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.
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