Anger as police snap airport campaigners (From Echo)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting ECHONEWS to 80360, or email us »
Anger as police snap airport campaigners
3:00pm Friday 10th July 2009 in
FURIOUS campaigners have criticised police for taking their photos at a peaceful meeting about the future of Southend Airport.
Residents and members of campaign groups met with the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker at the airport building.
But during the meeting and as they were leaving, they were photographed by a police officer.
Essex Police said they took the pictures of people on “crime and disorder” grounds, but the move has been seen as an intrusion into people’s civil liberties.
Lewes MP Mr Baker visited the airport and met members of Greenpeace and the anti-airport group Stop Airport Expansion Now, as plans to extend the airport are up for consultation.
Speaking after the meeting, he told the Echo it was an “outrage” that police were taking pictures.
He said: “People should be able to lobby members of parliament without being photographed by the police.
“The meeting was an exercise in democracy and a good opportunity to see the airport and meet with residents.
“It was quite wrong that police were taking pictures.”
Kiti Theobald, chairman of the Stop Airport Extension Now group, had gone to the meeting to speak to Mr Baker about her concerns over proposed expansion.
She said: “I was walking out of the main building and there was a policeman with a camera. I asked him if he was taking pictures of me and he said yes.
“I asked him why, but he just said his boss told him to do it. He wouldn’t tell me anything else about it.
“I am not a criminal and had gone there to speak to Mr Baker, as the airport is an important issue for local people.
“I found it very disconcerting as I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Greenpeace campaigner Sheena Walker, from Southend, also said she was shocked.
She added: “I have seen police taking pictures at legal, organised, peaceful protest marches, but never at something like this.
“I think it was completely unnecessary and totally inappropriate. It must be really off-putting to people who have never seen it before.”
Essex Police had a van and several officers stationed at the airport – despite only a handful of people at the meeting.
Police spokeswoman Donna Veasey confirmed pictures had been taken.
She said: “We took the pictures to prevent any crime and disorder taking place. Due to there being none, the images will be destroyed.”
Comments(17)
evo_lution
says...
8:35pm Fri 10 Jul 09
evilc
says...
10:17pm Fri 10 Jul 09
IT IS AN AIRPORT THAT HAS BEEN THERE 50 years.
Move if you do not like it and the reason the photo's were taken is because of the word
'Greenpeace' a minority group who believe they speak for the majority, and have been known to use extreme measures.
perini
says...
11:28pm Fri 10 Jul 09
Thames Gateway
says...
1:16am Sat 11 Jul 09
As the majority of people in the town readily support the plan to re-use the airport in a limited fashion, is it any wonder SAEN appear to be getting more desperate with their tactics?
I expect that the Police were acting quite correctly on intelligence received from various sources, about the SAEN desire to stage demonstrations in order to try and attract media attention.
In the event of only 6 people turning up, I guess they wanted desperately to get something out of it, and the only way they could think of getting it in the paper was by complaining about Police taking photos.
Bit rich from people who love to publicise themselves at every opportunity in the media to be worried by a few harmless photos!
BASILBRUSH
says...
7:38am Sat 11 Jul 09
SAEN have very confused agendas with a arguments based on untruths and scaremongering.
You don't speak for me.
BRING ON AIRPORT EXPANSION!
Nebs
says...
1:48am Sun 12 Jul 09
Great. Take pictures everywhere, then there will be no crime anywhere.
NevTheTechie
says...
5:51am Sun 12 Jul 09
And thirdly - I've lived here for nearly forty years and all that time I can remember the occasional aircraft going over and everyone would just stop talking for 20-30 seconds while it passed. I can deal with that. That's not intrusive. What will be intrusive is having aircraft (admittedly not quite so loud, but still bad enough to have to stop talking) going over every five minutes. Then there is the near insane influx of commuters, tourists (can't see many of those but still...) and just visitors who will be driving, walking or otherwise moving around the town in vast numbers - and you thought it was busy now.
If Southend council are to be believed, everyone is oh-so recycle the environment mad these days. And we all want to expand the airport too do we? Think about it.
Southend council are doing nothing but looking at their own wallets again. They need to get their heads out of the clouds and spend the *towns* money on things that are actually needed. Not traffic lights every 100 yards of road or pedestrian crossings actually on roundabouts, or massive airport expansions that wont and can't please the majority of effected residents.
If I had wanted to live in Heathrow, I would have moved there.
NevTheTechie
says...
