earthfirst – Page 260

Climate reclaim the streets in Malmo, Sweden

19 January. Some 60 activists from Klimax-Malmö staged the third “climate collision” during the group’s short existence (it was formed in November last year), seizing a street in the central parts of the city. Some dressed as construction workers, they declared the street a “zone for climate work”.

Sea Shepherd Hostages Return Back to Steve Irwin – Lack of Cooperation May Kill the Whales

Japanese Poachers Release Sea Shepherd Hostages
18/01/08 http://www.seashepherd.org

Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane were transferred from the Yushin Maru No. 2 to the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking early in the morning at 0200 Hours Melbourne time (1300 Hours GMT). The two men were transferred to the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin at 0930 Hours Melbourne time (2030 Hours GMT).

Japanese Poachers Release Sea Shepherd Hostages
18/01/08 http://www.seashepherd.org

Both men were happy to be reunited with their shipmates and eager to return to chasing the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Oceans. Both men reported that although they were roughed up when they first boarded the whaling ship, that they were treated well during their time onboard. The only injury was a bruised wrist suffered by Giles Lane.

“It did not take long before the whalers realized that they made a huge public relations mistake in keeping us on their ship,” said Benjamin Potts. “We made it clear to them that Sea Shepherd was committed to stopping their illegal whaling activities.”

“Although we appreciate the concern that people have expressed for our welfare, it is important to remember that this is not about us.” said Giles Lane. “It’s about stopping this cruel and illegal whale hunt. The treatment that we received was trivial in comparison to the suffering that the whales experience at the hands of the Japanese whalers. They may have been rough with us but at least we were not harpooned, electrocuted and mutilated. This is not about us, it’s about the whales.”

The Steve Irwin is continuing its pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet. “This is the 8th day that whales have not been killed,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Every day that we stop the whalers is a victory. We will continue to intervene, harass, block, and obstruct the whalers at every opportunity.”

The Steve Irwin is presently at 59 Degrees 46 Minutes South and 85 Degrees 59 Minutes East and on the tail of the Japanese whaling fleet.
http://www.seashepherd.org/migaloo/video/2008-01-18_video_clip_05_Sea_Shepherd_crew_members_released_back_to_the_Steve_Irwin.wmv

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“With “allies” like the Australian government and Greenpeace, it is becoming increasing difficult to keep the Japanese fleet from killing whales,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Australian Customs deliberately led us away from the fleet and Greenpeace is guarding the coordinates like the crown jewels to prevent us re-locating the fleet.”

Lack of Cooperation May Kill the Whales
From onboard the Steve Irwin in the Southern Oceans (18/01/08)

The Australian Customs and Fisheries Patrol vessel Oceanic Viking has thrown the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin off the trail of the Japanese fleet.

After picking up the two Sea Shepherd crewmembers from the Yushin Maru No. 2 the Oceanic Viking notified the Steve Irwin to head for a rendezvous point a few hours away.

This was unusual considering that the Yushin Maru No. 2 was only about ten miles away at the time. The Steve Irwin was forced to stop tailing the Yushin Maru No. 2 to meet up with the Oceanic Viking. This allowed the whaler to head off in an unknown direction to rejoin the factory ship Nisshin Maru.

After dropping off Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane, the Oceanic Viking headed off in a direction away from the Japanese fleet. The fleet then apparently changed course and has now been lost from Sea Shepherd. Greenpeace tagging along with the Nishin Maru has reported that the catcher boats have met back up with the main fleet.

Although Sea Shepherd has been relaying the position of the catcher boats to the Greenpeace ship Esperanza for the last three days, Greenpeace refuses reciprocate and refuses to reveal the present location of the fleet.

Complicating the search is the fact that the Japanese have sent a new ship the Fukoyoshi No. 68 to shadow the Steve Irwin at all times. The vessel is not part of the whaling fleet. It’s a large Japanese drag trawler. It does not have any fishing gear onboard and seems to have more electronic gear than normal for a fishing vessel. This ship is apparently reporting the Steve Irwin’s position to the Japanese fleet.

Sea Shepherd has shut down whaling for a week. Unless the Steve Irwin can find the fleet soon, the killing will begin again. The Oceanic Viking will take pictures of dying whales and Greenpeace will hang banners, take pictures and continue on with their ineffective stunts. They will not stop the killing.

