Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws Page #4

around here

in this beautiful village,

to make way for a horrendous runway,

extending Heathrow airport.

And a bigger airport

means more flights

and more emissions

into the atmosphere.

So, a third runway at Heathrow has

become a climate-change battleground.

Plane Stupid is a grass-roots,

direct-action network...

.. that focused

on the aviation industry

as a key contributor

to climate change.

Since 2006, Plane Stupid have been

bringing aviation back down to earth,

with actions like a banner drop

from the Houses of Parliament

and occupying the runway

at Stansted Airport.

I have been involved with Plane Stupid

for the last couple of years.

I was occupying the runway

at Stansted last December.

And I've been involved

in Climate Camp, as well,

which was the turning point

in my political motivation -

the 2007 Climate Camp.

I'd been on the fringes

and I'd always been interested.

I'd been to lots of marches.

And then in 2007 I was like, "Right...

Enough is enough.

We've got to start doing stuff. "

It's so drastic and potentially

affecting my future so detrimentally

that I have to try everything I can

to do something about it.

Through Plane Stupid,

I've had a lot of connections

with the campaign and communities

around Heathrow

that were facing complete destruction.

Tarmacing, effectively,

of their communities.

The community there

are trying to resist.

They need more support,

and there's lots of people who need

to get engaged with the debate.

So, I think the idea

of us moving down there

is to do some real, grass-roots,

community-resistance-style stuff,

to really build the community there

and make it a resistant hub, an

example for places across the country,

where there's plans for airport

expansion or coal power stations.

If you look at this map, this is

the proposed site of the third runway.

It's going to cut

right across Harlington,

which is next door to Sipson,

which is going to get demolished

if the 3rd runway plans go ahead.

I got involved about six years ago,

with the threat of the third runway.

They was also threatening

to bulldoze Cherry Lane cemetery.

My husband's nan's there,

so it became more poignant

and involved my own life,

so I got involved

in all the different action groups.

I go from leaflet dropping to direct

action. I'm quite variable.

I go from the basics right up

to the main squeeze, shall we say?

My direct action involved

going to the Architect

of the Year award

and sabotaging it.

We gave Pascal and Watson

the We Don't Give A Sh*t award,

as they don't give a sh*t about us.

Good evening.

We won't take up much of your time.

We're here from Plane Stupid

and the residents around Heathrow.

And before the awards start,

we'd like to give our own award,

and we'd like to give it

to Pascal and Watson.

I think Pascal and Watson are here,

and we want to give them an award,

because they've been at the forefront

of aviation expansion since the 1960s.

Josh gave a talk

about the environmental issues,

and I gave a talk about my life.

Ladies and gentlemen,

would you kindly leave the stage?

Would you leave the stage,

so we can proceed with our ceremony?

You've been incredible!

You've been destroying the climate,

people's homes and local community.

It's for Pascal and Watson!

Anyone else want it?

Would anyone else like the award?

They're digging up my grandmother's

grave! My grandmother's grave!

When I was asked to leave,

I did leave.

I had to go back on stage,

cos I left my coat there,

but we did actually leave.

We were non-threatening.

We just made a point.

We distributed lots of leaflets

about the situation, and it was fine.

It would be really interesting

to put a transition town

in the space where they would like

to put the third runway,

and contrast those two things.

So, start to build the world

that we'd like to live in,

where they'd like to Tarmac.

Lily, Paul, Rowan

and other Plane Stupid members

are moving to a threatened village

near Heathrow.

How long do you think

you'll be living out by Heathrow?

I'm committing in my mind

to being there for at least a year.

Hopefully, by next year, they'll say,

"It's getting dropped,"

or, "We've changed our minds

and we're gonna do it. "

- So, here we are.

- Here we are.

Welcome to my new home.

A resident of Harlington now,

which is quite exciting.

You can hear the aircraft noise

already.

I'm going to have to get used to that.

I suppose people live with it

every day,

so I'll just get used to it eventually.

At the Vestas factory,

the workers have been forced

to end their occupation.

But some have joined Marina

on the traffic island,

blockading the removal

of the machinery from the plant.

Living on a roundabout,

poking two fingers up

to a multinational corporation

which makes profits out of climate

change, rather than helping.

It feels like direct action every day.

We're making it difficult

for them to work.

Quite right.

They've sacked 400 workers.

This is our living room,

which is a bit too comfortable.

Four months I've been here.

I don't know how long I'm going

to stay on the Isle of Wight.

Once you start a campaign,

you see it through.

These are my broad beans,

which I'm particularly proud of.

Earlier in the year, back in Brighton,

I planted broad beans

in memory of the Diggers of 1649.

I brought the seeds from that crop

that came up for G20 Meltdown,

the anniversary of the Diggers

taking St George's Hill.

I put them in just before Halloween,

and now I have beautiful broad beans.

Does all of this do any good?

I think you can't do...

Thank you.

You can't do nothing.

That wouldn't have done any good.

I think there have been...

One problem is,

if people realize there's a problem

and don't think they can do anything,

that is suicidal-depressing.

That is roll-over-and-die depressing.

But if you think

you can make a difference,

through campaigning or obstruction,

that's empowering.

So, you are taking control

of your life,

even though all these decisions

are made by politicians over there.

So, yes, it has done good.

After four months of trying to do

good, the authorities have had enough,

and an eviction order has arrived.

- Hello.

- Mr. Quinn, High Court enforcement.

We're here today...

Can you turn round, so I can get

the sunlight on your face?

- Is that all right?

- Yeah, that's better.

- OK?

- Yeah. So, what are you saying?

We're here from High Court

enforcement to enforce the writ.

OK. Now, would you like a cup of tea?

No, thank you very much.

I've just had coffee.

Well, the kettle will be on

while we pack up.

- How long will it take you?

- Oh, it's going to be a few hours.

Do you reckon an hour?

Shall we give it till 12?

Oh, I don't think we'll have finished

elevens by 12 o'clock.

OK. We'll go for 12 o'clock.

I don't think we'll be packed by 12,

but we'll try.

OK, lovely.

- I'm their beat officer!

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