Greenpeace Blog

Webcast from the water

Posted by bex — 7 March 2007 at 5:28pm - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

Arctic Sunrise by Tower Bridge

We're all aflurry onboard the Sunrise today, setting up for a musical event with a difference tomorrow evening (Thursday). At 6.30pm tomorrow, the Sense of Sound choir will be onboard, performing a new musical piece composed by Damon Albarn (he of Gorillaz and Blur fame). The piece is called Five Minutes to Midnight, and the performance will represent a peaceful demonstration against renewing Trident and against Britain possessing nuclear weapons. It will be directed by Hannah Eidinow with visuals designed by Robert del Naja of Massive Attack, and contributions from Brian Eno.

Robert - ship volunteer

Posted by bex — 7 March 2007 at 11:41am - Comments

No to Trident; the opposition grows

Posted by bex — 6 March 2007 at 10:23pm - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

Annie Lennox, John Sauven and Ken Livingstone
© Greenpeace/Rezak

It's a funny old life being on a Greenpeace ship tour; one minute you're being boarded by police and put in solitary confinement for three days, the next you're being boarded by celebrities and working out the social niceties of how to address somebody with three titles before their name.

The Arctic Sunrise reaches London

Posted by bex — 6 March 2007 at 10:59am - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

The Arctic Sunrise in front of London's Tower Bridge

After sailing around a substantial chunk of the UK's coastline - via Leith and then Greenock - we've finally reached London. I've entered the city by train, car, bus and bicycle before but I have to say, sailing into London beats them all. We slipped through the Thames Barrier and up past the Millennium Dome, Canary Wharf and the Docklands to our mooring spot by Tower Bridge, where we settled in and watched the lights come on over the London skyline. We're just 100-odd metres from the bridge so give us a wave if you go past (or better still, come and have a free tour of the ship this weekend - more info below)!

Blair's bomb - the real costs

Posted by jossc — 6 March 2007 at 9:00am - Comments

The government's figures hide the real cost of replacing Trident, with running cost estimates the real cost of replacing Trident is £76 billion. That is equivalent to over £4500 per British family.

Read our report to find out more

All aboard the Arctic Sunrise: destination London

Posted by bex — 5 March 2007 at 3:54pm - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

Captain Waldemar back on the bridge again
Captain Waldemar back on the bridge at last.

As we speed along England’s southern coast, the mood is cheery onboard the Arctic Sunrise. The sea's calm, the sun’s out for the first time in days and the ship’s been scrubbed from bow to stern, mopped, painted and generally reclaimed from her extended stay with the Ministry of Defence. And, despite the delays, the we've made excellent time; we look set to reach London on time, where Mayor Ken Livingstone and others are waiting to welcome our Trident: we don't buy it ship tour to the city.

You can't lock up a sunrise...

Posted by bex — 2 March 2007 at 3:58pm - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

The Arctic Sunrise at Faslane On the Trident: we don't buy it ship tour

After nearly a week of being impounded at Faslane nuclear weapons base, the Arctic Sunrise is now free! At 10 am this morning the ship was towed by two police tugs to the mouth of the Clyde, and the crew allowed back onboard. The challenge for us now is to make our way around the coast to London in time for a rendez-vous with London Mayor Ken Livingstone next Tuesday. The Sunrise will anchor close to Tower Bridge, and Ken will be helping us promote the 'Trident: we don't buy it' message ahead of the House of Commons vote on Trident replacement - now scheduled for March 14th.

Free at last! (Now can we have our boat back please?)

Posted by bex — 27 February 2007 at 10:47pm - Comments

Part of the Trident: we don't buy it tour blog

Lost_Artctic_Sunrise_please_return_to_Greenpeace

With thanks to Wave Maker for the image

The thing nobody tells you about being arrested is just how boring it is. Not just need-a-good-book boring; after the adrenaline rollercoaster of a 14-hour blockade, the protracted thumb-twiddling of detention is mind-achingly, eye-bleedingly, soul-crushingly boring.