Plain Stupid?

[Bluemoon]

I was just wondering if protests like the one at Stanstead the other day help the cause or just make matters worse.

[Annpan]

At the very least they brought it to attention.......I doubt it would achieve anything, but I don't think anything would change it.......money talks, and lots of money is going to be made by lots of people....

[Clara]

I'm not sure, but one thing is for certain writing letters and endless scientific reports don't make anyone change anything fast enough.....perhaps I feel that publicity stunts are also pointless and that direct action needs to be a little more "direct", got to go I think MI6 are knocking at the door.......

[Clara]

that's more like it!

[Annpan]

Yup! We just need some more greeny judges that refuse to accept the prosecution of such acts.

[eccentric_emma]

Hamster wrote a good piece about it on her blog the other day - http://sproutingbroccoli.wordpress.com

It really brought a smile to my face because every day I see so many sheep happy to be told what to think, to do, to wear, to buy etc etc. Although it may have antagonised people, it got a lot of people talking. I don't know the effect it will have had, but I was just really pleased to see people standing up for themselves.

[lsm1066]

Thought you might find this interesting.

Lynne

http://www.biggreenswitch.co.uk/forum/t ... -the-world

[jim]

Dear Clara,

What a lovely link! Thank you for that.

On the subject of direct action did anyone listen to the item on the Today programme this am? During the protests at the link mentioned coal fired station, police claimed they suffered 70 injuries. Under a freedom of information enquiry it now comes to light that there were only 12. None of which were caused by protestors. The injuries included:- a wasp sting, heat exhaustion and an officer passing out in his car ..... Reporting of direct action always attempts to show opposition to Government policy in a bad light. Yes Annpan, money talks with a very LOUD voice,

Love and Peace
Jim

[the.fee.fairy]

Well...living very very close to Stansted i have been watching it all with great interest.
Sadly, i missed the Demo because i was elsewhere, but i would have been there!

At the moment, especially with Stansted, all the campaigning so far has been by the 'patrons' of the village, Stop Stansted Expansion, who have spent millions of pounds on trying to go the lawful way through the courts. I asked them if they were planning direct action, and they replied that they do not condone any kind of direct action and would publicly deny all knowledge if it were to take place.

Stansted Expansion is funded by the council...guess where they get their money from...They will never win by going through the courts, BAA have more finances than SSE ever will do.

So, i say direct action all the way, get the point across, get people talking about the problem elsewhere!

[Turtuga Blanku]

Creating awareness is good, I think. As long as it is done in a non-violent, non-destructible and honest way. (With honest I mean that it is based on facts and not on exaggeration). Often, good communication lacks so that people (the general public) are unaware of what is (really) going on.

[Nomada]

Well, this is one way of stopping airport expansion!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7825169.stm

[MuddyWitch]

Yep, simple, peacefull & direct....

MW

[eccentric_emma]

What a great idea! Let's hope it works!

[jim]

Good idea, but not new. Friends of the Earth did a similar scheme at "Alices Meadow" in Oxfordshire in a bid to stop the M40 in the 1980s. Anyone else out there own a square metre of it? Unfortunately the M40 was still built ..... but that shouldn't stop people from trying,

Love and Peace
Jim

[ajs88]

it should delay if for a while, which will hopefully long enough for the idea to fall out of flavour