Indymedia publish Plane Stupid interview
04.02.08
Indymedia has published an interview with Robbie Gillett, one of the founding members of anti-aviation direct action group Plane Stupid. The group regularly catches headlines for its protests, and promotes direct action targeting aviation, which it describes as the fastest growing cause of climate change, most recently at Edinburgh Airport.
The group was formed in 2005, when a number of activists disrupted an international aviation conference using rape alarms attached to helium balloons during the key note speech. Since then local branches have formed, including a group in Scotland that blockaded a private jet company at Edinburgh Airport late last month (see this report on the incident).
In the following interview extracts, IM is Indymedia and RG is Robbie Gillett.
IM: What is Plane Stupid's core aims and principles? What are your main demands for change?
RG: Our immediate aim is a moratorium on airport expansion, an end to short haul and domestic flights and a tax on aviation fuel. In the longer term we want airports and aviation to be scaled back to sustainable levels.
Unfortunately, this means an end to all unnecessary flights. What counts as unnecessary is a matter of debate but for starters this would include domestic and short-haul flights.
We are aware that a tax on aviation fuel won't be coming any time soon, because it's locked into hundreds of bilateral trade agreements. But we have it as an aim in order to highlight the special treatment the aviation industry gets.
Coupled with this, we also want to promote sustainable forms of transport, such as train and coach, and fully integrated transport systems.
IM: How effective do you feel you have been so far?
RG: We have definitely been effective at raising the issue of aviation and its relationship to climate change. Using direct action as a tactic, people are far more aware of the issue than they were two years ago.
The aviation industry is very well tied in with government and has been for 40 years or so. Along with Airport Watch, we're beginning to expose that unhealthy relationship, and show that their plans threaten any chance we have of avoiding runaway climate change.
We are also good at using the mainstream media as a campaigning tool and hope that other groups / parts of the movement will see the value in this approach.
IM: What is your organisational structure? There are quite a number of active groups now. Do they plan together and are there national gatherings?
RG: Plane Stupid is a decentralised network of affinity groups. Decisions are taken by consensus and we aspire to be non-hierarchical. However, as with all groups, there is inevitably an informal hierarchy of involvement, knowledge and enthusiasm.
IM: To an outsider the structure of Plane Stupid does not seem to be a decentralised network of affinity groups. For example, funding and policy decisions appear to be much more centralised. Is this true? and if so, are there any plans to change this?
RG: Plane Stupid actions are organised by those who take part in them. There is no organisational hierarchy concerning these, which is why we're better described as a network of local affinity groups. The most active people periodically meet up to talk strategy, but this is not dictated to the autonomous regional groups, it is fed back as suggestions. However, most funding is centralised, yes. That said - each regional group (London, Manchester, Scotland, etc.) is free to do their own [fundraising] and spend as they see fit.
IM: How do you fund yourselves, and from what / where?
RG: Plane Stupid is funded entirely by donations - with no-one expecting anything in return aside from campaigning and direct action against aviation growth. There has been one donation from a corporation and that company was Lush - who are also funding the No M1 Widening Campaign, The Campaign for Better Transport and various other ecological and animal-related grass-roots groups and charities. All of the other major donations have come from individuals and foundations. The individuals understandably wish to remain anonymous. The foundations are well known - for example, the 'Artists Project Earth'.
IM: What is the future of Plane Stupid?
RG: More of the same. The third runway at Heathrow is an iconic symbol that we'll fight tooth and nail to stop. But we need everyone's help. Plane Stupid is just a hat that ordinary people wear when fighting the aviation industry.
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