High Noon
The march will start at noon at the ROC (Regionaal Opleidings Centrum) van Twente, close to the Almelo central railway station. This Regional College will make sure that the jeeps, tanks and airplanes from the Dutch mission in Uruzgan, Afghanistan, will be repaired in this region so the students can learn the necessary skills for their studies. And it is a “good” reason to keep the Enschede Twente Airport open.

One day I’ll fly away
After a walk through Almelo the march will lead to the industrial estate where Aeronamic (previously Urenco Aerospace) and VDL Enabling Technologies Group (previously Philips Almelo) have played a part in the development of the Joint Strike Fighter. There, at approximately 14.30 hours, a representative of the anti-Enschede Airport Twente groups will speak for 10 minutes about the relation between this airport and the Ministry of Defence.

Radioactivity
The march will end at 16.00 hours at URENCO. “URENCO’s site in the Netherlands is located in Almelo, a town in the East of the country. As with all URENCO’s sites the operational process utilises state-of-the art technology, based on the centrifuge method: the most clean and energy-efficient way to enrich uranium.”

Neighbours
At the same time there will be a protest (Ostermarsch) against the German URENCO site in the nearby German city of Gronau. And in many many other places…

Saturday September 11th (yes, 9-11) the Airport Twente soap will be the topic of the Dutch documentary program ZEMBLA. A saucy detail is that ZEMBLA got hold of the secret LEK report, which was always kept from the actions groups protesting against the airport.

By Jan Gerrits

Secrets and lies

Representatives of these action groups were also members of the ‘Maatschappelijk Platform’ and “participated” in the airport plans, together with a delegation of the city of Enschede, the Province Overijssel and the Government (united in VTM, Vliegwiel Twente Maatschappij). “Transparency and Openness” was the creed but it was the other way around really: as opponents we didn’t get the relevant information like the LEK report. That was top secret.

The funny thing is that now that ZEMBLA has asked VTM for this LEK report we also got it. Sadly it is not only too late, since the politicians have already voted for the airport plans, but also disgusting. Only when national TV shows an interest VTM suddenly cooperates.

At the same time they have written us a mail in which they claim that LEK has made a mistake in this report, thus trying to prevent that people believe that LEK was right about the flimsy reasons why there should be an airport here in Twente and proving that there is little chance of success. This way they are also trying to destroy LEK’s reputation, just like they did with other experts and authorities that warned them for a big failure.

Sex, lies and videotape

Some politicians claim that it is sexy to have your own airport as a region. They lie about a lot of things to get what they want. They videotape their opponents to control them.

Let’s hope that the ZEMBLA research journalists will reveal some of the ugly truths. Maybe they can turn the tide and shake up not the politicians that voted for the airport but also the general public that just loves to fly from their back yards.

Eat pray love

September 11^th a lot of us will watch the program together. German airport opponents will cross the border to watch the Dutch program with us, in Holland. After years of trying to get the truth out there we’ll finally get some back up. Some of us have even been interviewed and that’s a good thing. Finally we have a voice.

We’ll eat some popcorn, we’ll pray that VTM will publicly be exposed and we’ll love each other once again for at least having tried. And who knows, now that ZEMBLA will inform the rest of Holland maybe our prayers will be answered.

Who, What, Where, Why, When

ZEMBLA

TV program (documentary, research, opinion)

Nederland 2 (Dutch TV channel)

September 11^th, 22.35

By Gerda Minkjan

On a rainy and cold spring Friday Green Members of the European Parliament Bas Eickhout and Sven Giegold got together with our Dutch and German politicians and members of nature protection organizations and pressure groups to discuss the runway expansion of FMO and the latest plan for Airport Twente.

Sadly most politicians on both sides of the Dutch-German border claim both airports have a right to exist and expand for economic reasons and employment. What they rather not tell is that figures about passengers have always been over-optimistic: only 1,2 to 1,5 million passengers a year have shown up at FMO instead of the predicted 4 or 5 million.

FMO

After informal introductions in front of the terminal at FMO the group takes a look at the beautiful meandering brook nearby FMO; the Eltingmühlenbach. We visit a beautiful spot South of the runway, where we admire the slowly meandering “Bach” that looks more like a small river. We stand in a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, fields and woods. Every five minutes or so we hear the roaring sounds of air planes landing or taking off. While we chatt about the runway expansion someone jokes:

“If the runway expansion would be 400 meters longer even a space shuttle could land here.”

Then we walk to the spot West of the runway where the runway expansion is planned. We are informed by NABU about the plans to cover the brook with a 40 meter long construction with a “roof” of glass stones. Deep below us runs the threatened Eltingmühlenbach, its neighbouring tree tops rigorously chopped off “for safety reasons.” It’s obvious why the expansion of the runway will coast so much: a great stretch of land will have to be elevated.

Landing planes now interrupt our conversations.

Nature protection organisations worry about the measures to cover the brook. The kingfisher for example might not survive there once the gigantic construction is in place. Sven Giegold and Bas Eickhout ask questions and they really do seem to know what they are talking about. That sure feels good.

Back at FMO a bus awaits us to drive us to Airport Twente. We collect some more people in Steinfurt.

Airport Twente

In the meantime at Airport Twente Dutch politicians, members of nature protection organizations and pressure groups have gathered to meet their German “colleagues” and the two very capable and very Green MEP’s. After coffee and tea in the airport restaurant we form a circle in the car park where some of us tell why they don’t want this runway expansion of FMO and Airport Twente to be built. The Dutch and the German stories are remarkably similar: the bigger the plans, the bigger the lies.

Once the Provincial Parliament in Zwolle (Overijssel) decides to give the (not so) green light for the latest Airport Twente-plan on June 16^th 2010 Bas Eickhout will do all he can for us as an MEP in Brussels. But of course we all hope that all our efforts to influence these politicians will pay off before that and they will vote against this ridiculous plan. Then the green heart between Enschede, Hengelo and Oldenzaal can finally rest in peace.

Sven Giegold’s observations gave us something to think about. Yes, it is truly amazing how lots of politicians plan all kinds of things in rural and green areas and how this leads to urbanization. The Green parties attract more and more voters from threatened areas. These people have come to realize that their surroundings are in dire need of protection. Before the bus leaves from Airport Twente we all share information and contact addresses. We are united now and thus even better prepared for what is to come. We’ll definitely meet again. Hopefully in better weather conditions…

By Peter Alberts

At the core of the actions are the enlargement of the Münster-Osnabrück Airport  (FMO) and the planned construction of the Airport Twente/Enschede on the site of a former military air base. With today’s actions we want to protest once again against the destruction of nature and landscape and the inadequate business case of both plans.

We’ll meet at 10.30 h at the main entrance of the FMO (new K1 motorway exit) for a press conference, followed by a walk of appr. 2 hours through a nature reserve threatened by the planned expansion.

Around 13 h we’ll leave and travel per bus to Twente, where we’ll talk to the media on the parking lot in front of the airport entrance. Local and regional Green politicians will join us there, as well as residents of the area and conservationists. After another walk through endangered nature the German delegation will take the bus home.

Looking forward to meeting you

Sven Giegold, Bas Eickhout

Is it really necessary that the track goes though Groesbeek? What do surrounding municipalities think about this track? What are the opportunities and threats? What research is being done? What are the international implications of this track? Speakers from both sides of the borders will try to answers these questions, such as the mayor of Kranenburg, members of the city council of Kranenburg and Kleve and many more

Monday 19 April 20:00 hours in De Mallemolen, Kloosterstraat 11, Groesbeek.  Location open from 19:30 hours

More information is available on the website of Groenlinks Groesbeek