6:01am Sun 12 Jul 09
Stobbards bought the airport right? - How many other airports do they own and what happened to them after they were bought?
More freight and lorries anyone? Dirt, oil, traffic fumes anyone?
Mmmm...
Winston Smith
says...
7:27am Sun 12 Jul 09
Winston Smith
says...
12:19pm Sun 12 Jul 09
evo_lution wrote:There is a world of difference between you or I photographing in a public place, and the police using cameras as an intimidatory tactic at a prearranged, legal meeting between people, elected representatives, and airport owners.
If photos are not taken in a covert manner the police, you or I can snap away. Anything for some publicity for the minority anti Airport lobby. Pro Airport spporters make your voice heard - BACK THE EXPANSION
onegreatjohnny
says...
9:56pm Mon 13 Jul 09
Protesters are not criminals.
We have a right .. it can be argued a duty to protest ... cameras are for criminals.
Like the Old Bill ... or their heavy mob anyway ... getting caught out at the G20 protest.
The police have to realise they are going too far by half.
onegreatjohnny
says...
9:57pm Mon 13 Jul 09
onegreatjohnny
says...
9:59pm Mon 13 Jul 09
And the earth's to boot.
Tone-Fu
says...
6:45am Tue 14 Jul 09
They won't be happy until we're all under surveillance for doing nothing at all.
This place is turning into a fascist state.
BASILBRUSH
says...
5:32pm Mon 20 Jul 09
NevTheTechie wrote:Actually polls would suggest the majority would like the council to get on with it and allow the modest extension.
Airport Expansion. Hmmm. Well firstly, the majority of Southend residents are NOT behind it. That's why there is so much news about it at the moment and why the authorities are trying to persuade everyone so hard. Secondly - Any reason for publicity (if you need it) is a good one. Although I have to say, a copper taking snaps of anyone is still novelty enough for any newspaper.
And thirdly - I've lived here for nearly forty years and all that time I can remember the occasional aircraft going over and everyone would just stop talking for 20-30 seconds while it passed. I can deal with that. That's not intrusive. What will be intrusive is having aircraft (admittedly not quite so loud, but still bad enough to have to stop talking) going over every five minutes. Then there is the near insane influx of commuters, tourists (can't see many of those but still...) and just visitors who will be driving, walking or otherwise moving around the town in vast numbers - and you thought it was busy now.
If Southend council are to be believed, everyone is oh-so recycle the environment mad these days. And we all want to expand the airport too do we? Think about it.
Southend council are doing nothing but looking at their own wallets again. They need to get their heads out of the clouds and spend the *towns* money on things that are actually needed. Not traffic lights every 100 yards of road or pedestrian crossings actually on roundabouts, or massive airport expansions that wont and can't please the majority of effected residents.
If I had wanted to live in Heathrow, I would have moved there.
Publicity is so rife because the NIMBY group with confused agendas, keep trying to grab the headlines with their scaremongering.
At 2 million passengers per year you would not see an aircraft over your head every 5 minutes.
Southend council should look at their own wallets. Without investment in this town, Southend will soon become even more run down.
The comparison between Heathrow and Southend is just not even relevant.
BASILBRUSH
says...
5:46pm Mon 20 Jul 09
NevTheTechie wrote:STOBART have recently acquired Carlisle airport.
One other thing:
Stobbards bought the airport right? - How many other airports do they own and what happened to them after they were bought?
More freight and lorries anyone? Dirt, oil, traffic fumes anyone?
Mmmm...
This is to be developed as a haulage depot and HQ with a small passenger and maintenance airport Nobody is hiding that. But there is a good reason for the depot at Carlisle. IT IS CLOSE TO THE M6 MOTORWAY!
Stobart have no interest in building a haulage depot at Southend. have a look at the road links for heavy freight. That also goe's for rail freight sidings for Tesco's that others keep bringing up.
I would suggest you visit the airport and the publicised public consultation meetings. Have a look at the airport website. There is a number that you can call to ask questions.
More Southend stories
- Local firms can get share of £27m library project
- Chart topper cancels Southend gig due to ill health
- Knowing how much dad was loved means so much
- Woman cut free from crash wreckage
- Take your furniture and get out of here!
- £23million pot to revive UK’s seafronts
- Fire crews tackle kitchen blaze
- Man jailed after six-year-old boy killed in road crash
- Ambulance service advice for cold snap
- Delight over charity’s £300k lottery boost
Most popular
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
nails says...
6:30pm Fri 10 Jul 09