DOWN TO ZERO BOAT TOUR
Regular Updates from the Crew aboard the Ship, MV Greenpeace.

AUGUST 26 - FREDERIKSVAERK, DENMARK

GREENPEACE BLOCKS HARBOUR OF BIGGEST DIOXIN SOURCE IN DENMARK DEMANDING THAT THEY COME UP WITH A CONCRETE PLAN BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO PREVENT FURTHER DIOXIN EMISSIONS.

Yesterday Greenpeace activists from 16 countries and the MV Greenpeace began their blockade of the Danish steel company DDS - the biggest dioxin emitter in the country. Whilst the MV Greenpeace blocked the harbour, the group of activists occupied a crane. Greenpeace took this action in order to prevent new supplies of polluted scrap material from entering the plant. The Greenpeace activists were left to continue their protest until around 23:30 when a 'cherry picker' was brought in by the authorities to the area where six Greenpeace climbers were still on the crane. The Danish police special task force moved in at around 00:30 and removed the climbers. They have not as yet been released from police custody. The arrested activists were from Denmark, Germany and Turkey bringing to 11 the amount of activists arrested so far. The other five activists, including the photographer, were arrested while blocking the base of the crane (four of whom were Denmark and one from Sweden). These five activists were released at 17:30 - it is not known whether they will be charged and if so, what with.

Just after 07:30 this morning another team of 14 Greenpeace activists entered the DDS steel plant to reoccupy the crane. The local police were on the wharf but there was no sign of the special force needed to remove the climbers.

The MV Greenpeace remained in position blocking the harbour entrance which it has now been doing for 24 hours. The activists were removed by the special police force at approx. 12.45 and arrested. Nationalities involved are US, UK, Slovenia, Danish, Swedish, German, France. This brings the total of activists arrested to 26 arrested of which 15 are still in jail.

The action continues as the MV Greenpeace still blocks the harbour. Two ships are being denied entry to the harbour, one a Danish scrap metal ship 'Lindholm', the other an empty Norwegian cargo ship 'Starvik'.

The Danish steel company, DDS refuses to meet with the Greenpeace activists to discuss their demands. Greenpeace had delivered letters to DDS and the Danish Ministry of Environment stating their position on dioxin emissions from the DDS plant.

AUGUST 27

The MV Greenpeace was boarded in the early hours of this morning and all crew were arrested and held in custody at six different police stations - they face a maximum four year jail term for 'disrupting public services'. This brings the total number of activists arrested since the beginning of the action to 44.

The action lasted 44 hours. All of the activists have been released bar two who have a court hearing at 16:00 hrs today.

Tomorrow (Aug 28) after a successful and eventful action which raised the profile of dioxin pollution in Denmark the MV Greenpeace will depart Fredrikshaven and continue South.