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Plane Stupid takes protest to Parliament
Posted by bex on 27 February 2008.
Plane Stupid protest at the Houses of Parliament
Another day, another voice loudly opposing plans for a new runway at Heathrow. Today, Plane Stupid campaigners have scaled the Houses of Parliament to protest at the collusion between government and the aviation industry.
In the absence of a genuine consultation with Londoners, the protest is a brilliant way to get the word out on the day the Heathrow 'consultation' ends. They've dropped banners reading 'BAA's HQ' down parliament's facade, and are enlightening the great and the good on their way to Prime Ministers' Question Time below by throwing paper aeroplanes - made from secret Whitehall documents that prove BAA has written parts of the consultation and the government has already decided to build a third runway - from the roof.
We should probably be getting used to our government being in bed with industry by now (see the recent revelations about the coal industry and the nuclear industry), but the amount of control industry has over government policy - usually to the detriment of the environment - still surprises.
Not only has BAA written parts of the consultation, it's also working with government in a body set up to ensure the third runway gets the go-ahead and to neutralise 'risks' to the planned expansion (that's the huge coalition of local residents, Londoners, environmentalists and all the major mayoral candidates opposed to airport expansion).
As a result, the document doesn't mention global warming, and opposition groups haven't been allowed to challenge data on noise and pollution (data supplied by BAA...).
Call me old fashioned, but maybe a better way of consulting with Londoners might be to ask them 'do you want a third runway?', instead of publishing a heavily spun document partly written by industry.
Plane Stupid's website has more.
Shoot them!
Why dont' the Police just shoot them? What's the point in having the guns if they wont shoot them?
Especially the ginger one!
Ummmm....
Because this isn't a police state? Because these people were non violent activists, who posed no threat?
Because, luckily, the police force has a screening program to stop people with your level of stupidity and mental unbalance signing up?
Honestly- if this is the best the opposition can come up with in debate- all a little similar to some of the excitingly moronic comments posted on Monday to similar effect.
Well done, Plane Stupid, and well done Greenpeae on Monday.
No Third Runway- and No to big business running Government!
I walked into a meeting at
I walked into a meeting at work yesterday and everyone was talking about the incident and how shocking the security lapse was. The actual point of the protest - the affect of a 3rd runway on climate change - was completely disregarded, a theme which was regrettably apparent in most media outlets yesterday.
Unfortunately both the incident at Heathrow and Parliament unveil an uncomfortable truth about the protests: the media and the population at large are more concerned about security (or lack of it) than they are about climate change.
Running amok at airports and breaching security may be jolly good fun but I don't think it will ever get the message across properly and won't ingratiate you with the general public or the media.
If you are going to protest then Greenpeace needs to find a way in which the operational method does not upstage the actual message.
decisions made in parliament not on the roof???
Gordon Brown said at prime minister's questions that decisions should be made "in the chamber of this House and not on the roof of this House".
If decisions were made in Parliament and not at the head offices of BA and BAA then there wouldn't be a need for this kind of protest,
the public consultation is fixed, everyone knows Gordon Brown has made the decision
fedv
Greenpeace have done it again. Instead of offering your point of view in a normal way, you have chosen to make a complete mockery of our entire democratic process. You may well advocate climate change, but until you have China etc. on side you will not make any difference at all. Some growing up is needed on your part - why would you climb onto the top of the Houses of Parliament, and an aeroplane? It defies logic. You have wasted taxpayers' money, which, as you point out so profusely, could have easily been spent on some "Green" initiative.
haha, funny protest strategy!
Haha, that's well mint; paper planes made of secret documents! the last thing I turned into a paper plane was my Science homework! LOL
Seriously though, that person who wrote the first comment sounds like a violent moron. "Just shoot em", honestly, sounds like summat one of the boys at school'd say.
Personally, I'd love to climb on top of a plane and/or the houses of parliament in protest against hypocritical decisions. Unfortunately I think I'm too young! Maybe next year, LOL.
Greenpeace rule forever!
Gina
oh yeah
Oh yeah, and as an afterthought, what's someone being ginger got to do with anything? Not a day goes by without someone dissing gingers in some way.
Monday: Amy comes into school with brown hair, having dyed it because Adam was making fun of her.
Tuesday: My friend Jenny was upset that Adam had called her a ginger-ninja.
Wednesday: Finley called me and Jenny gingernuts in the dinner line.
I know this is slightly off topic, but it really gets on my nerves!
Gina (ginger-ish and proud, LOL)
shoot them? ARE YOU MAD???
Are you mad? You dont SHOOT people because they protest about something which they believe in!!! I think its great that greenpeace are showing the gov that they wont give up! i only wish that i could help. I am 13, so how many more years until i can join?
Anyway [as i was saying] the police carry guns for reasons such as attacks and murders and stuff, not for GREENPEACE protestors.
I think that the people [i wish i knew who they were] who got on that roof, showed guts and i feel totally proud that i support such a great group of people, who do things like climbing on planes and roofs of buildings and stuff, just to show people that theyre trying to [and succeeding] make the world a better place.
I THINK THATS WONDERFULL!!
i get probs from people @ school because i spend every lunch break on this website reading the articles, but i just say 'I dont care if you think i'm crazy, its what i believe and what i enjoy doing, and so its what i do. I want to dedicate my life to greenpeace'
Go Greenpeace!! keep up with the good work!!
agree!!!
Yeah, I totally agree. Normally the people who want to shoot everyone they don't agree with are just the ones too stupid and primitive to think of any other solutions to problems.
You have to be 14 to join. I emailed Greenpeace to ask the same thing as I am just nearly 13 too.
Gina
YAY!!
YAY!!!!!!!!!
im 14 in 27 days [1st april] That is totally BRILLIANT!!! I am now looking forward to ma b-day more than ever!!!
by the way gina, i agree with waht you said about gingers!! Theres NOTHING wrong with them!!! They are TOTALL cool!!!
Go Greenpeace!! keep up with the good work!!