Plane Stupid Campaign Strategy Toronto Skillshare October 2011

If you want something doing properly...

Click to edit Master subtitle style

then...DO IT YOURSELF!

Why direct action?

People take direct action when they find the prescribed system of democracy fails them. Direct action is about acting out of necessity - we see what is wrong and that it is necessary and justified to act for our personal safety, that of others, or indeed for the future of the planet. It can equally be about creating what you want, as acting to stop what you disagree with. It is about taking responsibility, and not deferring power.

History

Ghandi, the civil rights independence, suffragettes and There is an imperative to a higher more... law and it is our duty to defend them Ghandi When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty Adam Kokesh You don't fight racism with racism, the best way to fight racism is with solidarity. Bobby Seale, Black Panther Party

Direct Action Case Study: Plane Stupid

Click to edit Master subtitle style

w w w .planestupid.com

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007

UK Airport Expansion Plans

Government paper: The Future of Air Transport (2003)

This announced the governments plans to almost treble the number of passengers using UK airports by the year 2030. It prescribed increases in capacity and/or expansion at twenty airports in the UK. Expansion plans require at least 2 new flight paths and 6 new stacking areas. Villages face demolition, along with 44 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 11 Ancient woodland sites, 7 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 8 Registered parks and gardens.

So once again..

Building more airport capacity now to allow for growth in air traffic will guarantee that we cannot meet our national commitment to reduce emissions to a level that might prevent dangerous >> This change. climate is why aviation is under the spotlight !!

What can Plane Stupid achieve?

To make unnecessary flying socially unacceptable. Highlight government hypocrisy over its aviation specific expansion, taxation and climate change policy. Build a movement of people willing to take direct action against the aviation industry to end airport expansion within the

What does Plane Stupid want?

End airport expansion! Tax aviation fuel! Stop unnecessary short haul flights!

We need Action!

Plane Stupid activists occupy the taxiway of Nottingham East Midlands Airport to protest against climate change caused by flights from the short haul hub September 24th 2006

Five Plane Stupid Activists drop banners from the roof of Parliament to highlight the colusion between our Government and BAA, and to oppose the 3rd Runway planned for Heathrow, March 2008

Sticking it to the Prime Minister June 08

Click to edit the outline text format

Second Outline Level

Third Outline Level

Fourth Outline Level Fifth Outline

Two Plane Stupid Scotland activists scale the roof of Scottish Parliament opposing the expansion of Scotlands airports, April 2008

Stansted Occupationecember 8th 2008

Aberdeen airport occupation - 3 March 2009

What can we do?

Vote in the next elections. But: Lack of choice amongst the political parties. Labour / Conservative Coke / Pepsi Good cop / bad cop

We don't have time to wait for the next government.

Active Citizenry
Political Engagement = more than just ticking a box once every 4 years (16 times in your life) Writing to your MP, signing petitions. Join a group or start a group e.g People and Planet Join a campaign or start one: - poster - events - flyers - strategise picking winnable aims and goals and setting timelines.

Acting Collectively Mainstream campaign Climate Change March December 2008 tactics Anti-war march February 1

Advantages + limitations of mainstream tactics

Open and accessible lots of people can get involved. Good for drawing people into a wider movement. - Mainstream campaigning is very important. BUT Marches can be (but not always): passive Ignored Disempowering Easily accomodated by the status quo

How does non-violent direct Increases the political and economic action work? costs of a policy.

Shifts the Click to edit the McNeish notes, by the late 1990s, the broad anti-roads campaign political largely successful in that the governments road outline text format had proven landscape Second Outline program had been reduced to less than -the 'radical Level one effect flank'third of its original Third Outline 23 billion Level projections, whilst environmental, transport and traffic

agenda. issues, had been pushed to the top of the policyFourth

Outline Level Fifth Outline

Personal responsibility

Public, government, business all pointing the finger. How to carbon offset. Can I get involved? Climate Care or Climate Campaigning?

