Global – Page 94 – Earth First!

Spring into action (though storms may be at the door) – the latest issue of the EF! Action Update has burst forth

Read all about occupations & lock-ons of big industrial places around the world, corporate & government blockades, squatting, airport invasions, subvertising, climate criminals locked & glued shut, trees climbed and chopped down, GM maize fields trashed, hunger strikes, burrowing under fences, jumping on whaling boats, Buying Nothing, Reclaiming the Streets and the unstoppable singing of Christmas songs, not to mention skating penguins. Even some upcoming dates to get stuck in or to meet other direct action crazies. We couldn’t make it up even if we tried.

Another bumper issue, with a special insert on Agrofuels including a list of refineries ‘in the pipeline’ or already on the ground, plus a legal update about the recent changes to your access to solicitors in police stations.

The latest issue of the Earth First! Action Update burst forth at the latest national meeting of the Camp for Climate Action (see climatecamp.org.uk for how the camp idea is audaciously morphing this year).

Download it to print out and share here. Do get in touch with the editorial collective to let them know if you’re dishing it up round your way, or need paper copies, or want to give them one of the rarer ingredients, dosh (to send it to prisoners, protest camps and far beyond) – their contact details and more are here.

Teenager arrested after tying herself to Japananese Embassy

25.1.2008
A British teenager has been arrested after tying herself to a staircase at the Japanese Embassy in London in a protest over whaling, she said. Sophie said last night: “I honestly think that me having a criminal record is not a big price to pay when what the whales are going through is so much worse.”

A British teenager has been arrested after tying herself to a staircase at the Japanese Embassy in London in a protest over whaling, she said.

Sophie Wyness, 14, and her father Martin attached themselves to a stone staircase inside the embassy lobby with cable ties overnight, saying it was wrong to “brutally murder” whales.

Sophie said last night: “I honestly think that me having a criminal record is not a big price to pay when what the whales are going through is so much worse.”

It is not the first time the 14-year-old, who has also campaigned against Australia’s nuclear policy, has been removed from a protest but it is the first time she has been arrested.

She said: “I have just been released. We have been charged with criminal trespass and it will go before the Attorney General, not the CPS, because of the political implications.”

The teenager was inspired to take action after watching a film about the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza – which is currently disrupting the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean.

One video clip lasting 30 seconds, which showed a whale being blown up, had “hit me hard”, she explained earlier.

The video pushed her to stage the hour-long protest because she felt it was wrong to wrong to “brutally murder” whales.

“It’s a very important subject at the moment. They’re such amazing creatures and they deserve rights and love and a bit of respect,” she said.

“I have total respect for the Japanese people but not what they’re doing out there with the whales.”

She said taking direct action was the only way to get attention on the issue.

“Hopefully it’ll get put out there and show we’re not going to sit back and let them get away with it.”

Mr Wyness said he was only involved in the protest in order to support his daughter and spoke of his pride that she had been so resolute in standing up for her convictions.

He said: “I was really only there as back up. This was Sophie’s day.”

He added: “I am extremely proud of Sophie. She is an amazing, amazing young woman full or courage and determination and her convictions are very strong. This documentary genuinely moved her to the point where she wanted to do something about it.

Quotes taken from thelondonpaper.com

Tasmanian Forest Defenders ‘Lose Their Exclusion’ in the Styx Valley, Tasmania

It’s been a busy week for Tasmanian forest defenders in the Styx Valley, setting up two blockades in two days as part of the ‘Gunns and Dozers Lose Your Exclusion Tour’.

Yesterday’s work halted construction on a new logging road being pushed into pristine forest near the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Today, two different access points to old growth logging coupe SX10F were blockaded, effectively stopping the destructive logging of ancient forest all day.

See the media releases below…
THURSDAY 24th JANUARY 2008

Tasmanian Activists Highlight Destructive Logging in the Styx Valley

Community activists from Still Wild Still Threatened have halted work on the construction of a new logging road in the Styx Valley today as part of the “Gunns and Dozers Lose Your Exclusion Tour”. The “Gunns and Dozers Lose Your Exclusion Tour” is an awareness raising event highlighting the ancient forest destruction occurring behind locked gates in Tasmania’s Southern Forests. The roading operation will open up more areas of the internationally renowned Valley of the Giants for destructive logging.

“Today’s action highlights the community’s grave concerns with the alarming rate at which Tasmania’s old growth and high conservation value forests are being destroyed behind locked gates all over the state. The ancient forests of the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine Valleys have been internationally recognised as being of World Heritage Value and yet industrial activity like logging and roading continues everyday” said Still Wild Still Threatened Spokesperson Jess Wright.

