Activism: climate change, airport expansion, taxi rights...and democracy

摘要

The global protest culture that has emerged in the last decade is unlikely to change. The underlying drivers are currently an endemic part of the global socio-economic system. The relative ease with which protests can organise and mobilise is not going to change. Some countries restrict, or are beginning to restrict, rights to protest, but in the long term this approach does not seem to be particularly effective. The industry cannot address all the underlying causes of protest, but it is doing what it can in addressing its role in environmental protests. In terms of preventative measures, international civil aviation can reasonably restrict access to its facilities. Runway incursions are dangerous to all concerned so increasing restrictions on those activities, and establishing severe penalties for those who breach those seems appropriate. Otherwise, the industry will just have to manage the disruptions it will face from the protest culture for years to come.