Sponsored Protest: Park(ing) Day Comes to the UK

parking day uk reclaims parking space for people's use photo
Image credit: ibuyeco Parking Day

Parking Day has been going since 2005, and TreeHugger has always been excited about this way to temporarily reclaim space from cars and use it for the common good. Others were less impressed, calling Parking Day Activists "enviro-nuts", and even describing them as "so punchable". Now we'll see how the Brits take to the practice of paying for parking space, only to use it for recreation - Parking Day is coming to Britain.

Considering the fact that the UK is the birth place of World Naked Bike Ride, the ibuyeco Parking Day should be tame by comparison. Having said that, it would also be interesting to see how greenies take to privately sponsored activism - albeit sponsored by a green business: "Brought to Britain by eco car insurance provider ibuyeco and US art collective Rebar, PARK(ing) Day UK is the first official, nationwide event of its kind in the UK and is part of International PARK(ing) Day - an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists and members of the public collaborate to temporarily convert paid-for parking spots into beautiful green spaces."

In many ways it's no different from the Timberline/Changents sponsorship of activist campaigns like Dirty for Swain - although sponsored street protest is an interesting twist. Beats billboards if you ask me.

From Treehugger.com