“Our ancient forests also play an essential role in the mitigation of dangerous climate change, soaking up and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. At this critical time in the international debate about the massive contribution of forest degradation to climate change, more roading into and logging of our carbon storing forests is the last thing our planet needs” said Jess Wright.

“How much longer will our leaders stay silent and let these climate crimes continue? We are calling on Senator Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate Change and Water to show strong leadership on this issue and act immediately to protect Tasmania’s carbon dense ancient forests” Jess Wright said.

FRIDAY 25th JANUARY

Tasmanian Forest Defenders ‘Lose Their Exclusion’ in the Styx Valley, Tasmania

Community activists from Still Wild Still Threatened have returned to the Styx Valley today, preventing the destruction of ancient forest in old growth logging coupe SX10F as part of the ‘Gunns and Dozers Lose Your Exclusion Tour’. The ‘Gunns and Dozers Lose Your Exclusion Tour’ is an awareness raising event highlighting the ancient forest destruction occurring behind locked gates in Southern Tasmania’s threatened forests. Today’s action comes after forest defenders halted construction on a new logging road into pristine forest near the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area yesterday.

“While the chainsaws and bulldozers have been tearing apart this pristine tract of old growth forest, the public has been denied access to one of the Styx Valley’s most popular tourist attractions, the ancient forest walk known as ‘The Tolkien Track’. It is completely unacceptable that not only is our unique natural heritage being lost forever but the public is missing out on the opportunity to experience ancient forest that isn’t being logged” said Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson Jess Wright.

“In this era of dangerous climate change the destructive logging of old growth forest in the Styx Valley is truly a global issue. Studies show that Eucalyptus regnans forests, like those typical of the Styx Valley can store up to 1200 tonnes of carbon per hectare when fully mature*. The logging of these ancient carbon stores releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere greatly contributing to climate change.” said Jess Wright.

“Senator Penny Wong has to step up to her responsibility as the Minister for Climate Change and act immediately to protect Tasmania’s carbon storing old forests. Protecting Tasmania’s old growth and high conservation value forests is an essential step in the global challenge to mitigate the effects of dangerous climate change” Jess Wright said.

Two forest defenders are perched high in tree sits attached to structures blocking both access points to the old growth logging coupe SX10F.

Tasmania’s Southern Forests…Still Wild Still Threatened
The Huon Valley Environment Centre
Cool Forests…Conservation cools the planet

Anti-LNG action at NW Natural, USA

Jan 23rd, 2008
Cascadia Rising Tide joined forces with Stumptown Earth First! to hold an action and rally at the downtown Portland office of NW Natural (local gas utility), for their involvement in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) related pipelines, which threaten to clear-cut strips of forest throughout Oregon for new fossil fuel infrastructure.

Piling dozens of trees on NW Natural’s downtown office entryway, activists with Stumptown Earth First! and Cascadia Rising Tide, sent a message to the LNG-invested gas company: “There’s nothing Green about Clear-cuts, No new pipelines”.

“NW Natural claims to be fighting climate change, but all we see is new fossil fuel development projects knocking down trees and destroying rivers,” says Paige Crown, a participant in the rally, “its common sense that an important step in fighting climate change is to protect carbon-absorbing trees and forests, not clear-cut them.”

The Palomar pipeline, Oregon LNG pipeline and the Pacific Connector, which total over 600 miles of pipe, threaten to cross over 1000s streams, rivers and wetlands and require wide clear-cut construction corridors through public lands, including roadless areas and old growth forests.

After completion of the projects permanent right-of-way will be maintained, which – in the case of heavily forested areasâ€”may create more fuel for wildfires (which represents even greater danger in the event of a pipeline leak). The clearing of trees and brush in these areas may also contribute to erosion, impacting soil viability and water quality.

The Palomar pipeline project, proposed to connect NorthernStar’s Bradwood Landing terminal to the Transcanada pipeline, is positioned to snake over Mt. Hood. Mapping available from the Mt. Hood National Forest shows the pipeline would go through Late Successional Reserves for spotted owls and border proposed Wilderness areas.

The Pacific Connector, attached to the Jordan Cove proposal in Coos County demands a 95 ft. clear-cut construction corridor through Rogue River National Forest, Klamath National Forest and Umpqua National Forest.

*This action was inspired by the NW Natural rally on December 12, 2007, in which Cascadia Rising Tide organized with impacted community members to bring hundreds of people to downtown Portland bringing farm equipment and fishing boats, creating a loud and colorful “No LNG” coaliton.

GM Trees Chopped Down in New Zealand

19.1.2008

Anti-GM protesters have cut down 19 genetically modified pine trees at a research site near Rotorua. The attack happened at some stage over the weekend.

19.1.2008

Anti-GM protesters have cut down 19 genetically modified pine trees at a research site near Rotorua. The attack happened at some stage over the weekend.

