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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/18/climate-activists-target-heathrow-airport-as-protests-continue
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| Extinction Rebellion to target Heathrow as protests continue | Extinction Rebellion to target Heathrow as protests continue |
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| Environmental campaigners are planning to disrupt Heathrow on Friday as they escalate their protests in an attempt to highlight the climate crisis and demand the government takes urgent action. | Environmental campaigners are planning to disrupt Heathrow on Friday as they escalate their protests in an attempt to highlight the climate crisis and demand the government takes urgent action. |
| Activists, who have successfully blockaded four landmark sites in central London for the past four days, said they would target the airport at the start of the Easter bank holiday. | Activists, who have successfully blockaded four landmark sites in central London for the past four days, said they would target the airport at the start of the Easter bank holiday. |
| On Thursday, Heathrow said it was working with authorities to deal with the threat of protests that could disrupt flights. | On Thursday, Heathrow said it was working with authorities to deal with the threat of protests that could disrupt flights. |
| The home secretary, Sajid Javid, said more than 1,000 officers have been deployed each day to deal with the demonstrations in the capital, as he urged the police to use the “full force of the law”. | The home secretary, Sajid Javid, said more than 1,000 officers have been deployed each day to deal with the demonstrations in the capital, as he urged the police to use the “full force of the law”. |
| Scotland Yard on Thursday evening said it had arrested “more than 460” protesters at Waterloo Bridge, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square, adding that “where people are not acting within the law we continue to arrest them, and we anticipate arrests continuing to rise”. | |
| Earlier on Thursday, three people were put on remand for a month after an Extinction Rebellion protest in which activists climbed on top of a train at Canary Wharf station in east London. | Earlier on Thursday, three people were put on remand for a month after an Extinction Rebellion protest in which activists climbed on top of a train at Canary Wharf station in east London. |
| Cathy Eastburn, 51, from south London, Mark Ovland, 35, from Somerton in Somerset, and Luke Watson, 29, from Manuden in Essex, were charged with obstructing trains or carriages on the railway by an unlawful act, contrary to section 36 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861, over the protest on Wednesday that halted Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services. | Cathy Eastburn, 51, from south London, Mark Ovland, 35, from Somerton in Somerset, and Luke Watson, 29, from Manuden in Essex, were charged with obstructing trains or carriages on the railway by an unlawful act, contrary to section 36 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861, over the protest on Wednesday that halted Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services. |
| Extinction Rebellion is an international protest group that uses non-violent civil disobedience to campaign on environmental issues. Demonstration have included blocking bridges to traffic in London and a semi-naked protest inside the House of Commons. | Extinction Rebellion is an international protest group that uses non-violent civil disobedience to campaign on environmental issues. Demonstration have included blocking bridges to traffic in London and a semi-naked protest inside the House of Commons. |
| The group says climate breakdown threatens all life on Earth, and so it is rebelling against politicians who 'have failed us', to provoke radical change that will stave off a climate emergency. | The group says climate breakdown threatens all life on Earth, and so it is rebelling against politicians who 'have failed us', to provoke radical change that will stave off a climate emergency. |
| On Wednesday, they pleaded not guilty at Highbury Corner magistrates court. The district judge, Julia Newton, denied the three bail and remanded them in custody to appear at Blackfriars crown court on 16 May. The maximum prison sentence under the charge is two years. | On Wednesday, they pleaded not guilty at Highbury Corner magistrates court. The district judge, Julia Newton, denied the three bail and remanded them in custody to appear at Blackfriars crown court on 16 May. The maximum prison sentence under the charge is two years. |
| The move came as organisers promised to cause further disruption with swarming roadblocks on the streets of central London as the protest entered its fourth day, anticipating the arrival of reinforcements from Extinction Rebellion groups elsewhere in the country. | The move came as organisers promised to cause further disruption with swarming roadblocks on the streets of central London as the protest entered its fourth day, anticipating the arrival of reinforcements from Extinction Rebellion groups elsewhere in the country. |
| On Thursday morning, activists reported they were staging roadblocks on Vauxhall Bridge. They hope more Londoners, freed from the constraints of work by the long Easter weekend, will also join in. | On Thursday morning, activists reported they were staging roadblocks on Vauxhall Bridge. They hope more Londoners, freed from the constraints of work by the long Easter weekend, will also join in. |
| On Thursday afternoon, police continued to enforce their section 14 order in Oxford Circus. Under the order, protesters have been told they can continue their demonstration at Marble Arch. | On Thursday afternoon, police continued to enforce their section 14 order in Oxford Circus. Under the order, protesters have been told they can continue their demonstration at Marble Arch. |
| The Guardian watched as police carried away one protester after another, while crowds chanted “tell the truth” and “we love you” as each demonstrator was taken away. | The Guardian watched as police carried away one protester after another, while crowds chanted “tell the truth” and “we love you” as each demonstrator was taken away. |
| No music played from the stage in the early afternoon, but speakers addressed the crowd through a megaphone and drummers played rhythms to accompany every cheer. | No music played from the stage in the early afternoon, but speakers addressed the crowd through a megaphone and drummers played rhythms to accompany every cheer. |
