Our estimate was that there were about 6-7000 people on today’s demonstration against the expansion of Heathrow airport. To get an idea of the coalition of forces that built it have a look at the inventive Make A Noise site. It was, to be frank, something of a discouraging start. Everyone was penned in like sheep along a stretch of road near Hatton Cross station. The small number within earshot of the speakers at the front were treated to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s factotum reading out a very dull statement very dully. He was followed by someone who was introduced as the deputy mayor of London. I’d never heard of him and he could just as easily been the deputy sheriff of Tombstone. Still he was game and walked the length of the march.
Three or four years ago this combination of local residents and a swelling band of environmentalists coming together raising issues around carbon emissions, quality of life, preserving communities and efficient transport would have been unimaginable. There was a small number of labour movement banners but this was very much a day dominated by the campaigns that had called the event alongside a fairly high Green Party presence.
Your correspondent absented himself from taking part in the “big no” photo call – an excellent idea which worked well on the TV but not my cup of street theatre.
The amount of support from the villagers of Sipson which will be flattened was genuinely surprising. They waved and clapped as we walked in. One struck up a conversation with me about how heavy handed the police were at a previous event and then ruined it by starting to talk about a football match he’d been to.
Here was evidence of how environmental politics are directly relevant to working class communities and well done to the organisers.
Thanks to Richard for the photos.
Liam redux 
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