TOXIC
FREE ASIA TOUR
The SV Rainbow Warrior Tour in Asia |
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15-16 May 2000 - Greenpeace protests round the world to free four activists
In each of the countries below, formal protest letters were delivered to the ambassadors and the following activities took place: INDIA: Eight protesters from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and India participated in an action in New Delhi outside the Japanese Consul General’s Office with a Banner saying “Free the Tokyo Four” and “Ban the Burn”. TURKEY: 11 activists were arrested in Turkey, interrogated, and unlike in Japan, were released after 7 hours following an action involving 4 women and seven men blocking the two entrances of the Japanese Consulate General. The activists chained themselves to one another and presented themselves handcuffed, symbolising the imprisonment of their friends in Japan. Two activists held two flags written in Japanese reading "Release the Greenpeace 4, Stop Incineration" while another opened a banner with the same message written in Turkish and English. BELGIUM: In Brussels thirty persons in white suits were posted in front of the Japanese Embassy. Their mouths were 'locked' with the Japanese flag. The banners said 'Free our friends' 'Keep your dioxins'. The Executive Director of Greenpeace Belgium was received by the first secretary of the embassy, who said he would transmit our position to Tokyo. CHINA: 14 Chinese activists, carrying big head shots of the arrested four, protested at the Japanese Consulate in Hong Kong. The wife of the Greenpeace China campaigner Clement Lam presented a personal appeal to the Consulate together with a letter jointly signed by GP China staff. GREECE: In front of the Japanese Embassy, 4 activists sat in a cage with handcuffs while 4 others held placards saying Ban Dioxin, Free Greenpeace. UK: 23 persons got inside the Japanese Embassy, including four "prisoners" bound and gagged (with a gag bearing the Japanese flag) and a ball and chain on their ankles. Outside another 15 people held banners and placards in Japanese and English saying “Free the Greenpeace 4" and "release our climbers not incinerator poisons". AUSTRIA: A protest letter was delivered to the Japanese Embassy. LEBANON: Activists in Lebanon took action before the Japanese Embassy in Yarze (East Beirut) delivering a message to the authorities of the hazards of waste combustion and calling for the release of the four activists detained in Japan. ISRAEL:
Activists in Israel also took action before the Japanese embassy in
delivering a message to the authorities on the hazards of waste combustion
and calling for the release of the CZECH REPUBLIC: 10 Greenpeace activists dressed as prisoners and one as a policeman protested in front of the Japanese Embassy. A whole city block was closed by police due to the protest. ITALY: A group of 10 activists bound together and gagged, protested in front of the Japanese Embassy in Rome. They were holding a banner which said "Free Greenpeace". BRAZIL: A group of activists collected public signatures of support to the letter of protest delivered to the Consulate in Sao Paulo. They opened a large banner stating “Japan Free Greenpeace, Stop Pollution" and held small windows made of wood representing the prison cell. SWEDEN: Last Friday ten activists and the Executive Director GP Nordic protested at the Japanese Ambassador’s office. One of the activists sat on the chimney of the incinerator in Umea for a week, halting the plant from incinerating waste. She was only interrogated for one hour and then released. AUSTRALIA: Activists demonstrated at the Japanese Embassy in Canberra. The team of protesters in boiler suits hung a large banner reading “Free the Tokyo Four", and carried “Dioxin Hotspot” signs. CANADA: In Vancouver, in the home town of detained activists Clement Lam, activists dressed in prison uniforms gathered at the Japanese Consulate, carrying placards which read“Japan Human Rights Up In Smoke.” They also presented Consulate staff with large “Get Out Of Jail Free” cards for each of the detained activists. There was also a protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Ottawa. Greenpeace will continue to escalate the international protest until the 4 are freed.
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