London Heathrow - What is this line?????

Stuart gets me to Heathrow with no further issues. We get to departures and there is a sea of humanity. There are lines with hundreds of people in them, snaking into tents in front of the terminal. My initial thought was that something bad happened. No one seemed to know why were were in line (a line that was not moving). I noticed some people by-passing the line, walking right past security officers and not coming back. After 15 minutes of standing in the sun, already tired from my trip, watching other enter the terminal, I thought, "What the heck, I'm in Business Class, I don't have to wait in lines!" So I strolled into the terminal, walked up to the BA Club World counter, and within 5 minutes, was on my way. The people I was standing with are probably still in line....
The rest of my Heathrow experience was great. The BA lounge, while crowded, had good snacks and the India v. England cricket match on the big screen TV's. Not sure exactly what the rules of cricket are, but fun to watch to pass the time.