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Russia to file piracy charges against Greenpeace

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by NYCAP123, Sep 24, 2013.

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  1. NYCAP123, Sep 24, 2013
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    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Russia to file piracy charges against Greenpeace

    Reuters


    Greenpeace ship "Arctic Sunrise" is seen anchored outside the Arctic port city of Murmansk, Sept. 24, 2013.

    By Alexander Roslyakov and Lynn Berry, The Associated Press

    Russia's top investigative agency said Tuesday it will prosecute Greenpeace activists on piracy charges for trying to climb onto an Arctic offshore drilling platform owned by the state-controlled gas company Gazprom.

    The 30 activists from 18 countries were on a Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, which was seized last week by the Russian Coast Guard. The ship was towed Tuesday into a small bay near Russia's Arctic port of Murmansk and the activists were later bused to the local headquarters of Russia's Investigative Committee for questioning.

    The Investigative Committee, Russia's main federal investigative agency, said its agents will question all those who took part in the protest and detain the "most active" of them on piracy charges. Piracy carries a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of 500,000 rubles (about $15,500).

    Two activists tried to climb onto the Prirazlomnaya platform on Thursday and others assisted from small inflatable boats. The Greenpeace protest was aimed at calling attention to the environmental risks of drilling for oil in Arctic waters.

    "When a foreign vessel full of electronic technical equipment of unknown purpose and a group of people calling themselves members of an environmental rights organization try nothing less than to take a drilling platform by storm, logical doubts arise about their intentions," Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in a statement.

    He said the activists posed a danger to operations on the oil platform. "Such activities not only infringe on the sovereignty of a state, but might pose a threat to the environmental security of the whole region," Markin said.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The oil platform, the first offshore rig in the Arctic, was deployed to the vast Prirazlomnoye oil field in the Pechora Sea in 2011, but its launch has been delayed by technological challenges. Gazprom has said it was to start pumping oil this year, but no precise date has been set.

    Greenpeace insisted that under international law Russia had no right to board its ship and has no grounds to charge its activists with piracy.

    "Peaceful activism is crucial when governments around the world have failed to respond to dire scientific warnings about the consequences of climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere," Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said in a statement.

    "We will not be intimidated or silenced by these absurd accusations and demand the immediate release of our activists," he added.

    One Greenpeace activist told The Associated Press that Coast Guard officers hit and kicked some activists when they stormed the Greenpeace vessel.

    The Arctic Sunrise was anchored Tuesday in Kulonga Bay near Severomorsk, the home port of Russia's Northern Fleet, 15 miles north of Murmansk.

    Greenpeace, which had limited contact with those on board, said they were all fine and that some made calls to friends and family.

    Diplomats were allowed to board the Arctic Sunrise for two hours to meet with activists from their countries. Later Tuesday, the activists were driven to the Investigative Committee's headquarters in Murmansk.

    Greenpeace said the activists hailed from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States.
  2. Capt J, Sep 24, 2013
    #2
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Perfect thing to happen to these yahoo's who take it upon themselves to destroy other people's ships and property.
  3. NYCAP123, Sep 24, 2013
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    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Although I agree with them in principal, actions like these are nuts. You just don't do that. GREENPEACE on the side of the boat or not, I'd be thinking terrorist attack. Lucky nobody got killed. You can make yourself a royal PITA in protest, but there are lines you don't cross, and this is way over.
  4. olderboater, Sep 25, 2013
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    olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Ignoring the politics, just thinking of things one would or wouldn't do....

    First, if I was ever looking for a group to go up against, someone to trespass upon and protest-it would most definitely not be people working on an off shore oil rig? Sounds to me like Suicide by Protest. These are some tough people.

    Second, if I was every looking for a place to do something like this, one place I would most definitely not choose to do it would be Russia.

    With those two things in mind, I'm amazed the protesters at this point find themselves uninjured and able to fight the charges in any way.
  5. Norseman, Sep 25, 2013
    #5
    Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    15 years in the Gulag next:rolleyes:
  6. Capt J, Sep 25, 2013
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    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Lookup the youtube video of what Greenpeace did to Japanese commercial fisherman. They were ramming their boat and cutting off all their gear in the middle of nowhere..... that is piracy. Those guys are out of control, their next stop is Somalia.
  7. NYCAP123, Sep 25, 2013
    #7
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    No argument. Like I said, I agree with the cause, not the tactics. Ironic thing is that they split from Sea Shepherd because they thought his tactics went too far. Fouling gear I have no problem with personally, harrasssing them also, but that's just me. I do have a problem with ramming and boarding though, and boarding a Russian oil platform is nuts. It could be a long time before those people see home again. We all have different lines. I guess their donation flow determines theirs, and maybe these kinds of tactics increase donations. IDK. Everything today comes down to money right? We are in the age of 'Anything for publicity, and anything for money'. So maybe enough of the Lindsey Lohan generations thinks it's ok. I know that I won't be signing on as crew anytime in the near future.
  8. olderboater, Sep 25, 2013
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    olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    The other thing on any protest is who is your real target? Is it just a publicity stunt? Then in this case they got it. But the fisherman or the oil well worker is not your target. This isn't even the decision maker and yet they're put in some degree of risk or unpleasantness. Go picket the government and officials. They are the ones you disagree with. But, alas, they were scared of arrest there and thought they could avoid it on the water.

