User:Markandrews9

The Climate 9

The climate 9 are a group of activists from direct action group Plane Stupid, opposed to aviation expansion, who face trial for vandalism and breach of the peace after occupying Aberdeen airport on 3 March 2009, in a protest designed to stop carbon emissions from aviation and to highlight the links between Donald Trump’s planned hotel and golf course complex and the expansion of Aberdeen airport.

The group are calling for all charges to be dropped and for the public and the authorities to consider their actions as a form of defence against the carbon emissions associated with climate change. The group wants prosecutors and the public to consider the aviation industry as the real criminals and points to false scare stories about delayed medical flights and attempted infiltrations of the group as evidence of the duplicity of the authorities and BAA. At 3am on the morning of March 3rd 2009, seven of the protesters occupied a taxiway at Aberdeen Airport, barricading themselves within a makeshift wire enclosure while two protesters occupied the roof of the main terminal building. Protesters wore clothes parodying those of Donald Trump and displayed a banner reading 'Plane Stupid Golf Open 2009'.

One protestor was quoted “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"[1 ].

Donald Trump is a supporter of plans to expand the airport, in the wake of approval of his controversial £300 million golf course and hotel complex near the city, as is BAA Aberdeen, its managing director recently said “Everyone at the airport has been supporting the golf resort development as we believe this will bring major benefits to this region and to the whole of Scotland...Mr Trump’s proposals also come at a particularly important point in time.” BAA is planning to extend the runway and expects a growth in passengers numbers from 3.4 million (2007) to 5.9 million by 2030.

The protest also delayed various air traffic movements and was criticized by BAA as "highly irresponsible." One passenger explained "We'll hopefully get a later flight, but there were people next to me due to go to Disney World and they weren't happy ... I think they [the protesters] are terrorists - I think they should have been hosed down".

The nine activists involved were released on bail from Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 4 March after being charged with breach of the peace and vandalism in connection with the protest. They were bailed on condition that they did not enter the curtailage of any Scottish airport.

The baby story

The Climate 9 ended the protest and agreed to leave the taxiway prematurely after being told that they were putting a baby’s health at risk. Later, a health spokesperson said that there was no transfers from the airport that day, but the next day the police claimed again that a medical flight had taken place during the protest[3 ].

The activists have since had it confirmed that a medical flight did take off as they were leaving the taxiway, but was in no way impeded or could be impeded by the protest. The group point to this episode as evidence of the lack of honesty, openness and accountability on the part of BAA and the police in contrast to their actions, which although involved breaking the law, as a public protest were by definition open, honest and fully accountable.

Infiltration attempts

The Climate 9 have been plagued by infiltration attempts by sinister figures apparently purporting to be police, but who cannot be traced by the authorities[3 ]. In 2008, activist Tilly Gifford recorded a conversation in which she was offered undisclosed sums of money to speak about future Plane Stupid actions[4 ]. Similar encounters took place with other Scottish Plane Stupid members, although legal representatives of the group have never been able to trace the people involved. A previous attempt at infiltration was discovered in London, in 2008 when Toby Kendall, an employee of an international espionage firm was detected in the group.

Public Campaign

The group have launched a public campaign, gathering support from a wide variety of people including notable scientists, public health officials, local Aberdeen residents and from as far away as India and New York. Bashir Maan, Convenor for the Muslim Council of Scotland said “The terrible gradual danger that humanity and every other creature faces from global warming is as real as life itself on this planet. We all have to play our part in avoiding a looming calamity. An Islamic Sharia court would not punish a person who broke the law by stealing a loaf of bread because his or her children were hungry. Instead, it would condemn the system that created that situation”[5 ].