Plane Stupid

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Plane Stupid
Founded 2005, UK
Area served UK
Focus Environmentalism
Method Nonviolence Direct Action
Website www.planestupid.com

Plane Stupid is a UK focused non-violent direct action group that want to see an end to airport expansion, a tax on aviation fuel and an end to short haul flights. Formed in 2005, the organisation claims to have no formal structure. It is inspired by networks like Earth First! and the mid-90s Road protests and is funded by donations.[1].

Contents

[edit] History

Plane Stupid was founded in 2005 by Joss Garman, Richard George and Graham Thompson[2] when a group of activists disrupted an international aviation conference, held in a central London hotel and released helium balloons with personal alarms up to the ceiling during the key note speech by a senior British Airways executive.

In September 2006 Plane Stupid blocked the runway at East Midlands Airport for four hours, their spokesman Leo Murray said "The people of the past didn't know what the problem was. For the people of the future it's going to be too late. People in developing countries are powerless to do anything about it. If we don't do this, it's not going to get done."[3]

In October 2006, The Sunday Times described Joss Garman as "the new champion of the green movement." [4]

In August 2007 an injunction was brought against Joss Garman, Leo Murray of Plane Stupid, John Stewart of AirportWatch, Geraldine Nicholson from No Third Runway Action Group and anyone who "aids, abbets or incites direct action against Heathrow in concert with Plane Stupid" in relation to planned Camp for Climate Action near Heathrow Airport[5].

During the camp in August 2007 they held protests at other aviation-related sites including Airbus[6], Farnborough and Biggin Hill[7].

In October 2007 they disrupted activities at Manchester Airport where they handcuffed themselves for three hours in Terminal Three which hopes to double its passenger capacity to 50 million by 2030.[8]

The group targets EasyJet; their spokeman said "Tony Blair talks the talk about taking action on climate change while building more runways and allowing more planes at airports" [9].

In November 2007 they disrupted the deliberations of a Transport Select Committee inquiry the future of UK airports operator BAA and attempted to hand out copies of a Tyndall Centre climate change report about the impacts of flying on global warming to MPs and members of the public[10]

In December 2007 Plane Stupid activists shut down travel agents on route of a climate march. Their spokesman said: "These businesses continue, with full support from the government, to profit from wrecking our climate".[11]

In January 2008 Joss Garman was named by the The Guardian as one of its "50 people who could save the planet" for his campaigning work around aviation.[12] Plane Stupid protested at the British Airways ice rink outside the Natural History Museum[13]

They are expected to cause further disruption at the opening of Heathrow's new Terminal 5[14].

On Wednesday, 27 February 2008, Plane Stupid launched a five-person strong roof-top protest on the UK's Houses of Parliament[15]. Two large banners were unfurled, after breaching security. The banners stated "BAA HQ" and the second stated the group's website and "No 3rd runway at Heathrow". They were up there for a total of around 2 hours then wound down their protest in police presence who escorted them down and arrested them.

In April 2008, Plane Stupid claimed that their group was infiltrated by an international espionage agency[16][17]. The Times reported that Toby Kendall, 24, an employee of C2i International, had gone undercover in the group going by the name of "Ken Tobias." Airport operator, BAA, who have often been a target of Plane Stupid's campaign, confirmed to The Times that they had been in contact with C2i International but denied ever hiring the company[18].

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ About us. Plane Stupid. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  2. ^ "Back down to earth", The Observer, 2007-07-08. Retrieved on 2008-01-14. 
  3. ^ Alice O'Keeffe (2006-11-06). Planet saved?: Why the green movement is taking to the streets. The New Statesman. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  4. ^ Focus: The new Swampy - Times Online
  5. ^ Robbie Gillett (2007-08-13). The mother of all injunctions. The New Statesman. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  6. ^ "Heathrow protesters target Airbus", BBC News. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  7. ^ Plane Stupid. Climate Campers shut down private jet airport. Retrieved on 2008-01-13.
  8. ^ "Climate-change protesters block entrance to Manchester Airport", The Independent. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  9. ^ "Anti-plane group targets Easyjet", BBC News. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  10. ^ Plane Stupid Heathrow runway protest disrupts MP's BAA inquiry. UK Airport News (2007-11-29). Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  11. ^ Plane Stupid activists shut down travel agents on route of climate march. UK Airport News (2007-12-08). Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  12. ^ "50 people who could save the planet.", The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  13. ^ March of the penguins: climate activists protest at British Airways ice rink. Plane Stupid (2008-01-12). Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
  14. ^ "Activists plan to cause chaos when Terminal 5 at Heathrow is opened", The Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-13. 
  15. ^ "Anti-airport protesters scale Parliament's roof", The Independent. Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 
  16. ^ Industrial espionage agency targeted Heathrow protestors - 8th April 2008. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  17. ^ "Plane Stupid and the spy who got thrown out into the cold", The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 
  18. ^ "Spy caught by anti-aviation group was ‘more Austin Powers than 007’", The Times. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 

[edit] External links