US activists intercepting a ship laden with illegally logged mahogany
In a move unprecedented in its history, the US government has indicted an entire organisation - Greenpeace, Inc. - for the peaceful protest activities of its supporters. (Greenpeace Inc is the Greenpeace office in the USA).
Greenpeace offices around the world have been working to halt environmental destruction and human rights abuses by criminal enterprises in Brazil's Amazon rainforest for many years. In April 2002, miles off the coast of Florida, two Greenpeace activists boarded a ship (the "Jade") that was carrying wood illegally exported from the Brazilian Amazon. Their goal was to hang a banner that said "President Bush: Stop Illegal Logging."
Through their appearance, words and actions, the activists made it clear to the crew of the Jade that they were engaged in a peaceful protest. But instead of intercepting the contraband and prosecuting the smugglers, the US government is trying to prosecute Greenpeace.
This is the first time in history that the US government has prosecuted an entire organisation for free speech related activities. Worse, they are trying to do it without a jury trial.
The long tradition of protest and civil disobedience in the USA, stretches back to the civil rights movement, suffragettes and the Boston Tea Party. Greenpeace adheres to the same principles of non-violent direct action that these movements embraced.
Our activists were essentially acting as whistle-blowers during the Miami protest. They publicly exposed, and tried to prevent, the importation of illegally harvested mahogany wood.
Their action was a small but important contribution to our successful global campaign. In November 2002, an historic vote at the Convention of the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Santiago, Chile, saw mahogany listed under the convention - giving the tree species a fighting chance to survive under controlled and legal trade.
For our role in protecting mahogany, Greenpeace received praise from the European Union and the government of Brazil.
But from the US government, we were charged with the following:
- One violation of U.S.C. section 2279, which prohibits persons, "not being duly authorized by law for the purpose," from "[going] on board any vessel about to arrive at the place of her destination, before her actual arrival, and before she has been completely moored"
- One count of conspiracy, under 18 U.S.C. section 371, to commit this offense.
The potential fine is $10,000 USD per charge. The organisation could also receive up to five years of probation.
If sentenced to probation, the ongoing government monitoring would make Greenpeace's role as a watchdog and advocacy group difficult, to say the least. The legal precedent probabtion sets could be most damaging for Greenpeace and other advocacy groups in the US.
A trial is scheduled to take place in December.