“If whales begin to die within the next few days, I will hold Greenpeace and the Australian government responsible,” said Captain Paul Watson. “They know we can stop the killing because whales don’t die when Sea Shepherd arrives. By leading us off the tail of the whalers and refusing to cooperate on coordinates they are deliberately helping the whalers to escape from Sea Shepherd and to resume the slaughter of the whales. I understand that Greenpeace needs kill footage and images of “heroic eco-warriors” buzzing about in inflatables but that does not stop the harpoons. Our very presence will deter the Japanese from killing whales. Sea Shepherd is the best weapon that Greenpeace can use to stop the resumption of whaling. By withholding cooperation they are contributing to the death of the whales. If any whales are killed within the next week I will hold Greenpeace responsible for their deaths because they have the power to cooperate with Sea Shepherd to prevent the killing from continuing.”

The Steve Irwin is conducting helicopter surveillance patrols to re-locate the whaling fleet. The fleet should be within two hundred miles of Sea Shepherd.

http://seashepherd.org

Friday 11th jan 08 Soldier Hill & the next Friday actions

Another successful day as the campaign continues, activists occupied one of the last remaining tree’s on the route from 6.30am onwards on the compulsory purchase line at soldier hill.

Friday 11th jan 08

Two of them hung a banner from the tree in an attempt to make it clear that the protest will be continuing for the foreseeable future, whilst others on the ground hung more banners in order to raise awareness of our continuing defiance of this corrupt and crooked route. activists were overjoyed at the overwhelming support from members of the public, and local media coverage.

As the new year begins we are witnessing more activity from local and international activists all boldly defending our cultural heritage and natural resources.

Report just in, 4.30pm, A concerned member of the public has just informed us that SIAC workers have been spotted moving toward’s the tree with chainsaws, we need more people to attend the ongoing protest at soldier hill each friday so we can halt the increasing destruction of this sacred landscape once and for all.

http://www.tarapixie.net

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Please attend demo Fri 3pm Soldier@ Hill. You will see us there. We will be the ones with the banners !

Friday 18th action report:

The high winds and rain did not dampen our spirits at Soldier’s Hill today. In fact it all helped to add to the laughter as we tried not to set sail with our banners 🙂

Thanks to all who beeped their support.

Update from Rozbrat Polish squat

Rozbrat squat alarm – Communique from 16/01/2008

Rozbrat Collective would like to thank everyone who in the last days expressed their support and their readiness to defend our place. We’ve received hundereds of e-mails, telephone calls, letters, both from indviduals and organizations, social movements from Poland and from abroad.

Rozbrat squat alarm – Communique from 16/01/2008

In general, after the visit of the bailiff last week (8/01/2008), nothing significant has happened, nothing that would change our situation. We’re still under the threat of eviction, but the date is really hard to predict. We’re still analysing our legal situation, considering both the organizations and initiatives that are active at Rozbrat, and the people living here for years. Within next 2 or 3 weeks our legal situation should be clear and we will publish another communique. However, we would like to state that we will defend Robrat both with all legal means and with all means necessary.

So far, Rozbrat is still active! We invite all of you for the events that will be organized in January and February: gigs, exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and so on… We invite you to visit our Anarchist Library and our Infoshop, where you can get some useful pamphlets, leaflets, posters, or borrow a book. Please visit our website www.rozbrat.org – in the announcements (in Polish “zapowiedzi”) section we will be announcing all the cultural, social and political activities that we organize and we will inform you about the current situation of Rozbrat.

Struggle continues!
08.01.2008 – ALARM AT ROZBRAT!

Today, around 10 a.m. bailiff together with cops came to Rozbrat squat. The policemen drilled the lock of the gate, the bailiff had a court’s permission to come in and estimate the price of the ground. The middle part of Rozbrat squat (including both concert halls, gallery, bars, library and part of the living area) was indebted for a long time by a company that doesn’t exist anymore. The ground price evaluation today means that the ground can be auctioned witthin one or two months – that can mean the end of Rozbrat squat – the longest occupied space in Poland.

We’ll keep you informed. We count on you being ready to organize solidarity actions by you and your groups!

We’re not gonna give up without fight!

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History of and wide range of activities at Rozbrat, Posnan – see http://www.rozbrat.org/english.htm

500-person strong Critical Masses: http://www.rozbrat.org/english/english_more.htm#cr

Shell to Sea revisit RPS office

Thursday January 17th 2008

Yesterday, over 30 local people again visited the RPS office in Belmullet to again let it be known that under no circumstances would they accept raw gas running through their community. Even though RPS group director PJ Rudden claimed recently to media that he was “pleasantly surprised” by the reaction to the short listed routes, he will be in no doubt what the majority of people in Kilcommon parish think of the routes following this most recent visit. Four members of the group went in to the RPS offices to outline some of their objections to the current pipeline proposals. They also handed in a petition signed by members of the community stating their objections to putting their pipeline anywhere through the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Glengad or the Special Protection Area of Broadhaven Bay.

