Comments on: SU Officer arrested in fight against aviation emissions

By: DeanyB

DeanyB — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 20:39:48 +0000

Surely there are other ways in which Plane Stupid could raise awareness of their cause than cause disruption to customers who have done nothing wrong. The fact that delays occur anyway is irelevant - murders happen every day but that doesn’t justify politically motivated ones.

Direct action is never justifiable. There are other channels for Miss Rickford and her scruffy pals to voice their concern - peaceful, organised protests. Just because they might not be a successful does not mean that they should resort to breaking the law. If anything that’s childish.

Also I can’t stand it when people knowingly break the law and then complain about their subsequent treatment. It’s like poking a crocodile and then complaining it attacked you. Even if Miss Rickford was held for 36 hours in solitary confinement (proof please?), it would be the least she deserves.

It’s about time the police were given greater powers to tackle such criminals. That’s what they are, no better than rapists and thieves.

As for the guy that has a problem with me being ‘right-wing’, come and say that to my face mate and we’ll see who comes off worse.

By: John Hall

John Hall — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:43:21 +0000

Right-wing c**t.

By: KB

KB — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:58:34 +0000

To DeanyB - apart from being offensive and undermining your argument by writing like a spoilt child your point is largely invalid.

Delays occur regularly at airports and very rarely are they due to protest that actually has merit. If you’d read the article you would have learnt that short-haul flights are one of the fastest growing problems of global carbon emissions and that if the Air industry continues to grow in the unsustainable way it is currently, all other global efforts to reduce emissions will be negated.

Whilst direct-action protests invariable affect people in way perhaps not desirous, they are designed to cause disruption - this action is similar to the actions of the 90’s where motorway expansion proposed by the tories was effectively halted by direct action protest. Whilst you effect a small number of people directly the consequences of your actions are intended to be far more wide-spread and in this case it is to create a media interest. I believe this was mentioned in many local and national news newspapers and one of the members was featured on Newsnight so Plane Stupid have achieved what they hoped from these actions, so that was the point.

As for your accusations of hypocrisy; complaining about being held in solitary confinement for 36 hrs (which is illegal) is hardly the same as being delayed for a few hours to go on holiday or visit your second home in the south of france.

By: DeanyB

DeanyB — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 11:50:05 +0000

For Christ’s sake, I can’t stand these scummy lefty protestors who think it’s perfectly justifiable to inconvenience everybody else and then complain about their own treatment but the authorities. From what I’ve seen, night-time is best suited to the Miss Rickford’s looks.

I bet the people who had their flights cancelled/delayed hope that dissertation is gone for good - “How hypocritical are Plane Stupid?”

What was the point? A lousy 4 hours (some sit-in), a few planes delayed, a criminal record and no dissertation/keys/dignity - this is the funniest thing I’ve ever read in Nouse, keep the nutty stories of Rose Rickford coming!