Black Lives And City Airport

I was going to have Theresa May, the G20 summit and the hypocrisy of Keith Vaz in my sights today, but that can wait, for once  I'm going to be right up to date and comment on something happening now! The runway at City Airport in London is currently closed due to Black Lives Matter protestors.

In many ways I'm very supportive of Black Lives Matter and not just in the USA although the situation in the USA is far worse. Anyway, I was interested to hear a spokeswoman for Black Lives Matter on the radio about an hour ago. I was driving at the time so I cannot give a verbatim report.

However, she spoke about frivolous short haul air travel by the wealthy, air quality in the surrounding area and how Black people nearby are scraping by on just twenty thousand pounds a year. Now I got by on eighteen thousand and something last year and I happen to think my life matters too. Further more I'm taking steps to try and improve matters for myself. I'm not blaming anyone who might be doing better than me.

For two periods in my life I lived under the flight path of London City Airport and it is a fact that unburnt aircraft fuel drops out of the sky and makes everything oily and common sense says its in the air we breathe therefore. It's clearly a big issue, but it's not an exclusively Black issue. Then there's the question of whether flights form London City Airport are frivolous perks for overpaid white people.

Frankly, I suspect that most of the flights from London City Airport are for business and businesses evaluate what's the best value for them, the most efficient, the best use of time etc. Businesses in the City have their issues, but business which supports our economy is not of itself frivolous.

If, Black Lives Matter were talking about equality of opportunity and could make a case I'd be right behind them, if they were campaigning to end racism I'd stand shoulder to shoulder with them on that issue. If they were talking about police brutality or institutional racism I'd also stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

However I think this protest is an error of judgement, I'm all in favour of environmental campaigning, but that would be more effective if it had nothing to do with race, if it was inclusive. I don't think this protest will further the cause of equality and understanding. Even if it were appropriate there's the question of proportionality, something Junior Doctors have had to wrestle with this week.

I believe in peaceful protest, I might even believe in direct action if the specific circumstances called for it, but this isn't it.

The Junior Doctors' protest is more likely to achieve a degree of public support than this one. It's a shame because Black Lives Matter may be harming their own cause and in many areas they have a just and worthwhile cause to campaign for.

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