Aviation billboard subvertised in North London

Last Saturday morning eight young climate change protestors decided they'd had enough of being bombarded with aviation advertising and took control of a billboard. At a time most of us would be asleep (or just getting in from a night on the lash) they were hanging a banner saying "stop airport expansion" over the advert.

Although just a small example of direct action this subvertising was just the start of a wider campaign to counter the millions and millions of pounds worth of advertising the industry forks out for every year. Tackling climate change means rethinking what is and is not acceptable. When aviation is 13% of our climate impact, posters on every last square foot of blank wall inciting us to fly is certainly not OK. It's time we declared public spaces no-go-zones for crappy adverts flogging us shit we don't actually want or need. Take your advert for cheap flights and shove it.

Advertising executives, be warned. Plane Stupid grew up watching Blue Peter. We've bought loads and loads of marker pens and sticky backed plastic, and have been saving egg-cartons for months. Your precious pseudo-art that litters the public realm is going to get rebranded. We have high-viz jackets and we know how to use them.

Today's sermon finishes with a short quote from the Gospel according to Banksy, that famed counter-cultural sell out: "Any advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It's yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head." Amen to that, brother.