Interruption of Prime Minister
Lisbon (Portugal), 2019

“More planes? Only if they’re paper planes. We need a plan B, because there’s no planet B.”

Activists who would later create the ATERRA campaign in Lisbon disrupted a Socialist Party anniversary dinner, throwing paper planes at the Prime Minister to denounce the planned expansion of Lisbon airport. Their action highlighted the lack of public consultation and environmental assessment in a project that would severely affect both the Tagus Estuary natural reserve and nearby communities, as well as contradict the government’s climate pledges.

Timing

  • The action took place on the 22nd of April 2019, just months after the government and Vinci Corporation announced their plans to expand Lisbon’s existing airport and build a second one in the Tagus Estuary natural reserve. These plans had been set without any public consultation or environmental assessment, and media coverage was largely uncritical. The activists sought to break through this consensus and bring attention to the issue.
  • The action was part of an international action week by Extinction Rebellion.
  • Planning began earlier in the year, and a failed attempt to confront the Prime Minister at the Socialist Party headquarters took place just days before the successful action.

Location

  • The action occurred at a congress centre in Lisbon during an anniversary dinner for the Socialist Party.
  • The Prime Minister was present in his capacity as leader of the Socialist Party, not as Prime Minister, which somewhat reduced the action’s credibility.

Type of Action

  • The action was organised by climate justice activists, with support from others for legal assistance and communications.
  • A small group of activists developed the concept, settling on the idea of interrupting the Prime Minister’s speech by throwing paper planes and displaying a banner. The action had nearly no budget, but the group managed to create the necessary materials.
  • The paper planes were used as a visual metaphor to mock the absurdity of expanding air travel in the face of the climate crisis.
  • Initially, the plan was just to throw the planes and display a banner, but a last-minute suggestion to read a statement at the Prime Minister’s microphone shifted the focus of the action.

Insights

  • Improvisation was key to the success of the action. Although the main plan had been to throw paper planes, reading the statement at the microphone added a crucial element of disruption that amplified the action’s message.
  • The resulting court case, triggered by a mistake during the action, provided a prolonged opportunity to further publicise the activists’ critique of the airport expansion project.

Obstacles

  • There were several actions happening at the time, which limited the group’s capacity to thoroughly plan this one. It was hard to get reliable information on the Prime Minister’s schedule, making it difficult to identify an opportunity for the action.
  • The lack of media attention on the expansion project made it challenging to generate wider awareness.

Strengths

  • The visual impact of the action resonated strongly with the public and media. The use of paper planes and the direct confrontation with the Prime Minister were powerful, memorable elements.
  • The unexpected decision to read the statement at the microphone heightened the action’s visibility and impact.
  • The subsequent legal process became a platform for continuing the debate on the airport expansion.

Lessons learned

  • Visuals are critical: although a press release was sent, the public and media focused almost entirely on the visual aspect of the action. Simple, direct messaging is essential.
  • Security responses to actions involving close proximity to powerful figures are highly sensitive. The activists’ playful, creative approach helped to mitigate concerns and maintain the non-threatening tone of the action.
  • Dealing with media attention was a major source of stress. In the future, assigning a dedicated media spokesperson beforehand would help manage the pressure.
  • Having a supportive lawyer is crucial. Legal challenges can be daunting, but with good legal advice, much of the fear surrounding them can be alleviated.