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June 19, 2005
The Marchers have spoken
It was the moment we'd all been waiting for. Eerie whalesong echoed across the ultra-modern Lotte Multiplex in the heart of Ulsan. The Multiplex houses a cinema complex, a supermarket, the entrance to the ultra glitzy Lotte Department store, and a fast food store (called what else but Lotteria). The Muliplex joins onto the Lotte Hotel where the IWC is being held, so we're sure the IWC delegates could hear the whales calling to them - in their dreams, or nightmares as the case may be.
In case you've been living in a cave, the Virtual March is the result of over 51,000 people submitting photographs of themselves (or their dogs, pet fish, small children and stuffed animals) holding anti-whaling messages to the Korean government. I was glad to see that apathetic shoppers and Pizza Hut diners couldn't help but stop and stare at the huge screen featuring projections of thousands of people from around the world holding anti-whaling banners. People even stopped their cars and gaped over their open car doors.
It all started with the familiar site of Greenpeace climbers scaling down the building, hanging the huge white screen we would project onto. I'm sure that the police were looking at each other thinking "SURE you're just hanging a screen". In fact John Frizell told us he'd bumped into a SWAT team in the elevator of the Lotte Hotel (where the IWC is being held) complete with machine guns and climbing equipment. It was hot, we wanted pizza, Marcelo was nervous as he fiddled with the computers behind the desk like a DJ, but it all went smoothly in the end.
As the whale sounds echoed across the plaza and the projections began, no-one could take their eyes off the screen - secretly I think everyone was waiting for their own photo. I spotted my favourite, Darth Vader, and the guy who is obliviously holding his sign upside down, and even my old friend from Australia - so Nick O'Donnell, if you're reading this, I think I just saw a 20 metre high version of you in Ulsan, South Korea!
Even the most cynical among us were moved by the images. I saw many locals and tourists alike staring at the screen with real emotion crossing their faces. Not to mention Greenpeace activists. (I have photographic evidence if anyone tries to deny it, you know who you are!). Certain hard-nosed campaigners stood enraptured like small children, I got goosebumps, and press officer Mhairi had tears in her eyes. She probably didn't want me to tell you that, especially since she has been worrying all day about the fact she's been asked out on a date by a certain very important Korean official who can't speak English and therefore needs to take an interpreter on said date. She probably didn't want me to tell you that either.
It's nearly 3am now and after a crazily busy day and I'm sorry but I'm not in much of a state to write any more! If you want to see some footage and photos from the march, check out http://whales.greenpeace.org and also the Greenpeace site.
Now we just have to wait and see what happens at the IWC itself...
- Adele
Photograph (c) and thanks to Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert
Posted by Adele at June 19, 2005 07:09 PM
Comments
Hi Adele,
Welcome back to Korea! It's been a long journey, and you are all doing such a fantastic job. Let us hope with all our hearts that one day the world's whales will be safe.
Big hugs.
Posted by: Libby at June 19, 2005 11:44 PM
Hi
Why my country Tunisia is not included in the list of countries putted in the press center????
Or you don't want to count me!
Adele, I hope you'll fix that!
Peace
Note from Adele: Hi Bilel, I have no idea! I am not sure how they calculated the list of countries. It's a bit late for the press release I'm afraid, but I will pass it on and see if it can be fixed ok? Please accept my apologies :)
Posted by: Bilel at June 20, 2005 09:01 PM