    This is like picketing the coca-cola delivery driver because you think diet coke is bad for you. Anyone think the driver is the decision maker?
  9. dennismc, Sep 25, 2013
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    dennismc

    dennismc Senior Member

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    One of the original founders of Greenpeace was a guy called Paul Watson, now heads the Sea Shepherd Society, same objectives, he has stated publicly that there are about 2 billion more blights on the planet than is healthy, ( humans) and it would help if not there. Gives one a little insight to their thinking, perhaps remove all humans (except protesters) and the world would be a better place ?
    Greenpeace is one of the richest protest groups in the world, amazing amount of $$$ they have, surprised they don't give it the homeless and do some real tangible good.
  10. Pascal, Sep 25, 2013
    #10
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    The lesson is clear: mess with a former community organizer and get a slap of the wrist... Mess with a former KGB agent and end up in the gulag!
  11. NYCAP123, Sep 25, 2013
    #11
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I see you don't do much protesting.:D No politicians in the world care about people standing outside their offices with signs, and no CEO cares about protesters either. Only when you cost them money or stop them from doing business do they start to take notice. That's why OWS failed.

    In a restaurant you protest by leaving a small tip, and tell the server why. If it's because of her service she knows to get her act together. If it's because the food was terrible or everybody's meals was served at different times she's going to have a talk with the cook and it won't be pleasant. Nothing like the words "You're costing me money" to get everybody's attention today. (Money has replaced pride and self-respect as the main motivating factor today).

    P.S. I guess Dennnismac's comment about Greanpeace's finances answers the question about if they're acting properly. It makes money. Therefore I guess they're right. Guess I'm just a wimp, because there's no way I'd invade a Russian oil platform. Siberia is too cold for me.
  12. Capt J, Sep 25, 2013
    #12
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Just because people are willing to fund it, does not make it right. Harming other people's livelihood, property, putting lives at danger, and attempting to sink ships is piracy and should be dealt with properly. The reasoning you have is faulty and really screwed up and quite frankly downright wrong. The Taliban has plenty of funding as well, does that make it right that they blew up the Twin Towers with thousands of innocent people in them? No, and neither does Green Peace's illegal actions albeit on a smaller scale. Ramming a commercial fishing boat out there legally trying to make a living, is flat out piracy. Jumping on an oil rig that has a legal right to operate and flatout attempt to take it over is flat out piracy. Suppose they caused a huge oil leak on that oil rig, or sunk the fishing boat and people died?????? Then what? They are terrorists in their actions just the same as the Taliban or any other facist group.

    If you have a problem with something, someone, or some business you go through the proper channels and voice your mindset LEGALLY plain and simple. If the majority of the people think differently than you, and you are in a small minority, then it is what it is and maybe you should rethink your position on things.
  13. olderboater, Sep 25, 2013
    #13
    olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Guess they didn't read about Pussy Riot
  14. NYCAP123, Sep 25, 2013
    #14
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I know a few CEOs, Hedge Fund managers, Wall Street executives, politicians and Hollywood celebrities who would (quietly) disagree with you. Not saying that I think you're wrong, but that's just not today's world sorry to say. It's all about the money and the golden rule, as in 'he who has the gold makes the rules'.
  15. Capt J, Sep 25, 2013
    #15
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    You seem to have a huge issue of the very wealthy versus the working man which in most cases is untrue. There are a lot of very good ceo's, hedge fund managers, wall street execs etc...... and a few bad apples. It's the same as there are a lot of very good Captain's as well as a few bad apples that make the posts of shame or on below deck or something. They're trying to make as much money from their services as they can, just like you or I do. They just happen to be better at it, than you or I. Do you rip off or steal from the owners you work for in order to get ahead in life? Just like many of these same very wealthy people do not. Do you drive an economy car to save on spending gas to get from boat to boat.......they do the same thing in their business...... I'm really tired of hearing you demonize many of the same people I have made a good living from and have always treated me extremely well.......Sounds like you have run a lot of different yachts. Well buddy, I've never met a poor person that's owned a yacht and hired a Captain.......If you haven't done as well as they have or made enough for yourself, then that's your fault, not theirs. Don't demonize them when there are a lot of very benevolent wealthy people that have built most of the things that normal people enjoy that couldn't afford to (zoo's, museums, parks, the list goes on and on), more so than poor people that cannot do anything to help others.
  16. lynnc, Sep 26, 2013
    #16
    lynnc

    lynnc New Member

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    I find interesting how this post starts out Talking about Greenpeace protesting in Russia and ends up with with protest by Yacht Forum members protesting each other. :D:rolleyes:
  17. Old Phart, Sep 26, 2013
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    Old Phart

    Old Phart Senior Member

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    I dunno
  18. Kafue, Sep 26, 2013
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    Kafue

    Kafue Senior Member

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    Greenpeace, give me a BREAK!

    I stopped supporting these lame guys when I realised they were not fully committed and far too moderate.
    Sea Shepherd seems to be more realistic.
  19. Kevin, Sep 26, 2013
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    Kevin

    Kevin YF Moderator

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    L... O... and indeed... L!
  20. Chapstick, Sep 26, 2013
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    Chapstick

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    Hard to take a sentence like this one seriously :D but I don't think you have a very clear picture of what piracy is, and you definitely don't know what fascism is...

    That's great in theory, but if legal avenues are ineffectual you have to choose between success and staying within the law.
    I'm sure they're well aware of the risks to themselves (physical and legal) before they take action.
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