you've all done a great job there - 16,000 police and Greenpeace manages to get inside the exclusion zone, despite the boarding of the ship yesterday.

Shame Bush has, yet again, watered down what would have been an incredible agreement for the climate. But this is what we have come to expect from the US over the last 15 years.

well done greenpeace

Way to Go Guys!!

Thanks for the report from the G8! There's a few videos of the action on the web already - e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBDCn4ic-jw taken from Spiegel TV.

It was one heck of a chase. :)

Too bad Merkel and the others failed yet again...

Good Job, Greenpeace! Another world is possible

This is going to be a long comment, but I wanted to post a bit of a media round up.

The coverage of our action seems to have been overall very positive. Our message got through in almost every article I've seen. I was watching the Euro News this morning and they described it as "valiant". Der Spiegel (big German paper) called it "spectacular". I think a lot of people, including the media, were frustrated by at how much the leaders had isolated themselves behind razor wire and loved seeing activists get their message through despite overwhelming odds.

From that Der Spiegel article:

Then the first day of the summit was dominated by the images of a spectacular inflatable boat campaign by environmental organization Greenpeace.

All that was before Merkel stepped in front of the cameras. This moment could very well mark the turning point in reporting on the summit, directing the media's attention back to the powerful and away from the protestors.

Nevertheless, it didn't occur to anyone to describe the climate compromise as "historic," and Merkel avoided using the term "breakthrough," normally one of her favorite words. Nevertheless, the wording of the compromise was sufficiently promising for the German chancellor to call it a "very, very significant success."

Another Der Spiegal article had my favorite story from the (non-Greenpeace) land based protests:

Many gathered just in front of the 30 or so police preventing people from getting any closer to the east entrance of the Heiligendamm enclosure. But they weren't there to confront the cops. Rather, one young man had taken it upon himself to provide a bit of entertainment. At his behest, about 100 demonstrators were trying to teach the riot gear-clad police, some clearly uncomfortable in the hot sun, how to do the wave cheer. Each time the police failed to react, a groan went up from the crowd.

That is something I'd wish I'd seen.

By the way, yesterday was by sea and today was by air. Greenpeace activists tried to float over the summit in a hot air balloon, but were forced down by police helicopters. From the UPI story:

"We were hoping to fly in a petition to the G8 leaders demanding binding targets for CO2 cuts," aid Svenja Koch, a spokeswoman for the environmental activists.

"But unfortunately the police forced us down. Their helicopters caused too much turbulence and it wasn't possible to continue."

The white hot air balloon had a giant yellow banner with the slogan "G8 Act Now" hanging below it, with the word "Failed" stamped across it. It was in the air for around 15 minutes before it was forced down.

Just a few more articles.

The Ottawa Citizen ran with the headline, "'Most spectacular protests in the history of Germany'" (referring to all the protests, not just ours).

The Guardian critisized heavy handed police tactics.

And I don't want to make it seem like the coverage was all about the protests. Most of it focused on the issue.

From the start of a different Guardian article:

Environmental groups yesterday condemned the G8 for failing to produce binding targets to reduce emissions.

John Sauven, UK director of Greenpeace, said: "George Bush's final gift to Blair falls short of what was needed to protect the climate. An agreement without targets is barely worth the paper its written on. Bush says the US will 'seriously consider' substantial long term cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, but that's like saying aid to Africa is a good thing then refusing to actually commit to donating a single dollar."

USA Today ran with the headline, "Greenpeace, others pan G-8 global warming deal":

Greenpeace USA was one of several groups to say the agreement "fails to provide clear targets for how we deal with the threat" of global warming.

Greenpeace and other groups blamed Bush, who has long favored voluntary reductions, for blocking the 50% cut sought by Merkel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Merkel and Blair also suggested a target of keeping global temperature increases to less than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, which is not part of the deal.

And a Petroleum World headline was, "Campaigners give G8 climate change pledge the cold shoulder".

The Independent's headline was, "Deal or raw deal? Bush refuses to commit to climate change target", saying:

Tony Blair was claiming a breakthrough in the battle against climate change yesterday after President George Bush agreed that the United States would "seriously consider" a global target to halve emissions of greenhouse gases.

Well, there was lots lots more. The G8 leaders tried to spin it as a major accomplishment, but I don't think they got away with it.

So proud of everybody who showed up despite the 16,000 police. Also glad the navigators were not seriously hurt. C'est tres bien.

I ask why these are the "leaders" when they do not lead. Merkel: well, I could walk the streets better. Bush, well, we all know. Dropped on his head at birth. Sarkozy does not represent me.

I liked the idea of the alternative summit. I believe we can solve our problems, but bogus "leaders" only stand in our way.

OUTSTANDING ACTION!!!!

So glad the activists survived the dangerous and out of control boat driving by the German police. They could have KILLED someone!

Great job,Bush has yet agin made a fool out of America. However, the boats made for a spactular show.

I've been on a few bumpy RIB rides as a diver but I've never seen *anything* like this before.

I take my hat off to all Greenpeace people, in particular, the boathandlers that had the courage to breach the exclusion zone. Great boathandling skills against heavy-handed odds and bigger boats.

I am speechless every time I see the part when a Police boat blatantly rams the Greenpeace RIB - to my mind and many other boat owners that I know - is, without any question, absolutely criminal. What a bunch morons the authorities show themselves to be.

Finally, has Greenpeace considered offering fund-raising high-speed RIB rides? If your boathandlers all drive like that, then I'd pay for a ride.

Wow! Great job. From watching the video the first time I was confused what Greenpeace was doing, but when I watched it the second time, with the sound on this time, I started to understand.

My Heart stopped when I saw the police ram into your boats, over the people.

The word is out, and the world is contuing to head in the right direction.

is it true that the founder of greenpeace left because he realized that the group or asociation that he founded left his idea or guidelines of why he founded this group. this is talking as a teenager trying to find the truth that is the climate change man made or just a natural cycle like many other thousands of years b4 our generation. b4 u answer this question if u wish to please think at wat i am sayin ty for your time. ps i think i beleive in the cycle sometimes i think why u risk your lifes that happens normaly.

GREENPEACE REPLY
Patrick Moore was an early Greenpeace member not a founder. He now makes lots of money advocating for polluting industries.

This was a major world conference which had a restricted area where you were not allowed to be.

You want to voice your opinion? Fine. Petitions, peaceful protests, media campaigns are all valid. Invading restricted waters near military operations is NOT.

It's a blatant breach of security. You know the USS Cole was bombed from a small boat and sailors died because of this. For this reason, it's absolutely necessary to keep an international conference safe by establishing security zones which are reasonable and exist for a reason.

Greenpeace has to learn that that they're not above the law. This kind of violation is inexcusable. The cops would have been justified in using deadly force, yes killing the Greenpeace members. Why? For the same reason a cop would be justified to use deadly force if a man started charging the Whitehouse with a big suitcase - it's an obvious threat in an area that is restricted for good reason.

You idiots keep pushing this crap and someone is going to get killed.

In this case, the only "permitted" protests took place far far away from where the decision makers could see them.

Our protest got through. The German prime minister herself commented on it. Sure it broke the rules. But delay after delay on climate change is costing lives.

In the US, it's commonplace now to have "free speech" zones - to keep pesky protesters out of sight and out of mind.

Is this the sort of thing we want for our "post-Bush" world?