London protestors fight airport expansion

LONDON -- At least five protestors opposed to building a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport unfurled banners from the roof of Britain's Parliament building near the Big Ben tower on Wednesday morning.

"This is just the beginning of a huge campaign to make a third runway completely unbuildable," one of the youthful protestors, who identified himself as Richard George of London, told BBC News in a telephone interview broadcast live on television.

George and the other smiling protestors unfurled banners, one of which read "No 3rd Runway at Heathrow." Some pumped their fists and others threw paper airplanes from the roof as police climbed onto the roof to urge them to climb down.

The incident comes two days after members of a group that calls itself "PlaneStupid" climbed atop a passenger jet at Heathrow and unfurled banners in opposition to a proposal to a third runway at the world's third busiest airport.

It also raised immediate concerns about security at the landmark Westminster building where Prime Minister Gordon Brown was scheduled to take questions from members of the House of Commons at noon, as he does most Wednesdays. The protestors unfurled their banners after 9 a.m. London time.

George said the protestors gained access to the building as any members of the public would, which includes passing through metal detectors. They took an elevator to the top floor of the building, he said, and then climbed onto the roof from a fire escape.

Popular Reads

Iran live updates: 'Suspected' mine reported in Strait of Hormuz, authorities say

• 1 hour ago

13-year-old, 7-year-old among 5 killed in massive crash on I-95

• May 29, 6:53 PM

50,000 under evacuation orders in Southern Calif. over chemical tank explosion threat

• May 24, 8:41 PM

"Yes," George said, "we have expose a security flaw here." However, he said, the protest was a small thing compared to the noise and air pollution that a third runway would create for the London area.

He said there was no way that Britain could meet its targets for reducing pollution to stave off radical climate change while the government "bulldozed" a plan through to expand Heathrow in the face of opposition from some of the public.

Heathrow's operators, BAA, says that the airport's two current runways are running at 99% capacity and that busy and crowded conditions cannot be eased without allowing more flights.