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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Parliament hit by airport protest | Parliament hit by airport protest |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| Police have been forced to close the main public entrance to Parliament after anti-airport expansion protesters tried to force their way in. | Police have been forced to close the main public entrance to Parliament after anti-airport expansion protesters tried to force their way in. |
| Demonstrators against the expansion of Stansted airport in Essex and Heathrow airport in west London, tried to get in to the building in Westminster. | |
| Officers have made six arrests and have shut the St Stephen's Gate entrance. | |
| The government gave the go-ahead to Stansted's expansion this month and a decision on Heathrow is due this year. | The government gave the go-ahead to Stansted's expansion this month and a decision on Heathrow is due this year. |
| At about 1830 BST a group from the Stop Stansted Expansion marched to Parliament where they were stopped by police at the St Stephen's entrance. | |
| Police said none of the environmental demonstrators had managed to breach security. | Police said none of the environmental demonstrators had managed to breach security. |
| Metal bars | Metal bars |
| Inspector Tim Barfoot, who was on the scene, said: "The situation is being dealt with. | Inspector Tim Barfoot, who was on the scene, said: "The situation is being dealt with. |
| "We are concerned to ensure the effective running of Parliament." | "We are concerned to ensure the effective running of Parliament." |
| Five people have been arrested for breach of the peace and a 23-year-old woman has been held for breach of bail, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said. | |
| Doors at the main St Stephen's Gate entrance were closed and secured with two large metal bars. Protesters striking the doors were clearly audible from the inside. | Doors at the main St Stephen's Gate entrance were closed and secured with two large metal bars. Protesters striking the doors were clearly audible from the inside. |
| We simply wanted to exercise our legal right to make our representations to Parliament Protester Carole Barbone | |
| About 400 demonstrators from a number of organisations had gathered during the afternoon for the the protest and rally called Climate Rush. | |
| Many of the other protesters were dressed as Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragette movement, and said they wanted to "rush" Parliament to mark the centenary of similar action by the suffragettes. | |
| One protester, Rosie Haworth-Booth, 62, from Wandsworth, south-west London, said: "It's a pity we couldn't get into Parliament. I was near the front and got a bit afraid. I'm too old for this. | |
| "The government is prepared to give £50bn to help the banks and more people will be affected by this issue." | |
| Carole Barbone, of Stop Stansted Expansion, said: "I can understand the police might have felt there was a risk due to the numbers of people involved but there was no intention from anyone involved to cause any damage or harm to people or property. | |
| "We simply wanted to exercise our legal right to make our representations to Parliament." |