It also emerged recently that the County Council are once again doing their utmost to assist Shell in anyway they can. This time they have put in a planning proposal to upgrade the road from the refinery site back to Glengad (via the Leanamore road). The upgrade of the road will cease immediately after the gate down to landfall leaving no doubt who the instigators of this upgrade are. Approximately 6 kilometres of the road will be widened while the whole of the road upgrade will be strengthened with wire mesh to withstand the increase traffic that the council forsee. This is yet another slap in the face to the local community, who having been waiting for road repairs for years but must watch their Council spend their taxes on Shell’s infrastructure.

It also seems that Shell are continuing with their long held strategy of blaming any problems they have on protestors actions.

During the Afri Hedge School that was held in Erris in early November, a talk was given by Fr Kevin O’Hara (who founded the Centre for Social and Corporate Responsibility, which monitors oil companies in Nigeria). He stated that in one case of an oil spill at which he was present, a Shell engineer upon turning up at the spill location was straight away able to point out to other employees what had caused the oil spill as it had been a reoccurring problem. However officially of course the Shell excuse was that sabotage had caused the oil spill. The only problem for Shell was that the Shell engineer had been caught on film directing the employees to the fault in the pipeline, which was the true cause of the spill.

It seems as if Shell are using a similar tactic here in Mayo. In the latest refinery ‘Environmental Report’ (18th Dec 07) that Shell has compiled, they admitted that one of their 4 dust collection points showed a reading that was well above their limit for dust deposition (measured 530mg/m2/day where 350mg/ m2/day is the limit). The dust collection pots were in place for over a month however Shell blame the high level of dust recorded on the fact that protestors “possibly vandalised” the dust gauge during an incursion on to the site on the 9th of November.

See the Environmental Reports (sic) here:
http://www.mayococo.ie/en/News/GasTerminal/Environmenta…2007/

Whalers Hand Activists Over To Australia’s Ship

17th January: the activists — Australian Benjamin Potts, 28, and Briton Giles Lane, 35 — were detained Tuesday after boarding the harpoon ship to protest Japan’s whaling programme. They were handed over to Austrialia’s ‘Ocean Viking’ earlier today.

A Japanese whaling ship late Thursday handed over to an Australian customs vessel two anti-whaling activists who climbed aboard two days earlier, an official from Japan’s Fisheries Agency said.

Australia sent the customs ship, the Oceanic Viking, to the Japanese whaling ship in a bid to end the stand-off involving the activists of the militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

“Two Sea Shepherd activists who intruded onto the Yushin Maru No 2 and have been in custody on the ship were handed over to the Oceanic Viking chartered by the Australian government,” Hideaki Okada, a whaling official at the Fisheries Agency in Tokyo, told AFP early Friday.

More at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gzy-7LzEluJCEYZWmJXa_MiYpOcQ and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7193212.stm

Hopefully they will be returned back to Sea Shepherd’s ‘Steve Irwin’ very soon, that is the plan.

Back to destroying whaling…

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Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign
Operation Migaloo 07-08

For more details, see http://www.seashepherd.org/migaloo/index.html

Climate camp set up outside court – Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station action necessity

Climate Change Trial Opens

The trial of the eleven climate change activists who shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on April 10th 2007 began today Monday 14th Jan at Nottingham Magistrates Court

Climate Change Trial Opens

The trial of the eleven climate change activists who shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on April 10th 2007 began today Monday 14th Jan at Nottingham Magistrates Court

Over 30 people, concerned about climate chaos, held a demonstration outside the court in support of the defendants at 9.30 this morning

BBC and ITN camera crews were there to film and interview.

The prosecution completed giving its evidence today and the evidence for the defence will be heard tomorrow.

The Trial is being heard before a District Judge and is expected to last 3 days.

http://www.eastsideclimateaction.org.uk

Day 1 report
Day 2 report
Day 3 report

Judgement expected 25th February.

Original action report and as part of Spring into Action.

Anti-whaling hostages – update & solidarity demo reports: Berlin, London, Barcelona, New York, Washington DC

17/1/2008
Sea Shepherd Shuts Down Antarctic Whale Hunt
The Japanese hunt for endangered whales in the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary has been shut down.

“All whaling activities have come to a halt,” said Captain Paul Watson from onboard the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship Steve Irwin. No whales have been killed since January 11th. The Japanese whaling fleet has been denied a solid week of whaling activity. Our task now is to make that two weeks and then three weeks.”

As long as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Greenpeace keep the Japanese whaling fleet on the run, there will be no whaling activity.