| Emmy Stocking, 35, a landscape gardener from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, was handing out free food from a tent. “So far it’s just been lovely vibes,” she said. “Police have been arresting people but the atmosphere is awesome.” | Emmy Stocking, 35, a landscape gardener from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, was handing out free food from a tent. “So far it’s just been lovely vibes,” she said. “Police have been arresting people but the atmosphere is awesome.” |
| The Extinction Rebellion protest is inspired. But what comes next? | Polly Toynbee | The Extinction Rebellion protest is inspired. But what comes next? | Polly Toynbee |
| It was quiet at the Marble Arch site on Thursday, where activists have been camping all week. A woman played acoustic guitar and sang folk songs from the solar-powered stage while passersby visited information stands or had clothes printed with Extinction Rebellion logos. | It was quiet at the Marble Arch site on Thursday, where activists have been camping all week. A woman played acoustic guitar and sang folk songs from the solar-powered stage while passersby visited information stands or had clothes printed with Extinction Rebellion logos. |
| The protests have continued despite police imposing conditions at three of the four sites where protesters have blocked traffic since Monday. Parliament Square, which was partially seized by police after they appeared in large numbers early on Wednesday evening, was retaken later the same night by protesters who arrived with a samba band and re-established roadblocks. | The protests have continued despite police imposing conditions at three of the four sites where protesters have blocked traffic since Monday. Parliament Square, which was partially seized by police after they appeared in large numbers early on Wednesday evening, was retaken later the same night by protesters who arrived with a samba band and re-established roadblocks. |
| In Parliament Square on Thursday, protesters had reinforced their lockdown protests. One group had attached a coffin to a safety rope holding a man up in a large tree outside the supreme court. If the coffin were moved, the safety rope would fail. | In Parliament Square on Thursday, protesters had reinforced their lockdown protests. One group had attached a coffin to a safety rope holding a man up in a large tree outside the supreme court. If the coffin were moved, the safety rope would fail. |
| Dav, 40, from Bristol, who built the contraption, said: “I learned to do this on a tree protest in Tasmania, where we were protecting old grove rain forests from logging corporations, and we have adapted it numerous times around the planet. | Dav, 40, from Bristol, who built the contraption, said: “I learned to do this on a tree protest in Tasmania, where we were protecting old grove rain forests from logging corporations, and we have adapted it numerous times around the planet. |
| “This is the most lo-fi version of it I’ve done, and it just suited the need of blocking the road with just one piece of rope. | “This is the most lo-fi version of it I’ve done, and it just suited the need of blocking the road with just one piece of rope. |
| #ExtinctionRebellion protesters have beefed up their lock down fortifications at #ParliamentSquareThis coffin is attached to a safety rope holding a man up a large tree outside the supreme court. If the coffin is moved, the safety rope will fail.#RebelForLife pic.twitter.com/qdtvuryy2N | #ExtinctionRebellion protesters have beefed up their lock down fortifications at #ParliamentSquareThis coffin is attached to a safety rope holding a man up a large tree outside the supreme court. If the coffin is moved, the safety rope will fail.#RebelForLife pic.twitter.com/qdtvuryy2N |
| “It was then just so wonderful because the police suddenly evaporated, but there were still lots of us and we had a samba band and lots of supporting people who arrived. | “It was then just so wonderful because the police suddenly evaporated, but there were still lots of us and we had a samba band and lots of supporting people who arrived. |
| “As the night wore on there were so few of them that we were able to retake the two junctions … so we basically control Parliament Square again.” | “As the night wore on there were so few of them that we were able to retake the two junctions … so we basically control Parliament Square again.” |
| Police have come under heavy criticism for apparently targeting legal observers – volunteers who collect evidence on protesters’ behalf during interactions with officers – as they worked on Waterloo Bridge. The Guardian witnessed officers pointing out the observers, who wear orange tabards, before moving in to serve them with notice to leave. | Police have come under heavy criticism for apparently targeting legal observers – volunteers who collect evidence on protesters’ behalf during interactions with officers – as they worked on Waterloo Bridge. The Guardian witnessed officers pointing out the observers, who wear orange tabards, before moving in to serve them with notice to leave. |
| One observer, Stu Daniel, from Devon, who was arrested on Tuesday, said he had never seen police target legal observers before. “We are impartial in our note-taking,” he said. “We aim to facilitate a peaceful arrest process for activists choosing to take that step. | One observer, Stu Daniel, from Devon, who was arrested on Tuesday, said he had never seen police target legal observers before. “We are impartial in our note-taking,” he said. “We aim to facilitate a peaceful arrest process for activists choosing to take that step. |
| “We are a strong symbol and a deterrent for the very rare but occasional occurrence of heavy-handed police behaviour and, equally, can provide a reminder were there to be any slips from [Extinction Rebellion’s] non-violent protocol in protester behaviour.” | “We are a strong symbol and a deterrent for the very rare but occasional occurrence of heavy-handed police behaviour and, equally, can provide a reminder were there to be any slips from [Extinction Rebellion’s] non-violent protocol in protester behaviour.” |
| Extinction Rebellion | Extinction Rebellion |
| Environmental activism | Environmental activism |
| Heathrow airport | Heathrow airport |
| Protest | Protest |
| London | London |
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| Transport | Transport |
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