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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23598196-details/Protesters+storm+Stansted+and+bring+it+to+a+standstill/article.do
Protesters storm Stansted and bring it to a standstill
ANTI-AVIATION activists stormed Stansted airport today in an astonishing breach of security that brought flights to a standstill.
Delays: protesters caused major disruption at Stansted Airport this morning
More than 50 protesters occupied a secure area of the airfield, preventing planes taxiing to the runway.
Flights, including easyJet and Ryanair services, were cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and severely embarrassing airport operator BAA. It is believed to be the first time that demonstrators have managed to occupy a major British airport.
Members of the climate action group Plane Stupid used bolt-cutters to break through a perimeter fence at 3.15am and then set up a protest camp about 50 yards from Stansted's runway.
The activists, most of them under 25 and mainly students, chained and bolted themselves to security fencing which they had brought with them.
Police began the laborious process of cutting the 54 protesters free at first light. By 8.30am officers with dogs and bolt-cutters had cleared the area, allowing planes to take off and land. Thirty nine activists were arrested.
One of the leaders of today's protests Lily Kember, 21, from Kensal Green, told the Standard: "We are preventing any flights from taking off."
Ms Kember, who is protesting over the Government's decision to allow the expansion of Stansted with a second runway, revealed that Plane Stupid chose to break in today because the organisation had information that the runway was shut for maintenance.
Ms Kember said: "The runway has now been out of action for an hour and that is 250 tonnes of carbon we have prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere."
Another Plane Stupid member, who would only give her name as Olivia, speaking by mobile phone, told how she and about 50 others were being driven from the site of the protest in an airport shuttle bus after being arrested.
Olivia, who had been handcuffed by police, said: "We are all now in a shuttle bus having a party. We are all singing and dancing. This is the first time a major British airport has been brought to a standstill for this reason."
It is by far the largest number of protesters assembled for an action of this kind and will concern airport security chiefs that there was no indication it was going to take place.
BAA said in a statement: "At approximately 3am an unknown number of individuals breached security, but afterwards were held by police. Due to this event the runway is closed and will continue to be so until further notice. The advice to passengers is to contact their airlines directly who can advise them but we are expecting delays."
Ryanair, which uses Stansted as its main UK hub, today demanded an inquiry into the security breach. The airline said: "Ryanair has been forced to cancel its first wave of flights (50). We will be calling for an investigation as to why the BAA management has once again failed to keep Stansted Airport open to the travelling public."
Protesters storm Stansted and bring it to a standstill
ANTI-AVIATION activists stormed Stansted airport today in an astonishing breach of security that brought flights to a standstill.
Delays: protesters caused major disruption at Stansted Airport this morning
More than 50 protesters occupied a secure area of the airfield, preventing planes taxiing to the runway.
Flights, including easyJet and Ryanair services, were cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and severely embarrassing airport operator BAA. It is believed to be the first time that demonstrators have managed to occupy a major British airport.
Members of the climate action group Plane Stupid used bolt-cutters to break through a perimeter fence at 3.15am and then set up a protest camp about 50 yards from Stansted's runway.
The activists, most of them under 25 and mainly students, chained and bolted themselves to security fencing which they had brought with them.
Police began the laborious process of cutting the 54 protesters free at first light. By 8.30am officers with dogs and bolt-cutters had cleared the area, allowing planes to take off and land. Thirty nine activists were arrested.
One of the leaders of today's protests Lily Kember, 21, from Kensal Green, told the Standard: "We are preventing any flights from taking off."
Ms Kember, who is protesting over the Government's decision to allow the expansion of Stansted with a second runway, revealed that Plane Stupid chose to break in today because the organisation had information that the runway was shut for maintenance.
Ms Kember said: "The runway has now been out of action for an hour and that is 250 tonnes of carbon we have prevented from being emitted into the atmosphere."
Another Plane Stupid member, who would only give her name as Olivia, speaking by mobile phone, told how she and about 50 others were being driven from the site of the protest in an airport shuttle bus after being arrested.
Olivia, who had been handcuffed by police, said: "We are all now in a shuttle bus having a party. We are all singing and dancing. This is the first time a major British airport has been brought to a standstill for this reason."
It is by far the largest number of protesters assembled for an action of this kind and will concern airport security chiefs that there was no indication it was going to take place.
BAA said in a statement: "At approximately 3am an unknown number of individuals breached security, but afterwards were held by police. Due to this event the runway is closed and will continue to be so until further notice. The advice to passengers is to contact their airlines directly who can advise them but we are expecting delays."
Ryanair, which uses Stansted as its main UK hub, today demanded an inquiry into the security breach. The airline said: "Ryanair has been forced to cancel its first wave of flights (50). We will be calling for an investigation as to why the BAA management has once again failed to keep Stansted Airport open to the travelling public."
