Protests in Scotland bring airport runway to a halt

Nine young protesters from the climate action group Plane Stupid have caused a shut down of Scotland’s Aberdeen Airport by setting up a golf course on the taxiway, surrounding themselves with fortified security fencing, while another group are occupying the roof of the terminal building and have unfurled a banner reading, “Nae Trump Games with Climate Change”. The group is protesting the controversial new golf course by Donald Trump.

The group intends to maintain its blockade for as long as possible to prevent the release of thousands of tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

The activists entered the runway by cutting the fence and scaled the roof climbing ladders. Dressed as Donald Trump, sporting wigs and golfing attire, with crazy golf clubs and balls, the group are ‘putting’ on the tarmac. The banner on the fencing erected by the group reads “Plane Stupid Scotland Golf Open 2009”.

Donald Trump is supporting the expansion of Aberdeen airport, due mainly to his company’s plans for a new golf course; a new development consisting of 2,000 acres of over 1,000 homes and vacation rentals, a 450-bedroom hotel and two golf courses.

“We have been failed by the generation of Donald Trump and Alex Salmond,” says one of the activists on the taxiway, Jonny Agnew, 22, from Edinburgh. “Despite a catalog of scientific reports warning them that they can’t keep on with aviation growth – even if that hinders their ability to jet in for a weekend of golf – they continue with disregard for all of us, who will end up dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis. The reality is that our generation’s future is vanishing so that people like Donald Trump and his super-rich friends can jet into Aberdeen for a round of golf. The expansion of this airport just cannot go ahead.”

Another Plane Stupid activisit, 24 year old Tilly Gifford from Glasgow, said: “Alex Salmond wants to let the Spanish shareholders of BAA, Donald Trump and his super-rich American friends concrete over Scotland and its efforts to stop runaway climate change. Arctic ice is melting, the sea is already rising and experts warn the world’s rainforests could collapse. Our generation is already starting to feel these impacts as the warming kicks in so it’s obvious that it’s going to need to be us that urgently puts the brakes on expanding unnecessary airports.”

The campaigners chose to close Aberdeen after the Scottish government gave its backing to the expansion of capacity at the airport by 1.5 million passengers by 2015. Aviation is Britain’s fastest growing source of emissions, already amounting to at least 13% of the UK’s climate emissions.

With plans in the Scottish government’s ‘National Planning Framework’ for growth at Scottish airports including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen – as well as Heathrow and Stansted – experts from the Tyndall Centre for climate research say aviation policy alone will scupper any chance the UK has of hitting its climate targets.

“We’re here to say it cannot happen, and our generation won’t let it happen,” says 25 year old Dan Glass, a community worker from Glasgow. “The scientists tell us we’ve got seven years to make emissions peak then drop, and if we fail, the people on this runway and their entire generation, and our children, willl live with the consequences. That’s why we’re doing this.”