Yesterday, about 60 British climate activists breached security at London’s Stansted airport to blockade runway traffic. Causing dozens of cancellations, “Plane Stupid” is a network of groups taking action against air traffic pollution and airport expansion. They snuck into the secured airfield at 3:15am and camped out on the runway and raised a banner saying ‘CLIMATE EMERGENCY‘.
Police cleared them out by 10:30AM, after occupying the runway through the morning using fencing and chains.
Called “the fastest growing wing of the broad environmental movement” the group finds inspiration in the direct action tactics of groups like Earth First! and England’s anti-road movement of the 1990’s. Plane Stupid is an anti-authoritarian network taking on one of the root causes of climate change in the world.
Aviation is the fastest growing source of carbon emissions and airport expansion is destroying eco-systems and ancient forests.