CREW REACTS VIOLENTLY TO CRIMINAL TIMBER PROTEST

24 July 2000

SAVANNAH (GA), USA -- Today, seven Greenpeace activists were arrested after five of them boarded the Danish vessel CIC Light to spotlight the shipping of criminal timber from the Amazon rainforest.

The crew reacted suddenly and violently as soon as they spotted the activists. Two activists were unfurling a large banner, which was snatched away. Two others activists’ lines were cut as they attempted to climb on board, and they dropped back into the water, where they were rescued by a Greenpeace inflatable boat. Three activists remained on board, Veronica Froelich from the U.S., Heike Staudigl from Germany, and Paul Goyvaerts from Belgium. All three carried smaller banners.

"This reaction is only a symptom of the violence that pervades the global illegal timber trade," said Scott Paul, Greenpeace Forest Campaigner. "Every week criminal timber is being shipped into the U.S. from around the world. The U.S. Government promised to tackle the illegal timber trade, and is simply turning a blind eye to this flourishing market."

Soon after, two police officers boarded the ship and arrested the three on board. The two activists who were dropped into the water climbed back up, Christian Jonuschies from Germany and Jim Klein from the U.S., and remained roped to the bow until they were taken into custody by the U.S. Coast Guard. The drivers of the safety boat and the van, James Mitchell and Dexter Sumner, were also arrested. All were arrested by the Chatham County Sheriff’s department on a simple misdemeanor trespass charge.

A recent Greenpeace 18-month investigation in remote regions of the Amazon uncovered hard evidence that several companies who regularly export timber to the U.S. are implicated in the illegal timber trade including the Rimbunan Hijau group, one of the world’s top rainforest destroyers. The Brazilian Government estimates that 80% of all logging in the Brazilian Amazon is illegal.

This Greenpeace action is the latest in a series of global protests to protect the Earth’s last remaining ancient forests. In the past weeks, Greenpeace activists around the world have exposed criminal timber imports into G8 countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Scott Paul, (202) 262-0309 (cell); Carol Gregory, +1 202 256 4041 (cell);
- Aaron Bannon +1 202 319 2432

Visit Greenpeace's Ancient Forests campaign website www.greenpeace.org/~forests

Stills and footage of the action will be available from Greenpeace.