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LHR: Armed police patrol at Heathrow Airport as Kurds protest against Isis

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Old Oct 7, 2014, 11:55 am
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Post LHR: Armed police patrol at Heathrow Airport as Kurds protest against Isis

Evening Standard: Armed police patrol at Heathrow Airport as Kurds protest against Isis
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londo...s-9779813.html

The campaigners have blocked ticket barriers in terminal two of the airport and have been occupying the airport since 12pm today.

A group of about 50 demonstrators are holding banners reading ‘Stop facist attacks in Kurdistan’ and ‘Kobane’, following news the Islamic State flag was seen on the border of Turkey and Syria.
Okay, so in my 5+ years of living in the UK and using LHR frequently, this is a first.

LHR says it is a peaceful protest, but I'd still want to be aware of the situation.

Safe travels all!
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 12:54 pm
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What's new about armed police at Heathrow?
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 12:58 pm
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Originally Posted by alanR
What's new about armed police at Heathrow?
No kidding...noticed plenty of security, but not certain I've ever seen anyone armed.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 1:28 pm
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Armed police have been a regular fixture at LHR for many years. Indeed they had armoured personnel carriers there in 2003 - http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/...-photo/1775564

I was slightly more concerned by the sight of half a dozen armed police patrolling the urbane confines of Marylebone Station last week.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 1:34 pm
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Cool

Originally Posted by rwoman
Evening Standard: Armed police patrol at Heathrow Airport as Kurds protest against Isis
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londo...s-9779813.html



Okay, so in my 5+ years of living in the UK and using LHR frequently, this is a first.

LHR says it is a peaceful protest, but I'd still want to be aware of the situation.

Safe travels all!
Don't see why the protesters are at the airport...

What does that location have to do with their cause?
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 1:56 pm
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Originally Posted by Doc Savage
Don't see why the protesters are at the airport...

What does that location have to do with their cause?
My guess would be that they're protesting against Brits going to Syria to join IS. Such journeys would generally begin at Heathrow.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 2:19 pm
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Originally Posted by Swiss Tony
Armed police have been a regular fixture at LHR for many years.
At several other UK airports too from what I've seen.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 3:52 pm
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Originally Posted by rwoman
No kidding...noticed plenty of security, but not certain I've ever seen anyone armed.
They have been armed for at least 15 years if not much longer. They generally patrol in pairs, both toting huge machine guns and also have hand guns. A most unsettling and unBritish sight.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 4:51 pm
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Originally Posted by Swanhunter
They have been armed for at least 15 years if not much longer. They generally patrol in pairs, both toting huge machine guns and also have hand guns. A most unsettling and unBritish sight.
Oh I'm sure they've always been there. As an American, seeing guns does not instill the same shock it might for others.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 7:31 pm
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Originally Posted by rwoman
Oh I'm sure they've always been there. As an American, seeing guns does not instill the same shock it might for others.
My American cousin certainly was shocked when she first saw it at LHR several years ago - they maintain a very aggressive stance, with fingers on the triggers of the machine guns.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 11:00 pm
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I remember seeing this style of armed police in Roissy in the mid-80s as a child, when we lived in Northern France. This was during an active ETA campaign. It was shocking then, and unimaginable that it would take place in the UK.

But here we are. We also have a creeping arming of regular police throughout the country, which is being under reported.

To me, this means we are losing to fear, terrorism's main weapon.
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 11:40 pm
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Originally Posted by stut
But here we are. We also have a creeping arming of regular police throughout the country, which is being under reported.
It's been widely reported up here in Scotland, and public and political pressure has forced the Police Chief to do a U-turn just last week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-29444184
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Old Oct 7, 2014, 11:48 pm
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Glad to hear it!
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Old Oct 8, 2014, 4:20 am
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I remember coppers with submachine guns at Heathrow as far back as the early 90s and it probably goes back further I'm just not old enough to have been there. The IRA was kind of a big deal.
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Old Oct 8, 2014, 4:43 am
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Talking to my European colleagues, protests seem to be happening in a variety of places. I guess peaceful protestors clashes with some who may feel sympathetic to IS in Germany.
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