Orange Alert

An unprecedented production disruption engineered by Greenpeace could be the first in a string of protests involving SUV plants.

Some 35 members of the environmental group on May 16 walked into Ford Motor Co.'s Land Rover Solihull assembly plant in the U.K. wearing Greenpeace's trademark orange jumpsuits and proceeded to lock themselves to unfinished Range Rovers and assembly machinery less than 30 minutes prior to the start of the 7:30 a.m. shift.

The group targeted Land Rover due to growing sales of the Range Rover, which Greenpeace says unnecessarily harms the environment.

A Greenpeace spokesman tells Ward's 15 protesters eventually were arrested, but not before they managed to obstruct all but 45 minutes worth of the day's Range Rover output of about 70 units.

Greenpeace considers the day a success and says “it is very possible” more SUV plants could be on its radar.

The lack of resistance met at Solihull may give Greenpeace the confidence to strike again.

Accounts of the event suggest more should have been done to prevent the break-in.

Greenpeace's spokesman says there is evidence Land Rover knew of the plan at least six weeks in advance. While it tightened security for a while, it appeared to have let up in the three weeks prior to May 16.

Land Rover says Greenpeace had charted its course with accuracy, taking an enthusiast tour of the 57-year-old plant to scope out the best entry points and then spending at least four months planning the protest.

The 35 protesters entered the plant's turnstiles during the busiest time of the day, when some 4,000 employees arrive for the day shift.