Air Maidans, Can It Be?

Abstract

Airports are located at the core of the production process, but can they also be where the revolutionary subject is hidden? We know what airports stand for nowadays, but have we pushed for what they could possibly stand for? Can airports, as a form of urban technology, be reimagined beyond their current roles of a space technology nexus driving capital movement? Can we imagine, idealize, and locate them somewhere else in a period dominated by the economy of time, where speed and accessibility matter the most? In this framework, this provocative essay aims to frame airports as a protest and public expression venue. Drawing inspiration from recent examples, such as the Stansted Airport protests in the UK, the Occupy Airports protests that occurred all around the United States, and touching upon the divergent example of Turkey's 15th of July night protests in 2016, I provide a glimpse of an alternative prospect for this key urban infrastructure.