“I wish that Greenpeace would be more cooperative,” said Captain Paul Watson. “However we will continue to feed them the coordinates for the rest of the fleet as they tail the factory ship Nisshin Maru. If we cannot work with Greenpeace directly we will work with them indirectly. The strength of any movement is in diversity.”

January 17th found the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin chasing the whaling supply vessel Oriental Bluebird and three other whaling ships eastward along the line of Latitude of Sixty Degrees South near the Eighty Six Degree East line of longitude. This is approximately 2000 miles from Fremantle, Australia.

The Japanese whalers continue to hold Australian citizen Benjamin Potts 28 and Giles Lane 35 of Great Britain. The Japanese government has ordered their release but the whalers are defying that order and refusing to release their hostages until Sea Shepherd agrees to their demands. One of the demands is for Sea Shepherd to discontinue opposing whaling activities. Captain Watson responded by refusing to acknowledge their demands and demanding instead that the hostages be released without conditions.

The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin will continue to pursue illegal Japanese whaling activities for as long as possible.

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Australia to intercede in Safe Return of Sea Shepherd activists

After two days being held hostage on the Yushin Maru No 2, two Sea Shepherd anti-whaling activists may be returned within the next day to the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin by the authorisation of the Australian Government to use the Customs and Fisheries patrol vessel Oceanic Viking as an intermediary.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said “What is required now to transfer those two men is the agreement of the Japanese Government, which we have, the agreement of the Australian Government, which we have,” Mr Smith said. “We now need the full and complete cooperation of the two vessels, the two captains and the two men concerned.”

Sea Shepherd were refusing to meet the conditions stipulated by the Captain of the Yashin Maru No 2 to stop interfering with the whaling fleet operations for the transfer of the two crew members, with Captain Paul Watson saying on the ABC 7.30 report “I don’t acquiesce to terrorist demands and that’s what that is. Holding hostages and making demands is a terrorist tactic.”

Asked to justify two members of his crew boarding another vessel without authorisation, which the Japanese have accused as an act or terrorism or piracy, Paul Watson replied “You can run around the ocean jumping on poacher’s vessels. They’re targeting endangered species and whale sanctuaries, in violation of a global moratorium. The United Nations’ world charter of nature on section of implementation under Section 21 E allows for non-government organisations to uphold international conservation law. So, we are authorised to do that. These are poachers, I’m trying to get that through to people. They are poachers.”

Section 21 E of the World Charter for Nature, passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982, states that “States and, to the extent they are able, other public authorities, international organizations, individuals, groups and corporations shall ….(e) safeguard and conserve nature in areas beyond national jurisdiction.”

Section 24 of the charter says that “Each person has a duty to act in accordance with the provisions of the present Charter; acting individually, in association with others or through participation in the political process, each person shall strive to ensure that the objectives and requirements of the present Charter are met.”

According to the Australian Foreign minister, Stephen Smith on the ABC 7.30 Report, “the only conditions that will be imposed here are conditions that will be imposed by the Australian authorities and the ‘Oceanic Viking’, and those conditions will go to the safety and security of this operation.

It was reported by AAP that the transfer may take place in the next 24 hours. According to Kim McCoy, the executive director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, on board the Steve Irwin “We have just spoken very recently with an agent on board the Oceanic Viking customs vessel,” she said. “We have received official contact from them stating that they’re just waiting for the Japanese to confirm that they’re willing to accept those terms.”

“My understanding is that the Australian government is not going to impose any conditions on us to stop harassing the whaling, because the whaling is illegal. The only condition that the Australian government wants to impose is the safe transfer, and of course we’re going to have to facilitate a safe transfer, we don’t want to jeopardise anyone’s safety during the transfer of Giles and Pottsy (Benjamin Potts) to our ship.

“Beyond that they’ve told us that there will be no additional conditions. In other words, we are going to continue intervening against the illegal whaling activity of the Japanese.” she said.

Captain Paul Watson told Ali Moore from the ABC 7.30 Report “We’re not protesting their whaling operations, we’re not protesting them. What we are doing is interfering with illegal activities. This is an interventionist operation not a protest organisation.”

Sources:

* ABC 7.30 Report – Jan 17, 2008 – Govt considers sending ‘Oceanic Viking’ to the rescue
* ABC 7.30 Report – Jan 17, 2008 – Sea Shepherd captain reports from the high seas
* ABC News – Jan 17, 2008 – Sea Shepherd will only accept ‘unconditional’ Govt help
* news.com.au, Jan 17, 2008 – Anti-whalers contacted over detainees
* United Nations General Assemby 1982 World Charter for Nature

Repost from report on Sydney Indymedia, that contains all source links.
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/australia-intercedes-safe-return-sea-shepherd-activists

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Sea Shepherd Solidarity Protest at Japanese Embassy, Berlin

16.1.2008
People went to put pressure on officials at the Japanese Embassy at Hiroshimastrasse in Berlin today. They hung banners on the fences of the Embassy demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the two Sea Shepherd crew members taken hostage on 15 January by the Japanese
Whaling Fleet.

