Twenty-two flights cancelled and 13 people arrested after demonstrators from Plane Stupid cut through fence and entered runway at 3.30am

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Thirteen climate change activists have been arrested after they chained themselves together on the northern runway at Heathrow, causing delays and cancellations for passengers.

The demonstrators from direct action group Plane Stupid cut through a perimeter fence and entered the northern runway at 3.30am on Monday. Activists wore armlocks and lay on the runway, where police brought heavy machinery to cut them free.

Plane Stupid said the protesters – one of whom was dressed as a polar bear – were campaigning against runway expansion, and further protests would follow.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Plane Stupid protesters at Heathrow taking action on airport expansion and climate change. Photograph: Plane Stupid

Heathrow has cancelled 22 flights so far on Monday, which a spokesman said was mostly due to protest action.

At least seven cancellations were British Airways domestic and short-haul flights, and the airline said it was “doing everything we can to minimise disruption to our flights”.

Other flights were experiencing delays but a Heathrow spokesman said the demonstration was “having a very minimal effect on the operation” of the airport, which averages 1,300 flights a day.

Plane Stupid (@planestupid) 3 double sets of arm locks at the base of tripod in the middle of the runway at #heathrow #keepitontheground pic.twitter.com/Tr6AKPpgbt

Heathrow said customers should check the status of their flights. Both runways are operational but the northern runway is shorter than normal and can only accept short-haul flights, a spokesman said.

“We are working closely with the police who are dealing with the incident. The southern runway remains open,” a statement from the airport said. “Our priority remains to ensure the safety of the airport community, including passengers, employees and protesters.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Climate change protesters at the runway at Heathrow.

Seven hours into the protest, police had arrested nine people after cutting through their armlocks. The four remaining activists were moved to a “safe area” while officers continued to try to remove their arms from the lock, but were also later arrested.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said: “At approximately 3.45am officers were alerted to a number of protesters who had made their way airside at Heathrow airport. A small number of these protesters chained themselves to a tripod. Officers are in attendance.”



In a later statement, police said: “There were 13 protesters in total on the north runway. All 13 have been arrested on suspicion of Aviation Act offences and remain in custody.



“The Metropolitan Police Service works closely with Heathrow Airport Limited to keep those who use or work at Heathrow safe and secure. The Metropolitan police and Heathrow will jointly review today’s protest incident at the airport and make necessary changes to the security plan.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Activists protest on the north runway at London’s Heathrow airport. Photograph: PA

Plane Stupid (@planestupid) First activist taken away at #heathrow sending a clear message we want #NoThirdRunway #noifsnobuts pic.twitter.com/5ZPqL8jRGX

Plane Stupid (@planestupid) Second activist taken off now #NoThirdRunway third being cut pic.twitter.com/TyhqxTXZkw

Plane Stupid (@planestupid) Yep, still going on this one... #keepitontheground pic.twitter.com/voFhgDKtso

A video posted online from earlier in the protest appeared to show several activists chained together and being spoken to by a police officer. The officer told them: “As a consequence of you being here, you are causing severe disruption and it will be in the millions of pounds because it will take us a while to remove you.

“The cost will be in the couple of millions. The airport will attempt to make a civil recovery.”

The officer told the group international flights were being diverted, though an airport spokesman said none had been so far.

Sarah Shoraka, of Plane Stupid, said the group had re-formed since the publication this month of a long-awaited report that recommended a new runway should be built at Heathrow rather than Gatwick.

After three years of investigation, the Airports Commission said Heathrow was best placed to provide “urgently required” capacity.

“We thought we’d won this fight, because David Cameron said ‘no ifs, no buts’ there would be no runway at Heathrow,” Shoraka told the Guardian. “We thought it was off the table and then the report came through and we thought: ‘We’re going to have to fight this all over again.’”

She insisted the activists had not endangered flights. “We picked the spot so we wouldn’t endanger flights trying to land. But we are not big corporations, we are not Boris Johnson, we don’t have resources at our disposal other than our bodies.

“We need to insert climate change into the narrative, it’s been absent from the whole debate ever since the report came out.”

She said Plane Stupid would stage more demonstrations on the issue. “There is a huge coalition of groups against this and we have to stop this again.”

How would you be affected by a third runway at Heathrow? Read more

By 10am, there was little sign of disruption in Terminal 5. Tom, who declined to give his surname, said he was travelling to Zurich at 12.20pm but his smartphone showed the flight was not expected to depart until 1.55pm. His colleague Fiona said an app was telling her their flight was on time.

“I found out on Google that it was delayed for a couple of hours but I haven’t heard from BA,” Tom said. “For me it’s not an issue. People have the right to voice their opinions, it’s just when it affects other people. When it starts to affect innocent people, with a knock-on effect on businesses. I am being affected for something that’s not my fault.”

Fiona was more sympathetic. “Isn’t Heathrow one of the busiest airports in the world anyway?” she asked. “So I don’t see why they need another runway. I would be more annoyed if I was going on holiday and had taken leave.”

Retired couple Jean and Ray Leonard, who were travelling to Munich for a river cruise, said they had mixed feelings about the protest, though they had not been delayed. “We saw the police at the roundabout when we came in and wondered what was happening,” Mrs Leonard said. “It’s very difficult when you’re personally affected and losing your house [because of the new runway].”

“It seems to be young people, not the people affected. They’ve got nothing better to do,” her husband interjected.

The airport has already repaired the hole cut by the activists in its perimeter fence, and an aviation security expert said the ability of the activists to get through the barrier would not be a serious security issue.

“Airports have around a 20km perimeter on average, a fence is essentially a demarcation line,” said Philip Baum, editor-in-chief of Aviation Security International. “The important thing is, if the fence is breached, the security services at the airport have the technology to spot them and respond.

“What is a huge concern is that this is a distraction for the security authorities, who we know are battling a real security challenge from terrorism.”