Rising Tide occupy British Airport Authority boardroom.

BAA Offices Occupied

Four protesters from London Rising Tide occupied the main boardroom of the British Airport Authority on August 9th. The protest was against the planned expansion of BAA airports, including the controversial £2.5 billion fifth terminal at Heathrow. To provide for predicted air traffic growth the equivalent of four new Heathrows will need to be built by 2020. Aviation is the world’s fastest growing source of CO2 emissions, while the oil industry that supplies the untaxed kerosene is guilty of untold human rights abuses from Alaska to Indonesia.

Despite a spot of bother getting into the lifts the four were barricaded in the seventh floor boardroom by 8.45am, refusing to leave until BAA cancelled plans for Terminal 5. From the boardroom attempts were made to speak to CEO, Mike Hodgkinson, but he was unavailable. Outside the main door a banner was hung and leaflets distributed. Police were quickly on the scene and at 1.30pm BAA security barged into the room, breaking a table. With their offer to negotiate rejected the four were promptly dragged outside then released. Source: London RTS rts@gn.apc.org

And In Manchester...

To coincide with the farce attempting to pass as action to save the world from human-created climate change in Bonn, Manchester Earth First!ers took the tram to Heaton Park for a picnic! They leafleted passengers about climate change and the 90% for 90% campaign on the way, getting off at each stop and leafleting the next tram. The 90% for 90% campaign aims to see a 90% reduction in public transport fares to get the 90% reduction in CO emissions essential to avert climate chaos. Source Loombreaker

See www.risingtide.org.uk for more climate action reports including a tripod blockade of Esso’s depot in Leatherhead on July 24th, action in Oxford and a Critical Mass in Edinburgh.