BAA seeks 'mother of all injunctions'

Airports operator BAA is seeking "the mother of all injunctions" at the High Court to prevent a major Heathrow protest from taking place.

Protesters from the Camp for Climate Action are planning on holding a demonstration from August 14 to 21.

They say the injunction will apply not only to Heathrow anti-noise and anti-expansion group Hacan and to No Third Runway Action Group (Notrag), but would also seek to ban such organisations as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Woodland Trust.

BAA said it is taking the action to protect the airport and the safety of passengers and staff "against the planned direct action by environmental activists".

However, the protesters say it amounts to "legal bullying" and BAA has attempted to extend the ban to people using roads and public transport near to, and in some cases far from, the west London airport.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has accused BAA bosses of being "out of their skull" and merely paving the way for hardcore protesters to invade the climate action camp.

Hacan said BAA is seeking to impose bans on people travelling on the Tube, on mainline trains and on roads near Heathrow during the protest.

Hacan chairman John Stewart said: "This is the mother of all injunctions. We've long known the airport operators to be arrogant, but trying to ban five million people from coming near them is conceited even by their standards.

"This is a cut-and-dried case of corporate bullying designed to shut down peaceful protest.

"The aviation executives who dreamed up this one should be spending their time and money reducing the huge impact of aviation on the climate and local communities, instead of trying to put legal shackles on people who want to protest peacefully."

A BAA Heathrow spokesman said: "Heathrow Airport Ltd has applied for an injunction to protect the operation of the airport and the safety of passengers and staff against the planned direct action by environmental activists, between August 14 and 21.

"During the summer holiday period up to 200,000 people pass through Heathrow daily, including many families and children.

"It is these people who would suffer as a result of any unlawful or irresponsible behaviour aimed at disrupting the smooth operation of the airport.

"We respect people's right to protest within the bounds of the law and the airport bylaws and would invite protesters to similarly respect the rights of passengers travelling through Heathrow."

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