Extinction Rebellion considers using drones to shut Heathrow Airport

By Matthew Green

 

FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators march along Whitehall during an Extinction Rebellion protest in London, Britain April 23, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion are considering using drones to shut London's Heathrow Airport this summer in a campaign against plans to build a third runway at Europe's busiest airport, the group said on Thursday.

 

This would mark a significant escalation by Extinction Rebellion, which mobilised thousands of people in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign that brought parts of central London to a standstill in April.

 

"On June 18, we plan to carry out nonviolent direct action to ensure Heathrow Authorities close the airport for the day, to create a 'pause' in recognition of the genocidal impact of high carbon activities, such as flying, upon the natural world," Extinction Rebellion said in a statement.

 

"This is not about targeting the public, but holding the Government to their duty to take leadership on the climate and ecological emergency," the group said.

 

British security forces have been on alert since December, when Gatwick Airport outside London was forced to cancel flights over several days due to large drones near the perimeter. Extinction Rebellion was not involved in that incident, senior members of the movement said at the time.

 

In an internal proposal written by volunteers and seen by Reuters, activists suggested using drones to force authorities to ground flights at Heathrow Airport while other protesters held picnics. The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance.

 

If the government does not cede to their demands after disruption on June 18, the activists proposed shutting the airport for the first two weeks in July.

 

Extinction Rebellion's commitment to non-violent civil disobedience to press for faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions has spurred offshoots in more than a dozen countries and pushed climate change up the political agenda.

 

Nevertheless, the planned Heathrow action is likely to divide opinion within the movement. Some volunteers believe that governments will only treat the climate crisis with sufficient urgency if faced with large-scale disruption, including to transport networks.

 

Others fear that disrupting air travel may alienate large numbers of people who might otherwise have been sympathetic to the movement's demands.

 

As a self-organising, highly decentralised movement, Extinction Rebellion volunteers have a lot of autonomy, making it hard to predict whether the drone proposal will win enough support to proceed.

 

Britain's parliament backed a plan to build an $18 billion (14 billion pounds) third runway at Heathrow Airport last year, but the expansion faces opposition from local communities and environmentalists.

 

Heathrow Airport is owned by Ferrovial, Qatar Investment Authority and China Investment Corporation among others.

 

(Reporting by Matthew Green; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-31

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32 minutes ago, webfact said:

Extinction Rebellion's commitment to non-violent civil disobedience to press for faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions has spurred offshoots in more than a dozen countries and pushed climate change up the political agenda.

Threatening action which could conceivably lead to a major air disaster - a large passenger aircraft colliding with a drone - seems to this old fascist to be rather stretching the definition of non-violent civil disobedience...

23 minutes ago, JAG said:

Threatening action which could conceivably lead to a major air disaster - a large passenger aircraft colliding with a drone - seems to this old fascist to be rather stretching the definition of non-violent civil disobedience...

I'd say your opinion here is stretching the definition of non-violent disobedience.

45 minutes ago, JAG said:

Threatening action which could conceivably lead to a major air disaster - a large passenger aircraft colliding with a drone - seems to this old fascist to be rather stretching the definition of non-violent civil disobedience...

Did you read this sentence? "The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance"

 

Such a warning seems quite responsible to me.

No different from terrorism

1 hour ago, sungod said:

No different from terrorism

And that's exactly how they should be treated; meanwhile here's what the last lot can expect:

 

Met wants 1,130 climate protesters charged

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In an internal proposal written by volunteers and seen by Reuters, activists suggested using drones to force authorities to ground flights at Heathrow Airport while other protesters held picnics. The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance.

In other words a hoax...

lock them up

Maybe if protesters were to use a blimp to stop Airforce one from landing next week, they should be excused.

 

3 hours ago, neeray said:

Did you read this sentence? "The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance"

 

Such a warning seems quite responsible to me.

A bit like parking a carbomb and then telephoning the police to give them a warning?

I wish them well and every success in that. Heathrow airport is an abomination and should have been closed decades ago.

5 hours ago, JAG said:

Threatening action which could conceivably lead to a major air disaster - a large passenger aircraft colliding with a drone - seems to this old fascist to be rather stretching the definition of non-violent civil disobedience...

Agree. They might easily lose control of this kind of action/situation, which would damage, rather than enhance XR's efforts. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Extinction Rebellion said in a statement.

"This is not about targeting the public, but holding the Government to their duty to take leadership on the climate and ecological emergency,"

Well OK but don't distract them from getting Brexit done.

5 hours ago, neeray said:

Did you read this sentence? "The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance"

 

Such a warning seems quite responsible to me.

 

Hmmm. Perhaps bank robbers could give advance notice so no one gets hurt in their robbery too?

 

Criminal actions are carried out by criminals. Committing a crime for political reasons is not a valid excuse.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I wish them well and every success in that. Heathrow airport is an abomination and should have been closed decades ago.

