Greenpeace New Zealand Weblog

Waving goodbye to the Warrior (C) GREENPEACE / Sharomov

Six weeks ago I packed my trunk in my bedroom in Grey Lynn Auckland, boarded a bus and rode downtown to Princes Wharf. There I walked up the gangway of the Rainbow Warrior. It was hot, late summer. American tourists crawled about the Viaduct. On the ship, there was excitement in the air and alleyways; a TARGET CLIMATE CHANGE banner ran between two masts. My cabin was downstairs and to the left. It had “Expect the unexpected” written on the door. I shared it with three others and it smelt like essential oils. I didn’t yet have my favourite spot to sit in the mess during dinner. And I didn’t yet know how to avoid pissing off the first mate. This would all come later. Read more »

This video gives some background to the Greenpeace climate change campaign in New Zealand and some footage from the Rainbow Warrior’s blockade of the Hellenic Sea coal shipment in Lyttelton on the 25th March.

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Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior blocks the State Owned Enterprise Solid Energy’s coal ship the Hellenic Sea from leaving the Port of Lyttelton. (C) Greenpeace / Dimitri Sharomov

As the dust settles after yesterday’s action it’s good to see that the story has been picked up widely in the media and we have managed to draw attention to the double standards at play with climate policy in New Zealand.

The message that there is no future in coal has been communicated loud and clear to Solid Energy, the Government and other political parties.

This morning there is a story running in the media about a claim that, due to our action on the coal shipment yesterday in Lyttelton, police did not have enough staff to respond to an incident in Christchurch which led to a police officer being assaulted by a young woman.

While we have every sympathy for the officer who was assaulted, we also believe that it is unreasonable to place the blame on Greenpeace. It wasn’t our decision that the police should choose to prioritise getting a coal shipment to market on time over other policing priorities.

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Greenpeace climbers unfurl a Target Climate Change banner while hanging from the hull of Solid Energy’s coal ship, the Hellenic Sea. Lyttelton, New Zealand, 2008. Greenpeace / Dimitri Sharomov

Activists on the side of the Hellenic Sea (C) GREENPEACE / Sharomov

The Rainbow Warrior has been boarded by police and moved off it’s position by tug boats. The three activists on the side of the coal shipment were hosed down with high pressure hoses by the crew and then removed by police. They, along with another three people in a Greenpeace inflatable, have been arrested and taken to Christchurch Central Police station.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the coal ship has managed to leave port. Nonetheless we are happy to have brought attention to the double standards at play with climate policy in New Zealand.

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Activists on the side of the Hellenic Sea (C) GREENPEACE

Three activists from the Rainbow Warrior have made it across to the Hellenic Sea in a fast inflatable and have climbed on to the side of the ship. They are on the port side unfurling a large Target Climate Change banner. Another has attached herself to the anchor chain of the Rainbow Warrior.

The Hellenic Sea coal ship

At 1600 hours today we cast off our mooring lines and sailed the Rainbow Warrior across Lyttelton harbour into a position alongside the Hellenic Sea. With anchors at our stern and bow we will set ourselves in place to block it from leaving port.

A few days ago the Hellenic Sea arrived in Lyttelton and docked near the Rainbow Warrior. This thing is almost 250 meters long and makes the Warrior look like a sailing dinghy.

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