A 1.5 metre hole was found along the fenceline, made of 3.5 metre high electrified wire. The crop destroyers are assumed to have burrowed through that hole before chopping down the trees, almost 1/4 of the 80 trees on the site.

Police found a spade with a “GE Free New Zealand” sticker on it leaning up against the fence. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Rotorua site was the same one protested against in 2005, where four people were arrested, one of whom was also pepper sprayed by Police. That protest was organised by the People’s Moratorium Enforcement Agency, who have celebrated the weekend’s action.

“The destruction of the GE trees in Rotorua highlights the resistance to genetic engineering in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Because ERMA is not stopping GE material from being released into the environment, the people of Aotearoa have to intervene,” said PMEA spokesperson Felicity Perry.

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On Monday, environmental saboteurs circumvented an electrified security fence by tunneling underneath it, and chopped down 20 genetically engineered trees.

Rotorua, New Zealand – Environmental saboteurs appear to be responsible for the destruction of field trial crop of genetically modified radiata pine and Norway spruce trees at the Crown Research Institute Scion’s base. On Monday, vandals circumvented an electrified security fence by tunneling underneath it, and chopped down 20 genetically engineered trees.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10487121

A spade with a “GE Free New Zealand” sticker was left behind, apparently to make sure authorities new why the nighttime raid was carried out. Researchers will likely be forced to abandon this particular experiment since a full 20% of their trees were destroyed.

http://gefree.org.nz

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

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

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.”

Japanese whalers take Sea Shepherds hostage (incl. Brit) – demo, L’don, 16 January; email addresses; release demands; videos

15.01.2008 – [latest update at bottom]
In what has been an unpredictably dramatic day for the campaign against whaling in Antarctica, the crew of a Japanese harpoon gunboat have seized Australian and British crew mebers of the Sea Shepherd vessel, Steve Irwin.

Astounding! Last year around this time, things were really getting dramatic in the Sea Shepherd pursuit of the Japanese whaling fleet across Antarctica. Crew missing at sea, shipboard fires, the risk of a pristine environment being chemically decimated, and even one human death as an accompaniment to the slaughter of hundreds of mammoth sentient beings.

Not to be outdone, the 2007/08 season of resistance has just kicked into overdrive. Today, the Australian Federal Court called Japanese whaling – in Australian waters, at least – what it is: illegal. The Honourable Justice Allsop issued an injunction ordering that all Japanese whaling within Australian Antarctic waters (which Japan and most other countries don’t recognize) stop immediately. So, technically, since about 3pm Australian East Coast time every single crew member of the Japanese whaling fleet has been eligible for arrest should they enter Australian territories.

But the Japanese whaling fleet, as always, needed to up the ante. In the last 50 minutes it has been reported that the crew of the harpoon gunboat Yashin Maru II have taken two Sea Shepherd activists – Australian Benjamin Potts and a Briton, Giles Lane – hostage, and tied them to the radar mast of their ship. Earlier today the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin broke off its pursuit of the whale-processing factory vessel, also known as the Cetacean Death Star, the Nisshin Maru. With Greenpeace’s Esperanza still pursuing the factory ship away from the rest of the whaling fleet, the Shepherds turned about to disrupt the activities of the rest of the scattered fleet.

Obviously, they found them alright. Shepherd Captain Paul Watson reports that the two men, who have now been effectively kidnapped on the high seas – ironically, a genuine act of piracy by the Japanese whalers – had boarded the ship to deliver a letter to the captain proclaiming their whaling activity illegal and demanding an immediate cessation of whale-hunting, as per the order made today by the Federal Court.

Seems that Australian concerns about creating a diplomatic incident with Japan pale in comparison to what the whaling fleet are clearly eager to create.

Stay tuned.

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The Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru No. 2 has taken two Sea Shepherd volunteer crew members hostage. Benjamin Potts 28, an Australian citizen and Giles Lane, 35, a citizen of Great Britain are being held hostage onboard the whaling vessel. Both men were assaulted and then tied to the railings of the whaler. They were then moved and tied to the radar mast by the whalers.

Japanese Whaling Fleet On the Run With Two Sea Shepherd Hostages

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s ship Steve Irwin is in full pursuit of five vessels of the Japanese whaling fleet including the Japanese supply vessel Oriental Bluebird.

Both men boarded the Yushin Maru to deliver a message to the Japanese captain that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They also notified the captain that Australia had just passed a court ruling barring Japanese whalers from the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone.

All of this activity has taken place in the area of 60 Degrees South and 78 Degrees East. All activity has been documented from the Sea Shepherd helicopter and the fast moving Delta vessel. The Steve Irwin has dispatched a small fast Delta boat and a helicopter to attempt to persuade the Yushin Maru No. 2 to stop and release the hostages.

