PENNY TURNS UP AT HEATHROW

Hebden Bridge campaigner Penny Eastwood makes headlines today after taking part in the Heathrow No Third Runway protest. Penny was apparently being held in a west London police station last night after she superglued herself to a gate at the camp on Tuesday night.
Police used chemical debonder to remove her hand from the metal gate before arresting her on suspicion of criminal damage. Penny is a member of Plane Stupid, the organisation targeted by a limited High Court injunction obtained by airport operator BAA.
She is the third person to be arrested in connection with the Heathrow climate protest.

FROM HEBDEN BRIDGE TO HEATHROW-GOOD LUCK TO THE PROTESTORS

Many of my friends and colleagues in this neck of the woods are planning a trip down south to join the Climate Change /third runway protest at Heathrow. Ironically, many more than probably would have done had there not been so much publicity about the heavy-handed approach of the police and Downing Street. The inevitable comparisons with Greenham Common are already being made by the right-wing media but most of the coverage has been fair-minded and even sympathetic.

I wish the protestors luck and hope they manage to change the status quo. I remember there were similar protests at Manchester Airport about 10 years ago - but that was way before climate change took centre-stage. Since then, cheap air travel, and the awareness of environmental pollution caused by aviation , has rocketed. So the chances of this protest capturing public support are much much greater.

One of Heathrow's local MPs is John McDonnell. Indeed, his Hayes and Harlington constituency is the epicentre of the protest. Today, he offered unequivocal backing to the campaign, saying : "I wholeheartedly support the camp as it draws attention to the devastation of our community by a third runway. There will be direct action, but we've been trying to make people listen to us for years. This is a last resort. Remember successive governments have promised us no further extension of Heathrow."