On Saturday 10th September I took part in the occupation of a Volkswagen dealership in Birmingham to send a message to VW's management that we are on their case. You can read more about what took place on Saturday on this <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/groups/nottingham-city/blog/vw-feels-heat">blog post</a> by Jane. I want to comment, for anyone who's never taken part in an action like that, what my experience of it was.
The build up to the action itself was so much fun, it felt like being a spy! I was receiving text messages about secret group identities and codes to doors I would have to access at the accomodation, and was not allowed to take my phone along to avoid being traced. All very Alex Rider!
Upon arrival I was made to feel welcome as everyone was very friendly. Any uncertainty about what we would have to do the next day was put to bed quickly by the briefing. Everything was poured over in minute but not excessive detail. Checks were made with every individual to make sure they knew exactly what they would be doing and when, and that they were comfortable with their task.
We went about the occupation in two teams. One team (the 'Car Crew') went inside the VW showroom to put covers over some of the cars. These covers had campaign slogans printed on them. There were also members of this team whose job it was to approach the staff and ask for the manager to call HQ (who have been largely ignoring Greenpeace to date) to demand some answers. A second team (the 'Ladder Crew') tackled the forecourt of the dealership; covering up the VW totem in a similar fashion to the cars inside, and also putting campaign flyers on all the cars.
I was in the 'Ladder Crew' (coming to an MC open mic night near you!). As we were waiting for our signal to move in and do our job the butterflies in my tummy, who normally quite contentedly sit at the bar and chat, broke into a brawl. It was easy to remain calm though as we had been well briefed and I knew I was in good hands. Once the signal was given, we moved in.
Having got the ladder up the totem, we realised that unfortunately it was not long enough to get the cover over without great difficulty. This meant that we didn't quite have time to complete our task before we were spotted by the manager. He promptly came and ripped the cover from our hands. This endangered our team mate Katie, who was still up the ladder. He also got hold of most of our leaflets whilst we were trying to put them on the cars.
The manager went on to manhandle and aggressively shout at both myself and Andrea (from our Nottingham group) in an attempt to get us to leave the premises. He told us that we were personally responsible for stopping him from earning money to pay his mortgage.
As the flecs of saliva splattered my face, I remembered my training and put myself in a calm and happy place, allowing the onslaught to wash over me. When he grabbed and pushed us, I calmly informed him that he was hurting our arms. He let go, and soon moved off.
When the whirr of police sirens appeared in the distance, the butterfly bar brawl became a civil war. It was very strange to hear sirens getting louder and louder knowing all the time that they were coming for my friends and I. In my pessimistic inexperience, I thought for sure they were just going to take us in.
In actual fact though, they were quite understanding and gentle! They escorted us freely onto the pavement outside the dealership and asked us to complete our action there. They even retrieved the campaign materials for us which had been confiscated by members of staff.
As a result of this, we cut our losses and spent the rest of our time communicating directly with members of the public passing by in cars and on foot. We held up our campaign banners for all to see and received a lot of support expressed through the papping of car horns. One man even got out of his car to come and become better informed of our campaign against VW, which was very touching.
After this was all over, I was left with a mixture of feelings. The most overwhelmingly salient of these was the sense of empowerment and pride derived from what I had just done. It showed me that joe public and his mates can stand up together and be heard by large, powerful corporations even when they are determined not to listen, and that I can be one of those who take the stand.
I also felt some sympathy for the manager of that dealership. This is not to say for a second that our actions were not necessary or justified, but I do wish there had been a way to pacify him. Even though I knew that in actual fact I was presenting no kind of threat to his ability to pay his mortgage, it was sad to see him so worried that that was the case.
I know, however, that even if he were to suffer it would not be as a result of our choice to act. It would be as a result of his company's choice not to act. Volkswagen are not only letting their customers and the public down, but they are failing their staff by being an underhand and dishonest company. Did they think their double standards would never be noticed? And did they think that if their double standards were noticed, that people would lay back and take it?
The answers are unclear. What is clear is that dishonesty and social irresponisbility are bad for business. Staff working for VW deserve security in their jobs. We are fighting for VW to do the right thing and if they do the right thing, then they can expect good press and loyal customers. The company can then thrive in a sustainable way which will benefit VW staff in the long term; in their job security, and in providing their children with a brighter future world to live in.
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