LONDON – There could be more misery and chaos in store for passengers moving through London’s Heathrow airport at the end of this week.
A hard core of anarchist demonstrators are drawing up plans to bring Heathrow to a standstill using an array of tactics including disguising themselves as ordinary holidaymakers to cause havoc in the airport terminals
The UK’s Daily Telegraph has learned that protesters are smuggling smart clothes into the “climate camp” in an attempt to sidestep police and security staff and get into the terminals and office buildings.
There are also fears they could be planning bomb hoaxes and assaults on the airport’s security fence – methods which could bring the airport to a grinding halt at the busiest time of year causing misery for passengers.
“Direct action” literature being handed out on site advises people to cause maximum disruption.
Despite announcing plans to begin the Camp for Climate Action today, the Daily Telegraph reports that organisers of the protest have already wrongfooted both BAA, Heathrow’s owners, and the police by arriving early.
The organisers of the Camp for Climate Action have said there will be 24 hours of “inspired and creative” direct action from noon on Sunday.
It is feared that this could be code for trying to bring the airport to a halt at a time when more than 200,000 people a day will be using Heathrow.
“We are particularly concerned they will try to disguise themselves as passengers or members of our staff, because the protesters have already evaded our officers on two previous occasions,” a Heathrow spokesman said.
