Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/536/4180
From The Socialist newspaper, 3 June 2008
Heathrow protest: Demonstrating against a third airport runway
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Heathrow runway expansion protests, photo Marc Vallée |
Over 3,000 people marched from Hatton Cross to Sipson to demonstrate their opposition to a third runway at Heathrow airport. Sipson itself is due to be destroyed if the plans go ahead. At Sipson the protesters positioned themselves to spell out a giant NO that could be seen from the air.
Neil Cafferky
Considering the amount of publicty the campaign had generated in the run up to the event, the turnout may have been a disappointment to the organisers. It was certainly well down on the number that attended the climate change camp outside Heathrow in August last year.
This could be a result of the tactics of the organisers, which seems to focus on mobilising the strong opposition of the local community in Sipson and putting pressure on Labour and Conservative politicians to oppose the construction of a third runway.
Many of the people I spoke to on the protest seemed quite pessimistic about mobilising mass opposition in London, on the basis that they considered most Londoners to be more interested in cheap flights than the environmental effects of an expanded airport.
The Conservative Party was a visible presence on the demonstration. Deputy mayor Richard Barnes as well as Tory council leaders addressed the rally, voicing their opposition.
However Tory activists were evasive when I inquired if they would ask their MPs to put down motions in parliament opposing the third runway.
This all poses the question of where the campaign will be taken next. Wait for a Tory victory in a general election?
Not many non-Tory activists seemed keen on this idea. In any case, construction will have begun by 2009 which makes present Tory opposition to this expansion scheme a lot easier.
Some activists favoured a 'direct action' approach to disrupt the construction of the runway. However the record of direct action in putting a permanent stop to big construction projects is not encouraging.
This demonstration illustrates the crying need for a political alternative that can cut across the opportunism of the Conservatives and involve working people in discussion (and mass mobilisations when necessary) on how environmental destruction can be prevented, while keeping and maybe expanding opportunities for cheap travel, and preserving transport workers' jobs in west London.
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In The Socialist 3 June 2008:
New Labour's failures: Don't just get angry, get Active
Environment and socialism
Editorial: Target 'ecological' taxes at the biggest polluters
Heathrow protest: Demonstrating against a third airport runway
Cosmetic measures against fuel poverty
Socialist Party workplace news
Belfast Airport workers: The long battle for justice
Come to the national shop stewards network conference
National Shop Stewards Network second conference advert
Union members reject pay insult
Socialist Party campaigns
Nottingham: Student protests at arrests
Socialist Party review
Socialist Party youth and students
London Youth Against Racism activity
National demo against racist BNP
Berlin: 8,000 school students strike
Housing crisis
Markets cannot end house building crisis
Nationalise Bradford & Bingley
Environment: Nuclear power
Nuclear power: An expensive and dangerous failure
Football
The beautiful game, with beautiful profits for some
International socialist news and analysis
Lebanon - civil war or rule by sectarian landlords
Israel: Olmert will go, but the political crisis will stick
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