Leila Deen
Encyclopedia
Leila Deen is a British
environmentalist
, campaigning on the issues of climate change, poverty and water politics
. She is most widely known for pouring green custard
on the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson in March 2009 in protest against the extension of Heathrow Airport, for which she was arrested on March 8, 2009.
group Plane Stupid
and a campaigner for the World Development Movement
, focussing on water and climate change. In contrast to her later direct action
, at the 2008 Kingsnorth Climate Camp Deen was reported to be "keen to stress that WDM does not support illegal protest methods". She has called Heathrow's Terminal 5 "a glorified shopping mall" and she called pro-flight counter-protesters "very misguided". In 2007 she joined Brian Haw
's peace camp
in Parliament Square
against SOCPA and the Iraq War. As a member of Plane Stupid, she has dressed as a suffragette
, glued herself to the doors of the Department for Transport
, and blown an airhorn to interrupt a speech by Geoff Hoon
. She was a finalist in the Sheila McKechnie Awards
in 2006 for campaigning for Economic Justice
.
On 6 March 2009 Deen approached Lord Mandelson outside a Low Carbon summit on the government
's carbon strategy at the Royal Society
and threw a cup of green custard
in his face, in protest over his support for a third runway
at Heathrow airport. Deen lives along a Heathrow flight path in London
, and has previously stated a belief that “You cannot expand airports and stop climate change. The science shows it’s just not possible. If the Government condones the building of a third runway, Britain will have no chance of reducing emissions in line with Gordon Brown’s own targets.” She was quoted as saying “the only thing green about Peter Mandelson
is the slime coursing through his veins.” Plane Stupid claimed that the action was in protest at the frequent meetings between Roland Rudd, who represents airport operator BAA and Mandelson and other ministers in the run-up to Labour's decision to go ahead with plans for a third runway. Lord Mandelson responded that “Whilst I'm prepared to take my fair share of the green revolution on to my shoulders, I'm less keen on having it on my face.” Former Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott
was less prosaic, declaring that “What is totally unacceptable is the way the woman walked away claiming it was her right in democracy. She should have been arrested. It is not acceptable that she should be allowed to walk away after an assault.” A Metropolitan Police
spokesman said of the incident that “Police are investigating circumstances surrounding an incident in Carlton House Terrace, SW1, at about 8am today.” Lord Mandelson noted that ""I was slightly surprised that she could just saunter off without being apprehended". Deen was arrested on 8 March over the incident, and was cautioned
on 9 April for causing "harassment, alarm or distress
".
A quote from Deen,
meeting in Edinburgh when she scaled a crane along with two other protesters. She was quoted as saying “The crumbs of debt relief
and aid increases... remain tied to debilitating conditions, which stands in direct contradiction to Make Poverty History
”.
about the 2007 G8 summit, for Red Pepper
about the 2003 anti-war protests at RAF Fairford
and for The Independent
. In the Guardian ahead of the G-20 protests
, Deen argued that the green movement is strong as it relies on networks, built through baking cakes and making bunting
rather than on violence and confronting police lines.
and studied Development Studies
and Politics
at Leeds University, where she voted in favour of banning The Sun
newspaper in protest at its coverage of immigration and asylum issues. She is half-Egyptian
. She subsequently received a Masters degree from Sussex University. For her mother's 60th birthday her family travelled to Morocco by train as she would not allow them to fly.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, campaigning on the issues of climate change, poverty and water politics
Water politics
Water politics, sometimes called hydropolitics, is politics affected by the availability of water and water resources, a necessity for all life forms and human development...
. She is most widely known for pouring green custard
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
on the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson in March 2009 in protest against the extension of Heathrow Airport, for which she was arrested on March 8, 2009.
Activism
Deen is a prominent member of anti-aviationAviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
group Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid
Plane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
and a campaigner for the World Development Movement
World Development Movement
The World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
, focussing on water and climate change. In contrast to her later direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
, at the 2008 Kingsnorth Climate Camp Deen was reported to be "keen to stress that WDM does not support illegal protest methods". She has called Heathrow's Terminal 5 "a glorified shopping mall" and she called pro-flight counter-protesters "very misguided". In 2007 she joined Brian Haw
Brian Haw
Brian William Haw was an English protester and peace campaigner who lived for almost ten years in a camp in London's Parliament Square from 2001, in a protest against UK and US foreign policy...
's peace camp
Peace camp
Peace camps are a form of physical protest camp that is focused on anti-war activity. They are set up outside military bases by members of the peace movement who oppose either the existence of the military bases themselves, the armaments held there, or the politics of those who control the bases...
in Parliament Square
Parliament Square
Parliament Square is a square outside the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its west. It contains statues of famous statesmen and is the scene of rallies and protests, as well as being a tourist...
against SOCPA and the Iraq War. As a member of Plane Stupid, she has dressed as a suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
, glued herself to the doors of the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
, and blown an airhorn to interrupt a speech by Geoff Hoon
Geoff Hoon
Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...
