Tanks at Heathrow

Terrorism Act 2000 Chapter 11 Section V

44. - (1) An authorisation under this subsection authorises any constable in uniform to stop a vehicle in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search-
(a) the vehicle; / (b) the driver of the vehicle; / (c) a passenger in the vehicle; / (d) anything in or on the vehicle or carried by the driver or a passenger.

(2) An authorisation under this subsection authorises any constable in uniform to stop a pedestrian in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search-
(a) the pedestrian; / (b) anything carried by him.

(3) An authorisation under subsection (1) or (2) may be given only if the person giving it considers it expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism.

(4) An authorisation may be given-
(a) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of a police area outside Northern Ireland other than one mentioned in paragraph (b) or (c), by a police officer for the area who is of at least the rank of assistant chief constable;
(b) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of the metropolitan police district, by a police officer for the district who is of at least the rank of commander of the metropolitan police;
(c) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of the City of London, by a police officer for the City who is of at least the rank of commander in the City of London police force;
(d) where the specified area or place is the whole or part of Northern Ireland, by a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary who is of at least the rank of assistant chief constable.
(5) If an authorisation is given orally, the person giving it shall confirm it in writing as soon as is reasonably practicable.

This is the legislation which was used hold the famous 81 year old terrist, Walter Wolfgang, the veteran peace activist who heckled hapless Jack Straw, then Foreign Secretary and Condi Rice's lickspittle lackey, at the 2005 Labour conference. At the same event another 81 year old, John Catt, was spotted wearing a T-shirt accusing Tony Blair and George Bush of war crimes and he was detained as he walked towards the seafront for an anti war demonstration near the conference hall in Brighton.

This is the legislation which is being used to justify preventing demonstrators from reaching the Heathrow airport for the Camp for Climate Action from August 14 to 21 "Eight days of low-impact living, debates, learning skills, and high-impact direct action tackling the root causes of climate change."

- which is also a "sensitive site " under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act of 2005. Demonstrators who breach the perimeter fence of "sensitive sites" can be jailed for 51 weeks or fined £5,000 for criminal trespass under the Act.

Section 132 of the same Act requires police permission to stage demonstrations within 1km of Parliament which was inserted (unsuccessfully) to shut up Brian Haw with his continuing Parlimanet Square protests.

Now British Airports Authority (BAA) which despite it's name is actually now part of a monster private (del Pino family ,one of the world's richest) anti - union Spanish company Ferrovial, whose owners have historical links with Franco , (More info Lord Patel June 6th 2006 "BAA falls to Ferrovial" ) have applied for an injunction in the High Court under under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 . Legislation originally introduced as anti stalking legislation see the CPS guidelines for it's use here.

Lord Patel's lawyers assume that this would involve visitors offending ( a new criminal offence under the Act) under Section (3)6 - breach of a civil injunction under section 3 - maximum penalty 5 years - but would more likely result in the issuing of a restraining Order under Section 5 by Crown Court or a magistrates' court on conviction.

Oxford University tried and failed to use this to stop animal rights protestors because the Judge claimed the proposed non-congregation zone was “inordinately large” and “impossible to identify”.

In this case the BAA draft injunction available so far seeks to ban members and supporters from setting foot near Heathrow and transport links to the airport including the Heathrow Express rail link from Paddington, the Piccadilly London Underground line and nearby sections of the M4 and M25 motorways.

The injunction names 4 individuals and 4 target groups affected by the proposed injunction include 4 four protest groups: Plane Stupid; Hacan, the Heathrow association for the control of aircraft noise; NOTRAG, No Third Runway Action Group and AirportWatch which is an umbrella organisation covering Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, the National Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Woodland Trust.

Not satisfied with a slew of specific legislation to restrict freedom of expression and personal and individual liberty legislation is being twisted and contorted to stop / control / limit and abuse the exercise of those rights.

AH! say the conformists 225,000 happy holidaymakers (and ..er...voters) will pass through Heathrow every day in the summer we cannot restrict them ... pouring shit into the atmosphere.

So far if you want to know more go to the Camp for Climate Action website or be at Staines railway station in West London by 10am on Tuesday 14th August... but dobn't expect that to remain unchanged !!!

This part of the Climate Change for Action Manifesto List of Points for Action

Why target Heathrow?

Nowhere in the UK is there a larger source of CO2 emissions. Most countries emit less greenhouse gases than Heathrow's planes.

Heathrow is the world's busiest international airport. It is an iconic global symbol of aviation.

Heathrow is the heart of the UK's aviation industry.

Heathrow is the central plank of the government's airport expansion plans.

Heathrow has a planned third runway that can be stopped.

The third runway would bulldoze entire villages and destroy communities.

There is a big, established, long-term local campaign against Heathrow and BAA that we can join forces with.

There is an opportunity to highlight bias in the corrupt planning process in favour of big business and development.

The presence of Harmondsworth detention centre nearby highlights the plight of environmental refugees and the fact that climate change is fundamentally an issue of social and global injustice.