Extinction Rebellion activists to cause Heathrow travel chaos with 'lie in' protest over third runway

Extinction Rebellion is set to cause travel chaos at Heathrow this Sunday by blocking surrounding roads with a “critical mass of cyclists” and performing a “lie in” at the airport.

The demonstration is part of the group’s 12 Days of Crisis campaign in the lead up to the election calling on candidates to sign the Three Demands Bill.

The group said a “critical mass of cyclists” will gather at Hyde Park Corner and ride to Heathrow, “blocking the road along the way”.

At the airport a bulldozer will join the cyclists on Bath Road, above the Tunnel Road roundabout, to perform a “Bulldozer lie-in” and “act out the future destruction bulldozers will cause when they begin building the controversial third runway.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and other politicians have been invited to attend the protest.

Local anti-Heathrow campaigner Christine Taylor, said: “Residents in villages to the north of Heathrow have repeatedly faced the destruction of their communities by a proposed third runway.

“Now, with communities around the world suffering the effects of climate change, it’s time to scrap the runway and cancel the bulldozers once and for all.”

The runway has been caught in a political storm over spending and environmental issues.

Mr Johnson said in October he had "lively doubts" about plans for the expansion.

"As for the Heathrow third runway, it remains the case that I have lively doubts about the abilities of the promoters of that scheme, as I think he does, to meet standards of air quality and of noise emissions," he said during PMQs.

Parliament gave Britain’s major airport the go-ahead for expansion in 2018.

In June, Heathrow Airport published its “masterplan” which included the aim of constructing a third runway by 2026.

Heathrow will submit final plans for scrutiny by inspectors at a planning inquiry next year.

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