The High Court yesterday refused to grant British Airports Authority (BAA) a blanket ban on protests in and around Heathrow airport that would have affected five million people.
Instead, the judgement grants an injunction against the Plane Stupid group and certain members of two other groups, Hacan Clearskies and the No Third Runway Action Group, banning them only if they are intent on unlawful action.
The ban applies to only a specific area of the airport.
The High Court ruling means that the planned Camp for Climate Change protest from August 14-21 will go ahead.
The ban will not apply to AirportWatch, an umbrella group covering five million people including members of the Royal Society For The Protection of Birds (RSPB) and National Trust.
AirportWatch reacted with joy to the High Court ruling that BAA’s application for a wide injunction has been squashed.
John Stewart, chair of AirportWatch said: ‘BAA wanted the mother of all injunctions. It has received the mother of all setbacks.’
AirportWatch members are ‘opposed to the aggressive go-for-growth policy of aviation expansion’.
An AirportWatch statement added: ‘It had been feared the BAA’s application for an injunction, an attempt to ban the Camp for Climate Action planned for August 14-21, could cover millions of environmental campaigners and large parts of west London.’
A Camp for Climate Change spokesman told News Line: ‘The camp is going ahead and is not covered by BAA’s injunction.
‘We accuse BAA of abusing people’s right to freedom of expression.
‘We accuse BAA of pushing for the expansion of airports in the full knowledge that it will lead directly to climate change and indirectly to the deaths of millions.’
After its blanket ban attempt was refused, BAA said its injunction was aimed at protesters acting unlawfully, and was not aimed at stopping peaceful protest.
Plane Stupid was banned because of its history of taking direct action and there were fears it would try to blockade the airport.
BAA managing director Mark Bullock maintained the ‘injunction makes it very clear what people can and can’t do in and around the airport during that week’.
He added: ‘So they can’t come to the airport with the intent of disrupting the operation.’
He said police will have powers to act more swiftly ‘if trouble does happen’.