. She was a finalist in the Sheila McKechnie Awards
Sheila McKechnie Foundation
The Sheila McKechnie Foundation is a charity based in the United Kingdom. It was set up in 2005 to support new and inexperienced campaigners, and to champion the right to campaign....
in 2006 for campaigning for Economic Justice
Justice (economics)
Justice in economics is a subcategory of welfare economics with models frequently representing the ethical-social requirements of a given theory. That theory may or may not elicit acceptance...
.
Deen's attack on Lord Mandelson
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
's carbon strategy at the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and threw a cup of green custard
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
in his face, in protest over his support for a third runway
Expansion of London Heathrow Airport
The expansion of London Heathrow Airport involved the proposal by BAA Limited to build a third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow. The plan was supported by businesses, the aviation industry, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and...
at Heathrow airport. Deen lives along a Heathrow flight path in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and has previously stated a belief that “You cannot expand airports and stop climate change. The science shows it’s just not possible. If the Government condones the building of a third runway, Britain will have no chance of reducing emissions in line with Gordon Brown’s own targets.” She was quoted as saying “the only thing green about Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
is the slime coursing through his veins.” Plane Stupid claimed that the action was in protest at the frequent meetings between Roland Rudd, who represents airport operator BAA and Mandelson and other ministers in the run-up to Labour's decision to go ahead with plans for a third runway. Lord Mandelson responded that “Whilst I'm prepared to take my fair share of the green revolution on to my shoulders, I'm less keen on having it on my face.” Former Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
was less prosaic, declaring that “What is totally unacceptable is the way the woman walked away claiming it was her right in democracy. She should have been arrested. It is not acceptable that she should be allowed to walk away after an assault.” A Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
spokesman said of the incident that “Police are investigating circumstances surrounding an incident in Carlton House Terrace, SW1, at about 8am today.” Lord Mandelson noted that ""I was slightly surprised that she could just saunter off without being apprehended". Deen was arrested on 8 March over the incident, and was cautioned
Police caution
A police caution is a formal alternative to prosecution in minor cases, administered by the police and other law enforcement agencies in England and Wales, and in Hong Kong...
on 9 April for causing "harassment, alarm or distress
Harassment, Alarm or Distress
Harassment, alarm or distress is a statutory offence in England and Wales. It is also a term of art used in sections 4A and 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 .-The offence:...
".
A quote from Deen,
G8 protest
Deen made headlines in 2005 as part of a protest at the G8G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
meeting in Edinburgh when she scaled a crane along with two other protesters. She was quoted as saying “The crumbs of debt relief
Debt relief
Debt relief is the partial or total forgiveness of debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth, owed by individuals, corporations, or nations. From antiquity through the 19th century, it refers to domestic debts, in particular agricultural debts and freeing of debt slaves...
and aid increases... remain tied to debilitating conditions, which stands in direct contradiction to Make Poverty History
Make Poverty History
Make Poverty History is the name of a campaign that exists in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Denmark , Finland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain and Ireland...
”.
Journalism
Deen has written for New StatesmanNew Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
about the 2007 G8 summit, for Red Pepper
Red Pepper (magazine)
Red Pepper is an independent ‘red, green and radical’ magazine based in the UK. For most of its history it appeared monthly, but relaunched as a bi-monthly during 2007.- Origins :...
about the 2003 anti-war protests at RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
and for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. In the Guardian ahead of the G-20 protests
2009 G-20 London summit protests
The 2009 G-20 London summit protests occurred in the days around the G-20 summit on 2 April 2009, which was the focus of protests from a number of groups over various long-standing and topical issues...
, Deen argued that the green movement is strong as it relies on networks, built through baking cakes and making bunting
Bunting (textile)
Bunting was originally a specific type of lightweight worsted wool fabric generically known as tammy, manufactured from the turn of the 17th century, and used for making ribbons. and flags, including signal flags for the Royal Navy...
rather than on violence and confronting police lines.
Personal life
Deen went to school in BrightonBrighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and studied Development Studies
Development studies
Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...
and Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
at Leeds University, where she voted in favour of banning The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
newspaper in protest at its coverage of immigration and asylum issues. She is half-Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
. She subsequently received a Masters degree from Sussex University. For her mother's 60th birthday her family travelled to Morocco by train as she would not allow them to fly.
See also
- Plane StupidPlane StupidPlane Stupid is a UK-focused group of environmental protesters who state their aim as wanting to see an end to airport expansion for what it sees as "unnecessary and unsustainable" flights. The organisation has no formal hierarchy, leader, or media figurehead. It is a loose association of...
- World Development MovementWorld Development MovementThe World Development Movement is a membership organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South....
- Environmental direct action in the United KingdomEnvironmental direct action in the United KingdomThe environmental direct action movement in the United Kingdom started in 1991 with the forming of the first UK Earth First! group. The movement rapidly grew to include road protest camps, airport camps, anti-GMO actions, electricity generators, and quarry actions.-History:The Earth First! movement...
- PieingPieingPieing is the act of throwing a pie at a person or persons. This can be a political action when the target is an authority figure, politician, or celebrity and can be used as a means of protesting against the target's political beliefs, or against perceived arrogance or vanity. Perpetrators...