Archived press release

Disgrace at the Dome! Direct action at the Dome as Millennium Exhibition is hijacked by air travel interests

20 January 2000

At 11.30 this morning, campaigners from Friends of the Earth and HACAN Clear Skies, Europe's largest anti-aircraft noise citizen's group, visit the Dome to warn people paying to enter the Millennium Exhibition to prepare against being brainwashed by a corporate display promoting devastating plans to expand Heathrow Airport.

BAA plc and British Airways, both major funders of the Millennium Exhibition, have a display in the Ford-sponsored Journey Zone promoting their controversial scheme for a 5th Terminal at Heathrow. The campaigners will gather at this display.

Paul de Zylva, Friends of the Earth's London Campaigns Coordinator said:

"This pro-T5 Dome display does not mention the number of people who will die as a result of the extra air pollution which BAA admit T5 will cause. Nor the 50,000 extra

car trips BAA admit T5 will generate across London every day. As for creating jobs, British Airways are making thousands more redundancies than the 6,000 jobs they claim T5 would create. So much for looking to a better future. This one sided display should be jettisoned. Like T5, it has no place in a sustainable, 21st century Britain."

John Stewart, Chair of HACAN Clear Skies said:

“The People's Dome has been hijacked by greedy companies interested in PR and profits rather than serious discussion of the issues facing our society. BAA and BA have been allowed to Pay and Display their white elephant under the Dome. But what visitors will get is blatant promotion of Terminal 5, a scheme which is still being considered by a Government Inspector. The Dome is about T5 spin not the facts about T5 - more noise, more pollution, more traffic and a daily burden for all Londoners.”

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust