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World / Americas

Protesters block tunnel at London's Heathrow airport

Published: 26 Nov 2015 - 12:37 pm | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 11:30 pm
Peninsula

File photo of protests against expansion of London's Heathrow Airport 

 

LONDON: Activists opposed to the expansion of London's Heathrow Airport blocked an approach tunnel on Thursday by chaining themselves to a parked vehicle, sowing traffic chaos around Europe's busiest airport.

The airport said police were dealing with a protest in a tunnel used by cars and taxis to access its terminals.

"We can confirm there is a protest taking place in the inbound tunnel which is currently affecting traffic around the central terminal area," Heathrow said in a statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron is due to make a decision before the end of the year on whether to proceed with a recommendation to build a new runway at Heathrow, a move which would disappoint some local residents and climate change groups who oppose airport expansion.

Protest group Plane Stupid said on their website that three of its members parked a vehicle across the tunnel and locked their bodies to it.

In July, activists from the same group delayed flights when they chained themselves together on the runway. 

Reuters