 | By Marian Lebor
December 8, 2008 | Share |
57 “climate activists” were arrested this morning at Stansted airport. 50 were accused of aggravated trespass, three of attempting to gain access to a restricted area, and four of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.
I wonder what happened to the British Airports Authority’s self-described “heightened security measures” that are supposedly in place at all UK airports?
For those who haven’t travelled by plane lately, or have forgotten, here is a reminder of the BAA’s stringent rules regarding the restrictions on the amount of liquid you can take into the aircraft cabin in your hand baggage:
• you can carry small quantities of liquids in containers that can hold no more than 100ml
• containers that can hold more than 100ml are not allowed, even if they are only part full
• the containers must be carried in a single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, which can hold no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm
• the contents must fit comfortably inside the plastic bag so it can be sealed
• each passenger can carry only one of these bags
Anyone who transgresses these rules, as I know to my cost, will not be shown any leniency. The last time I flew home to Israel from Stansted, I was putting my shoes, belt and watch back on after the security check when I was informed that my precious Bobbi Brown lip gloss was going to be confiscated.
My crime was twofold: 1) I didn’t have a spare pound coin with which to buy the above mentioned re-sealable plastic bag for the lip gloss, and 2) the lip gloss was deemed a security risk.
At that moment, I came perilously close to committing a public nuisance.
Presumably, early this morning Stansted security personnel were too busy scanning the contents of passengers’ re-sealable plastic bags to notice the 57 activists breaking into a secure area of the airport with concrete blocks and 6ft-high security fencing; erecting a "stockade" about 164 feet from the runway, and then chaining themselves to the fencing.
As far as we know, though, none of the activists carried any lip gloss.
