Full feedRubber bullets fired at climate activists in Spain
16 activists in four rigid-inflatable boats got to the cargo ship, the Federico II. Four of them boarded the ship holding banners asking Spanish President Zapatero to stop climate change. Two of them locked on the mast and another two tried to block the pilot ladder. Other activists stayed in the inflatables in order to block the ship.
Here's an excerpt from the Captain's blog as the action was happening:
The first to go is the Avon – the call comes in ‘we’ve been seized’. ‘Hello Avon, Avon?’ That was their last transmission. Shortly thereafter it is the Hurricane that calls – we’ve lost the ladder, we call the blocker who was on the pilot ladder – there is no reply. One of our crew calls us from the fore-mast of the coal-ship; ‘the Guardia Civil are arresting the activists on the fore-deck’ and then her radio goes silent too. The Novis call in next, they are being chased. ‘Come back to the ship’ I say – I don’t want to loose every boat and from the look of things the action is over, we have not been able to stop this coal-ship. One Novi is taken when its engine stalls and the other is chased all the way back to the Rainbow Warrior, anchored off the break water to Algeciras Harbour. From the bridge I have a good view of all the action, and watch as the Novi is caught up in the classic dog-chase all the way back home.They make it back, we open the side-door and haul on-board two very-scared action-swimmers. The Novi, pulls away again just as the police boat catches up. She darts around our bow with police on her tail, and then around the stern of the boat, back up the starboard side where the crane hook waits. Novi nips under, the boatswain lowers, they hook on and are hoisted out of harms way – out of the clutch of police. They have been shot at – rubber bullets have been bouncing off their sponsons -that’s why the activists look so frightened. Altogether we have lost 11 people (including the cook and assistant cook) and two boats. The Frederico 2 is coming alongside the power plant with her cargo of coal from Colombia will be discharged and climate will be changed.
The aim of this action was to ask Spanish President Zapatero not to waste time investing in coal but to put all his efforts into reaching a fair, ambitious and legally binding commitment to climate action at the climate summit in Copenhagen this December.
The ten arrested activists have been released from jail today, but return to court tomorrow.
These ten people were willing to risk jail time to make a stand against climate change. What are you going to do?
