Rainbow Warrior

On deck of the Rainbow warrior, taken during the Warrior's UK tour. © Will Rose / Greenpeace.

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It's slightly surreal sitting here in the mess of the Rainbow Warrior, where life is carrying on in all its usual, cosy hustle and bustle. (The crew members are helping themselves to spaghetti and salad as I write, and a couple of people are using the first quiet moment of the day to have a shower.)

Just outside is the towering smokestack of Kingsnorth and, around the corner, there's a small, concrete island owned by E.on which six people - including two of the Kingsnorth Six - have occupied. They're planning to set up a projector and beam images of climate change impacts onto Kingsnorth's smokestack. (So far, they've been troubled by technical problems - I'll keep you posted.)

Commemoration ceremony led by Greenpeace Executive Director John Sauven at Kingsnorth coal-fired power station in Kent. © Kristian Buus/ Greenpeace.

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I'm on the Rainbow Warrior just outside Kingsnorth coal plant. Security guards are trying to stop the 30 campaigners on the jetty from breaching security and walking through the power plant to the site of the proposed new Kingsnorth plant so, at the moment, they're holding the commemoration on the jetty, with security guards listening.

Each volunteer is carrying the flag of one of the 30 least polluting countries in the world; the proposed new coal plant at Kingsnorth will emit as much as these 30 countries combined. They're also reading out the evidence given by NASA director James Hansen and Inuit leader Aqqaluk Lynge at the trial of the Kingsnorth Six.

The Rainbow Warrior on route to Kingsnorth coal fired power station in Kent. © Kristian Buus / Greenpeace.

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It’s quite a sight: under a wintry sun, a flotilla of Greenpeace boats is heading down the Medway, straight towards Kingsnorth power station. The Rainbow Warrior is leading the peaceful armada and, from up here on the bridge, I can see our rigid inflatable boats abreast of us and streaming out behind in a V formation.

A couple of minutes ago, John, our executive director, phoned E.on and told them that our peaceful flotilla will be arriving at midday. Here's the mp3 or click to play:

Our amphibious incursion has a serious and peaceful purpose. The boats are carrying dozens of campaigners who plan to board Kingsnorth’s 700-metre coal jetty and then walk through the existing coal plant site to the site where E.on wants to build the UK’s first new coal plant in 30 years.