Captain Paul Watson has notified the Australian Federal Police that he would like to see kidnapping charges brought against the Japanese whalers. The Australian government and the British Embassy have been informed that their citizens are being held hostage on an illegally operated Japanese whaling ship in International waters.

The Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru has fled over 700 miles to the Northwest and is heading towards South Africa accompanied by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza. The entire whaling fleet is on the run and outside of the whaling area with the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin in hot pursuit of five vessels of the Japanese fleet.

No whales have been slaughtered for the last four days and it does not look as if the whaling operations are going to begin again for another week at least, and not at all if the vessels are prevented from regrouping. The Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin has a good supply of fuel and can remain in the area for some time and will continue to police the illegal whaling operations by the Japanese fleet.

Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson will turn over authority to the Australian government to enforce the court ruling against illegal whaling in the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone upon request from the Australian government and an agreement that Australia will enforce the court’s ruling to bar all Japanese whaling activities in the Australian Antarctic Territory.

The letter taken aboard:

To: The Captain of any Japanese ship involved with poaching operations in The Australian Antarctic Territorial Economic Exclusion Zone.

Sir,

My name is Giles David Lane

I am a British citizen and an unpaid volunteer on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Steve Irwin

I have come onboard your ship because you have refused to acknowledge communication from our ship pertaining to your illegal activities in the waters of the Australian Antarctic Territorial Economic Exclusion Zone.

I am not boarding your ship with the intent to commit a crime, to rob you or to inflict injury upon your crew and yourself or damage to your ship. My reason for boarding is to deliver the message that you are in violation of international conservation law and in violation of the laws of Australia. It is my intent to deliver this message and then to request that you allow me to disembark from your vessel without harm or seizure.

I am empowered to act to uphold these laws in accordance with the United Nations World Charter for Nature and the laws of Australia.

I am boarding you with the request that you please refrain from any further criminal activity in these waters and cease and desist with the continued killing of endangered whales in this designated Whale Sanctuary in violation of the IWC global moratorium on commercial whaling and that you cease and desist in continued violations of Australian law by killing whales within the territorial waters of Australia without permit or permission from the government of Australia.

I am boarding you on the orders of Captain Paul Watson who requests that you treat me with respect and in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

http://www.seashepherd.org/

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Picket at 2.15pm 16/1/08 at Japanese Embassy, London. Nearest Tubes Green Park & Hyde Park Corner.

The address is:101-104 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7JT
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It would be great if everyone could take a moment to email the Japanese embassy and Foreign office and ask them to do whatever they can to effect Giles’ release. Japanese Embassy: info@jpembassy.org.uk

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: It would be good to copy them in to whatever you send to the Embassy. I had some trouble getting hold of an email address, but you could try the following one – msu.publicin@fco.gov.uk; Meg Munn is the Minister “responsible” for Asia and the Pacific.meg.munn@fco.gov.uk or munnm@parliament.uk
020 7008 1500

Suggestion of what to write: Dear Japanese Ambassador,I am writing to you to protest in the strongest possible terms the taking of two hostages on board a Japanese Whaling Ship this morning.Press reports (see links below) have suggested that the two men, (one of whom is a UK National by the name of Giles Lane), who peacefully boarded the Yushin Maru No. 2 to deliver a letter, were assaulted and then tied up. Photographs from their own vessel, the Sea Shepherd, show the two men being tied up outside. The incident happened several hours ago and I am greatly concerned for their safety.I demand that you intervene at once to ensure that these men are released, protected from the elements, and returned safely to their vessel as soon as possible. I also hope that your government will ensure that the captain and crew of the Yushin Maru No. 2 be prosecuted for their actions.Yours sincerely, etc

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16/1/2008

Japanese Whalers Make Demands for Return of Hostages

The Institute of Cetacean Research, the front group for the illegal Japanese whaling operations are making demands for the release of the two Sea Shepherd crew being held hostage onboard the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 2.

The whalers said they will return the hostages in return for Sea Shepherd agreeing to no longer interfere with their whaling operations.

“The Institute of Cetacean Research is acting like a terrorist organization,” said Steve Irwin’s 1st Officer Peter Brown. “Here they are taking hostages and making demands. Our policy is that we don’t respond to terrorist demands.”

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has heard reports from the media that Japan has agreed to release the hostages but the Steve Irwin has not heard anything official from either the Australian or Japanese governments.

“The activities of the Japanese whaling fleet are illegal under international conservation law. The Japanese are poachers and should be treated in the same manner as elephant or tiger poachers,” said Captain Paul Watson.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will not negotiate with poachers and demands that the Japanese whalers release Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane as soon as possible.

The location of the Yushin Maru No. 2 with the hostages onboard is not known presently. The vessel is no longer in sight or within radar range of the Steve Irwin.

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BBC video of ship being boarded

Collection of different videos