Jul 3, 2008-2008
United Kingdom
Paper Planes in Heathrow Anti- Expansion Protest
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ACTIVISTS/ACT.GROUPS/DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP
HACAN ClearSkies, Plane Stupid
TARGET
British Airport Authority
WIDELY HELD BELIEF
Authorities should stop the expansion.
CASE NARRATIVE
Issues and Opponents: The British Airport Authority (BAA) at Heathrow Airport was planning a third runway. The new runway would have required many homes, schools, and businesses to move, would ad light and sound pollution, and would increase air flights. The Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise ClearSkies (HACAN ClearSkies) was formed to tackle this and over time connected with other activist groups. Dilemma Action: The actions against the expansion took place beginning in 2002, but this specific DA took place in 2008 as there was broader public support for the activists. Over 600 protesters disrobed to reveal red T-shirts – carrying the message “No Airport Expansion” – outside the department’s building in Westminster in central London. They then started throwing paper airplanes at the building. Outcomes: Part of a larger campaign, this action got a lot of media and was widely attended including by Liberal Democrat deputy leader Vince Cable. A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We had a consultation on airport expansion and we are now considering views from 70,000 people and expect to decide on Heathrow later this year.” The success of this event and the momentum it helped build by expanding participants helped advance the group’s goals. Eventually, the plans for the third runway were scrapped.
PRIMARY STRUGGLE/GOAL
NONVIOLENT TACTICS USED
DA TACTICS USED
Social disobedience
CASE NARRATIVE WRITER
SUCCESS METRICS
10 / 12
(CONC) Concessions were made
(MC) Media Coverage
(MSYMP) Media coverage was sympathetic to the activists
(OR) Opponent response
(PS) Dilemma action built sympathy with the public
(PUN) Punishment favored the activists
(REFR) Dilemma action reframed the narrative of the opponent
(RF) Dilemma action reduced fear and/or apathy among the activists
(SA) Dilemma action appealed to a broad segment of the public
Laugtivism
PART OF A LARGER CAMPAIGN
3 / 3
Activist group continued working together after the action
Encouraged more participants to join the movement
Internally replicated by the same movement
RESOURCES
Project documentation
Dilemma Actions Coding Guidebook
Case study documentation
Dilemma_Actions_Analysis_Dataset
SOURCES
BBC News. 2008. “Paper planes in Heathrow protest
,” Retrieved July 22, 2023. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7486883.stm).
Alicea, Julio. 2010. “English residents and environmentalists prevent Heathrow Airport expansion, 2002 – 2010,” Global Nonviolent Action Database. Retrieved July 22, 2023. (https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/index.php/content/english-residents-and-environmentalists-prevent-heathrow-airport-expansion-2002-2010).
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