Direct Action as the Revolution and Inspiration of Everyday Case Study: Life

Alinsky described himself as a free-society organiser and a rebel, in his lifetime he was involved in a number of campaigns particularly with local communities in the United States, the civil rights movement and in challenging big business Alinsky has left a lasting legacy as his influence on contemporary political ideas remains long after his death: Barack Obama went to Chicago to be a Community Organiser for an Alinsky project, experiences which he has described as deeply formative. Hilary Rodham (Clinton) wrote her Masters thesis on Alinsky Contemporary campaigns in the UK such as on low pay and the status of refugee and migrant workers involving faith groups and trade unions can trace some of their origins back to Alinskys influence.

Why take direct action?

Direct action works. History has

shown us that when there is a need for radical social change, asking those in power nicely to

What makes a good direct action?

the TARGET e.g. corporation, government or the public the FORM e.g. blockade, street party, disruption, monkeywrenching, strike the AUDIENCE e.g. investors, public government the MEDIA e.g leaflets, photos, video, press release, banners etc.

Direct Action has been a tool for disenfranchised communities throughout

Who can afford to be involved in Direct Action?

Non Violence Vs. Violent Action

Social movements are collections of people who engage in action to resist or bring about change. Is it violent to dismantle machinery? Is it violent to shut down a company with a unethical track record? How far would you go? As an activist? As an educator? People who struggle for peace can find violence repugnant but believe that

In many ways the defining manifestation of a movement is the emergence of a common story that allows people to express their shared values and create a common vision of the change they want to see.

Direct Action as Storytelling

Framing: Action Logic

The way the action embodies the narrative and speaks for itself as a story. Messengers are often times just as important if not more important than the message, because they embody the message by putting human faces on the conflict, and putting the story in context. Around the world, battle lines are drawn between forces that exploit, destroy and conquer versus those that stand for life, justice and hope. Inspiring campaigns of resistance and transformation are underway, and social movements are quite literally changing the stories that structure our lives, and changing the story of our future. I As the writers expression says a good storyteller doesnt just tell the story they show you the story. A picture is worth a thousand words!

Characters: The Messenger is the Message

Towards New Stories

Show Dont Tell: Engage with Values

More than just a tactic Direct Action as a principle of Life and Organisation

Democracy in action Horizontal organisation DIY energy solutions Learning how to self-govern without authorities! We cant win the battle without more people joining the DIY movement. It depends on who is there, and what skills they bring and share!

Community Led Direct Action

Wake Up To The Impacts of Aviation!

Lock-on limbo

Direct Action and Community Empowerment Tackling Injustice

Direct Action and the State Exposing Police Infiltration April 2009

State The State Control-Police Brutality-Civil Liberties Complex April 2009

Direct Action Breaking the Law in order to Change It!

Influential Direct Action Movements

D ir e c t a c t o n c a u s e d p u b l ic ly i

f unde

b u i l d i n g p r o je c t s i n t h e U K b e 2 0 0 5 t o e x c e e d t h e ir b u d g e t s b y a n 2 4 . 5 ,4 %a n d i n s o m e c a s e s b y a s m Click to edit Master subtitle style 1 2 0% .

But by causing the projects to be scrapped, many more millions were saved, not to mention the natural habitats!

Early 2007 a done deal

Heathrow a 3rd runway?

The UK environmental movement (in all its parts) has changed this: - Climate Camp 2007 @ Heathrow airport. - Greenpeace - Plane Stupid - NoTRAG (No Third Runway Action Group now trained in NVDA) - World Development Movement - many many more.................... NOW Lib Dems and Conservatives are opposed to it. Potential Labour backbench rebellion + Cabinet split Early Day Motion to put it to a vote in the Commons (Decisions are made on the floor of the house.....

Climate Camp and the G20

Space Hijackers

Reclaim the Streets

Q&A

Save Our Schools:

Get involved with your community Links

http://sosglasgow.wordpress.com/ Glasgow Social Centre: http://glasgowsocialcentre.blogspot.com/ Glasgows Radical History: http://www.radicalglasgow.me.uk/page14.html Plane Stupid: www.planestupid.com Glasgow Critical Mass: http://glasgowcriticalmass.wordpress.com/ Govanhill Baths Campaign: http://www.govanhillbaths.com/index.php?page=history Schnews and the story of the M77 resistance: http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news10.htm Brugh Angel, community media and action on housing: http://burghangel.wordpress.com/ Community Project Building and Cultural Heritage http://www.galgael.org/