Planned Protests Could Delay Travel Plans

By Terry Green
Nov 24 2010

Airports all over the US are bracing for the planned protests that are set to start today and last through the busy holiday travel period.

The protests are in relation to the pat downs that have become a part of the airport security procedures. Protestors from all over the country have announced that they will march through the airport terminals.

Officials have said that this will likely delay the travel plans for many passengers.

The targeted protests are scheduled to hit the airports in most major cities. However, protestors have been warned by the TSA that they could be breaking the law. Federal laws regarding protests do not extend to airports as they are considered high security areas.

But it is unlikely that the officials would make any arrests in the protests because that could potentially inflame the tensions between security personnel and passengers that have already reached the breaking point.

The head of the Transportation Security Administration said that he plans to review and possibly tweak the security protocols ahead of the protests. But officials said that changes would likely not take effect until well after the holiday travel season.

Travel groups report that a record number of people will travel this holiday season, giving credit to the recovery efforts in the US economy. However, the new security measures have threatened that increase in travelers, forcing many who do not wish to take part in the pat downs to find alternative forms of travel.