Protesters from the campaigning group Plane Stupid have today mounted a hight profile protest against the proposed Heathrow third runway by waving banners from the roof the the parliament building, in a major breach of security.

The sixtieth anniversary of India's independence reminds us, says Jonathan Bartley, that the nonviolent activism of Gandhi and the the peaceful and environmental 'awkward squads' point to a more hopeful form of politics and social change.