 

And how would you cater for all the aircraft and travelers then?

Just now, Baerboxer said:

 

And how would you cater for all the aircraft and travelers then?

You obviously didn't read my suggestion on another thread.

Two new airports, one south east coast, one south west coast, with a high speed train from Heathrow to take travellers to them. Less distance to travel in the air, less pollution of the atmosphere, Heathrow is closed to aircraft, less noise and London doesn't have loads of aircraft circling overhead all day.

Heathrow is an abomination for the people that live under the flight path, and should have been closed long, long ago.

Wow, don't they think the country is reeling economically enough as it is with all that is happening politically? And now they want to try and cripple aviation? IMO this is bordering on treason and they should be rounded up and held accountable.

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You obviously didn't read my suggestion on another thread.

Two new airports, one south east coast, one south west coast, with a high speed train from Heathrow to take travellers to them. Less distance to travel in the air, less pollution of the atmosphere, Heathrow is closed to aircraft, less noise and London doesn't have loads of aircraft circling overhead all day.

Heathrow is an abomination for the people that live under the flight path, and should have been closed long, long ago.

I agree LHR is too crowded and too built up and it's only a matter of time before a major disaster occurs there. IMO they'd be better off re-locating an hours drive away in any direction, say Abingdon/Brize Norton, Lyenham, Manston/Ashford.....or give the tree huggers something to moan about by sticking it in the middle of Salisbury plain somewhere between Andover and Netheravon.

 

As an afterthought Odiham could be added to the above.

Edited May 31, 20197 yr by evadgib

you gotta love those Agent provocateurs...and their many useful idiots!

There are some people who just like to protest about something , enjoy marching , confronting the authorities and being in the news .

  Maybe it just gives their lives some significance ?

30 minutes ago, sanemax said:

There are some people who just like to protest about something , enjoy marching , confronting the authorities and being in the news .

  Maybe it just gives their lives some significance ?

I'm old enough to remember the Vietnam protestors. Pretty much the same. Not much changes in life.

One of New Zealand's principle protestors later sold out and became a mayor. Still is far as I know.

Edited May 31, 20197 yr by thaibeachlovers

Giving advance warning, as the group has, gives Heathrow plenty of time to prepare. 

 

Me too, as I’m travelling in early July...

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

There are some people who just like to protest about something , enjoy marching , confronting the authorities and being in the news .

  Maybe it just gives their lives some significance ?

 

35 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm old enough to remember the Vietnam protestors. Pretty much the same. Not much changes in life.

One of New Zealand's principle protestors later sold out and became a mayor. Still is far as I know.

Or maybe they're just doing the right thing, make sure their voices are heard over something that is unsustainable.

 

Just as with Vietnam. Don't see how voicing ones opinion through protests and then becoming a mayor means 'he sold out'.

8 hours ago, neeray said:

Did you read this sentence? "The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the authorities of their plans in advance"

 

Such a warning seems quite responsible to me.

Sound more like blackmail to me. And there's only one way to deal with blackmailers. 

44 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm old enough to remember the Vietnam protestors. Pretty much the same. Not much changes in life.

The crucial difference is the Vietnam war was real.

Reminds me of the Animal Liberation Front, who started off saying they would use "peaceful non-violent methods" of protests which swiftly escalated into death threats to animal researchers.

33 minutes ago, stevenl said:

 

Or maybe they're just doing the right thing, make sure their voices are heard over something that is unsustainable.

 

Just as with Vietnam. Don't see how voicing ones opinion through protests and then becoming a mayor means 'he sold out'.

He was presenting himself as anti establishment. He sold out, but then most of them did.

9 hours ago, stevenl said:

I'd say your opinion here is stretching the definition of non-violent disobedience.

So that's one poster on here wouldn't mind seeing a passenger jet brought down as long as it makes a point for the lefties. These people don't give a fig about climate change etc, it's all about making a political point for the left.

3 hours ago, sanemax said:

There are some people who just like to protest about something , enjoy marching , confronting the authorities and being in the news .

  Maybe it just gives their lives some significance ?

That's exactly what it is. These activists don't care about what the actual cause is, but need the activism itself. It makes them feel good and virtuous and helps shore up their fragile self-esteem.

 

Even though they tend overwhelmingly to come from the middle to upper classes of society, they latch on to some cause where they can appear as downtrodden victims fighting bravely against the oppressive system. In order to feel good, they couldn't care less about adding burdens to and disrupting the lives of working people, tourists, police and other authorities.

 

It's all about the publicity and the warm feeling of (unearned) moral superiority.

 

I hope they go ahead with the Heathrow protest -- threatening aircraft operations is a serious offence with jail time attached, and for one of Extinction Rebellion's best-known people, the posh professional activist Robin Boardman-Pattison, jail would seriously cut into the skiing holidays and trips to Bali of which he boasts on social media.

Good, it'll give RAF Apache pilot's some real things to actually target and shoot down.