In May last year, the new coalition government announced that plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport were to be scrapped. This was a massive victory for the broad coalition of people and organisations who opposed the new runway, which would have wrecked the UK's climate change targets. It was an amazing feeling - Neil, Camden Greenpeace
For more than a year, I'd spent many hours with the Camden Greenpeace network out on the streets, and planning engagement events to gather even more public backing for Greenpeace's Airplot campaign, supporting the local residents of Sipson, whose village would have been destroyed for the new runway to be built.
It was at one of these events that I came across John Stewart. John is the 62 year old campaigner who played a significant role in getting David Cameron and the Conservatives to oppose the runway. He's a respected environmentalist, who has lobbied successfully at the highest levels. He's a peaceful campaigner and has never been arrested. Last week, John arrived at JFK airport in New York to start a month long tour inspiring activists with his story of persuading the UK government to cancel the third runway.
Apparently there are 3,400 airport construction and development projects planned across the US that "make the Heathrow third runway campaign look like a walk in the park". The task ahead for US environmentalists is a mammoth one, and John's expertise as a respected lobbyist and campaigner are crucial if they are to tackle the vested interests of the aviation industry. If the proposed developments go ahead, then it will be extremely bad news for the struggle against climate change.
Now, I found what happened next absolutely shocking. On arrival at JFK, despite having broken no laws, John was escorted off the plane by police, he was held for 6 hours and interrogated by the CIA, the FBI, the NYPD and Immigration officials. He was not allowed to enter the US and put back on a plane to London.
This is a set-back for the American environmental movement's struggle against an aviation industry that appears to have a complete disregard for its impact on climate change. But this also makes me extremely concerned about civil liberties and free speech. I'm absolutely amazed that a respected, peaceful campaigner, with no criminal record, can be denied entry to the US with no valid reasons. It's such a shame for those who have put so much hard work into organising the tour, but as a global movement, events like these should only make us even more determined.
Airplot was a victory, where the resolve of a determined group of people set out to debate the facts, win the arguments fair and square and convince a government to change its plans. In a democratic society the freedom to present and debate those arguments is critical to ensuring the government makes the right decision. Banning inconvenient views, and deporting the individuals who hold them smacks of a very different form of society.
Please sign the Change.org petition to call on the US State Department to immediately grant visas to British environmentalists John Stewart and Dan Glass for entry to the United States.
This blog was orginally posted on the Camden Greenpeace webgroup, a week or so ago, but seems especially poignant today - Greenpeace director refused entry to Indonesia
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