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Visual Activism
"Implicit in the knowledge of injustice is the responsibility to take action against it." -- Axiom
By: Danielle Hickie
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| Monday, 14-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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Big push day!!!
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The daily shipping newspaper published a front page story
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Copyright Greenpeace/Kate Davidson.
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So on Monday we did the big push. (The day it all goes mad and I don't bring my camera, typical bloody malarky). We rose really early and then we drove through London... just two inconspicous cars and one massive truck with a two and half tonne sculpture. In the van we were told that we would probably be arrested as soon as we arrived. But the idea was that we would jump out, put the memorail right in front of the International Maritime organisation. This is the formal body of the shipping industry. We were demanding that they ensure that old ships being sent to the shipbreaking yards to be decommissioned and cut up for scrap in the third world are stripped of all the usual toxic materials.
Check out what actually <a href="http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/howare.asp">happens at the moment</a>.
As we pulled up, the delgates were just walking in. As a fairly conservative body, one that hasn't seen a greenpeace demonstration at their head quarters for about ten years, so they were very surprised when we blocked off the road with our truck and then lifted the memorial right into the IMO building space, next to the door. Must have taken us all of 8 minutes, then we turned around and the truck zoomed off. The activists took up their positions and started greeting the astonished delegates to this years meeting.
And we stayed out side. And we stayed there. The police turned up, and we stayed there. They ordered us to leave. We stayed. They ordered a crane to take it away. The crane showed up. They crane guys took a long steady look at the memorial and tol dthe police they couldn't move it, it was too heavy. We felt a moment of wicked glee. That was the first of the cranes to show up unable to do the job.
And so began the long wait. We organised ourselves into shifts. My shift sat through the blazing heat. By the time we had to go off shift we were so tired that we didn't speak to each other on the way home. We felt proud and determind to keep going, but covered with grime and sweat, frankly it was a relief to see the next shift come on, rested and fed. We left.
Apparently a few hours after we left, a 2nd tow truck arrived. It was run by two dodgy geezers, who had been contracted by the IMO, who assured the police they could lift it. It was only when their tow truck started lifting off the ground that they decided to cease and desist. Since they ignored the good advice from the police, both the Old bill and us, the activists, were openly laughing as they sped away furious. the campaigner on the ground, a mad Belgian called Maarten called out after them "Is that it? Is that all you can do?" Their tail lights disppeared to his laughter.
Unwanted gift for IMO
THE IMO this morning declined to accept the gift from Greenpeace of a 2.5-tonne sculpture described as being made from the remains of ships taken from Indian ship breaking yards. The gesture was made to draw attention to the hazards to human health and the environment of current ship demolition practices, Greenpeace said in a press release today. Ship breaking is an issue being discussed at the IMOâ??s Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting this week. Greenpeace says the sculpture was made from the funnels of five old ships, one of which exploded at a ship demolition yard in February, leaving nine people dead and others seriously injured. An IMO source had earlier told Fairplay that the 2 m x 5 m artwork was â??rather niceâ??, but the organisation reportedly does not want the piece and expects the unwanted gift to be removed. Greenpeace spokesman Martin Besieux told Fairplay that the sculpture was an â??inspirational gift to the MEPC meetingâ??, and as such, Greenpeace had no intention of taking it back.
14/07/2003 12:17:17 - Fairplay Daily News
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