direct actions

A fifty year old British doctor has been imprisoned indefinitely in Sweden after she took part in a peaceful protest against an oil dumping vessel in the Baltic Sea. Her plight has outraged British environmentalists, who will hold a demonstration outside the Swedish embassy in London later this afternoon (Thursday).

Liz Rickman has been told she will be kept in jail until trial, a date for which has not been set. She is being held with Kristina Petersen, a 27 year old student from Germany. Neither has been charged with a crime, but they are being detained on suspicion of aggravated trespass (1). Both women took part in a peaceful protest against a vessel which had previously been caught dumping oil into the Baltic Sea, which is illegal under Swedish law (2). Yet while the owners and operators of the vessel walked free from court, both Liz and Kristina have spent the last week in police cells and have been told they would remain there until a trial, though no date would be given for the court case.

At 9am this morning five Greenpeace volunteers ended their occupation of the MV Roxane Dolmas after an injunction against them was obtained by the shipping company Dolmas Shipping Line. The volunteers had been attempting to prevent the boat unloading wood from Africa's last remaining rainforests. The occupation ended the day before the ministerial meeting of the "Ancient Forest Summit" (Conference on Biological Diversity in The Hague).

No arrests have so far been made.

Greenpeace is urging ministers to agree measures at the Ancient Forest Summit to end the international trade in illegally and destructively logged wood from ancient forests.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

Greenpeace today issued the following statement after the arrest of the last of the volunteers occupying the SELCHP incinerator, at 10.45am on 28th February 2002. 

"We are sad that our occupation has come to an end, but are immensely proud of the many volunteers who helped to shut the incinerator for three and a half days.

Dioxins cause cancer and the Government admits that at least half our children are taking in more of this chemical than is considered 'safe'.

Every hour that we kept the incinerator shut was an hour less pollution by dioxins, acid gases, toxic metals and particulates.

Britain needs proper recycling and composting and a safe waste management strategy. Government plans to build more than a hundred rubbish burners across Britain are doomed to failure because the public won't stand for it.

The Greenpeace campaign against waste incineration continues".

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
Video and stills of occupation available