For updates, see www.seashepherd.org

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Sea Shepherd Hostage London Solidarity Demo
16/1/08

Fifty picket the Japanese embassy in London in solidarity with the Sea Shepherd hostages (see previous posts). The embassy staff were not happy. Banners read ‘Free the Hostages’, ‘Stop the the Whale Slaughter’ and ‘Defend the Wild’. The picket got a lot of media coverage with multiple TV crews including one from Japan.

Updates posted here and at www.seashepherd.org

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Sea Shepherd demo, Barcelona
17.1.2008
Demonstrators today held a protest outside the Japanese Consul in Barcelona, also delivering a letter to the General Consul demanding the immediate release of two Sea Shepherd crew members currently held hostage by Japanese whalers.

A group of Sea Shepherd supporters demonstrated outside the Japanese Consulate in Barcelona today, to call for the immediate release of Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts, currently held hostage aboard a Japanese whaling ship.

Inside, two people delivered a letter to the Consul condemning the hostage taking and demanding Japanese intervention. Outside, 150 leaflets were handed out to workers and passersby.

The Mossos turned up but everything was quiet. Solidarity to Sea Shepherd!

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NYC Protest for Sea Shepherd Hostages

17.01.2008
Activists braved the cold of New York City today to protest yesterday’s kidnapping of Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts by an illegal Japanese whaling ship. They were released earlier today to the Ocean Viking (Australia’s ship).

VIDEOS
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk1AKVRbR8I
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb7IM9VNY48

Activists braved the cold of New York City today to protest yesterday’s kidnapping of Giles Lane and Benjamin Potts by an illegal Japanese whaling ship.

The duo are currently being held hostage on the ship, and demonstrations and protests at Japanese embassies and consulates across the globe are being held in solidarity with the Sea Shepherd crew.

Japan, we demand you stop the bloody slaughter of innocent whales and dolphins and return the kidnapped activists IMMEDIATELY without harm!

http://www.war-online.org

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17/01/08

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO2I38jBo-E

Activists from NYC banded together with activists from Washington D.C. to protest the kidnapping and hostage taking of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society members Giles Lane (UK) and Benjamin Potts (Australia).

Animal lovers and environmentalists gathered outside the Japanese embassy and demanded the release of Potts and Lane, who are regarded as heroes, and also demanded an end to the slaughter of beautiful whales and dolphins that go to feed Japanese bellies.

At the end of yesterday’s protest activists received the call: The Sea Shepherd heroes had just been released.

Indigenous Action Against Mining Hold Australian Firm At Bay in the Philippines

2008-01-17
NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines- Tribal villagers up north Luzon blockaded the Australian mining company from further exploring minerals in their community, Friday noon, and forced the mining firm to leave the village.

According to reports, hundred dozens of indigenous residents in Kasibu town ,”pushed away employees of a foreign mining firm and their earth-moving equipment that were supposed to start exploration in their community”, said Inq.Net. The action held by local people has lead to an indefinite operation shut down of OceanaGold Philippines Inc.- an Australian company.

Indigenous residents were only protecting the Papaya watershed that feed the Alimudin, Malong and Pahduan rivers. These are the main sources of irrigation for about 150,000 fruit trees in Malabing Valley, which has six villages. But the mining firm came in without consent among the villagers and threaten their means of existence.

This is what the Australian Mining Company has said in their media release:
“OceanaGold officials insist they no longer need proof of consent from the community since they have a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted by the government in 1994 to Climax Mining Ltd.”

Biofuel week of action – 26th January-2nd February 2008

Biofuelwatch are calling for a national week of local action on agrofuels between 26th January and 2nd February 2008. Rather than organising one central protest, UK groups and campaigns are encouraged to organise local protests and actions – which could involve a banner protest outside a Tesco or BP petrol station or outside an agrofuel refinery (click for map of biofuel refineries), leafleting and/or street theatre in the city centre, a press release, a public film show, etc. Please email us at info[at]biofuelwatch.org.uk if you can help in any way, or if you would like to find out if anything is already planned in your area.

If you are planning a local event and would like us to put the details on our website, then please email us at info[at]biofuelwatch.org.uk.

Click here for details of events in London, Teeside, Cheltenham and Aberdeen.

Click here for resources!