Britain: Police use anti-terror powers against environmental protest

The British Airports Authority (BAA), which runs Heathrow, had sought to effectively ban the protest by seeking a High Court injunction barring protesters from using broad swathes of the London Underground and sections of the motorway and land surrounding Heathrow airport.

The legal bid was sought under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, originally introduced to protect individuals from stalkers. In court, BAA claimed that its sweeping injunction was aimed at protecting the safety of its employees and passengers, who might be placed at risk by the protest. It also argued that the camp could be used as a cover by terrorists seeking to attack the airport.

In the event, the High Court ruled that BAA’s order was too broad to define and imposed a more limited injunction against three members of Plane Stupid, a direct action group, barring them from Heathrow’s property.