Thousands in fines for graffiti artists fighting Heathrow expansion
- Text by Alex King
“Advertising makes a twat of us all,” STRIKE! Magazine reminded us when we talked about their subversive anti-advertising campaigns. It’s the propaganda that pollutes our public spaces.
One of the worst recent examples of a pathetic attempt to manipulate public opinion come from the pro-Heathrow Airport expansion campaign – so much so that the Advertising Standards Authority ordered them to be removed over unsubstantiated and misleading claims.
Before waiting for the ASA’s decision to confirm the ads were certified bullshit, graffiti activists Joe McGahan and Lawrence Rose took matters into their own hands – defacing the ads with some home truths.
They were arrested after painting a billboard reading ‘Heathrow expansion: Those living around us are behind us’ so that it read ‘Those living around us are choking’.
Both admitted to the graffiti upon arrest, but argued they were acting to prevent greater crimes against local residents and all other life on earth. They plead ‘not guilty’, using the statutory defence of ‘lawful excuse’.
However, a jury at Isleworth Crown Court found Lawrence, 29, and Joe, 32, guilty of criminal damage and Judge Edmunds QC ordered them to pay costs of £1615 and £1040 respectively.
In a bitterly ironic judgement, given the damage a third runway is likely to inflict on local residents, the pair were also convicted of going equipped to cause criminal damage against the property of Heathrow Airports Ltd and sentenced to a twelve month conditional discharge.
While Heathrow’s claims have been proven misleading, Lawrence and Joe have science on their side. A 2012 study found around fifty early deaths a year can be attributed to air pollution from Heathrow. “We attempted to alter Heathrow’s fraudulent billboards in order to portray a more accurate reality of the harm and misery Heathrow’s expansion will bring to local residents and the environment,” Joe said.
Unfortunately, this was insufficient to sway the jury, but local residents have rallied in supported of the convicted protestors. “The reason my home and my daughter’s school haven’t been demolished for new runways is that people took action like this,” Tracy Howard, a Sipson resident, said. “The ones who should be in court are the Heathrow bosses doing truly criminal damage to our climate and our villages.”
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The Pope has declared holy war on AI
The New Butlerian Jihad — In his first encyclical letter, Pope Leo XIV addressed the increasing pervasiveness of artificial intelligence as a threat to the already fragile structures of society. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland makes sense of it all.
Written by: Emma Garland
On the frontlines of Britain’s ’80s protest movements
Protest and Equality — Against a backdrop of Thatcherism, hospital closures and global conflict, photographer Sarah Saunders was a documentarian of the long decade’s effects on society, as well as the communities actively resisting it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
6 years on from George Floyd, how much more accessible is the outdoors for People of Colour?
Second Nature — A new report by The Mix Global highlights continued barriers that marginalised folks face when exploring nature, despite attempts at greater representation. Phil Young takes stock of how far we’ve come.
Written by: Phil Young
A stark, confronting window into the global cocaine trade
Sangre Blanca — Mads Nissen’s new book is a close-up look at various stages of the drug’s journey, from production to consumption, and the violence that follows wherever it goes.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Venice Biennale will not award artists from Israel & Russia due to war crime accusations
Art Not Genocide — Both countries will still be allowed to exhibit work at their respective pavilions, but be excluded from judging considerations, as they have leaders facing arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.
Written by: Noah Petersons
