheless against the law.

In Hampshire, police said the demonstration was called off after they were warned they were trespassing.

A spokeswoman said: “The protest at the entrance to Farnborough International Airport has ended with all 18 demonstrators peacefully leaving the site.

“Shortly before 9am the police gave the protesters a warning under section 69 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act that they were committing trespass and within 15 minutes the protest had ended.”

Biggin Hill Airport played a key role in the Second World War when it was a busy RAF base and was used as an air station during the Battle of Britain.

In the 1970s it was acquired by Bromley council and operated as a civil airport with up to 200,000 light aircraft flights per year.

It is now dedicated to business aviation operators who use it as a convenient way of flying executive clients into London, which is 12 miles away.

A spokesman for the airport said it had remained open throughout the protest and services were operating as normal. About 40 flights arrive at or depart from Biggin Hill each day.

“All our flights are going in and out as scheduled,” he said.

“Passengers were diverted to a different entrance and there is no disruption to services which are operating as usual.”

One protester, who gave her name only as Sophie, said she had travelled from Scotland to be at the protest.

The 19-year-old said: “We are here to protest against this airport because it’s used by people who have private jets. It’s one of the most inefficient ways of travelling. Aviation is one of the fastest contributors to climate change and nothing’s being done.”

Another protester, a woman who was chained by her neck, added: “As well as other kinds of negotiation, we feel direct action is necessary.”