Russians Board Greenpeace

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 26 Sep 2013, 21:45

The law, as has often been demonstrated, is an ass.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 26 Sep 2013, 23:27

That is your view. That does not make the law cease to exist.

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 27 Sep 2013, 09:09

JavaScriptDonkey wrote:That always depends on your take on morality which as we have discussed before is not universal.

However this is just about the law. GP committed piracy in Russian waters and must face the Russian legal system.

It's a well-established legal principle that one can commit a lesser crime to prevent a greater one happening. That's not an argument that's going to gain much traction in a Russian court though.

Post by **clv101** » 27 Sep 2013, 09:32

woodburner wrote:That is your view. That does not make the law cease to exist.

The law is not a rigid thing - it is continuously evolving. Many things legal in the past are now illegal and vice-versa. "The law" is continuously up for debate and discussion.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 27 Sep 2013, 09:49

That may be so, but we are dealing with the here and now, not the unspecified future. There may be an increase in a speed limit some time hence, that does not justify breaking it now.

Post by **clv101** » 27 Sep 2013, 10:05

woodburner wrote:That may be so, but we are dealing with the here and now, not the unspecified future. There may be an increase in a speed limit some time hence, that does not justify breaking it now.

Of course, my point is that biffvernon's comment "The law, as has often been demonstrated, is an ass." is a wholly sensible view for him to express.

woodburner · Post by **woodburner** » 27 Sep 2013, 10:20

Did I say it wasn't? It remains that such a view will carry little weight in a court, much less a Russian court.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 27 Sep 2013, 12:01

And anyway, whatever the law, to use the word 'piracy' to describe Greenpeace is a poor use of language. Or did something get lost in translation? What's the Russian for pirate?

No eye-patches, knives between teeth or parrots were used in the protest.

jonny2mad · Post by **jonny2mad** » 27 Sep 2013, 13:44

As things get tighter expect enviromental protection to go out the window and people to start shooting protestors

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 27 Sep 2013, 21:15

biffvernon wrote:And anyway, whatever the law, to use the word 'piracy' to describe Greenpeace is a poor use of language. Or did something get lost in translation? What's the Russian for pirate?

No eye-patches, knives between teeth or parrots were used in the protest.

Even Putin has said that what greenpeace were engaged in was not piracy.

JavaScriptDonkey · Post by **JavaScriptDonkey** » 27 Sep 2013, 21:44

Boarding a ship that isn't yours at sea sounds a lot like piracy to me.

Perhaps it wouldn't be trespassing if I camped in Biff's living room for a week or so in protest at something he might do.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 27 Sep 2013, 21:46

But how could you ever, possibly, find anything Biff might do bad enough to protest against

??

Snail · Post by **Snail** » 27 Sep 2013, 21:48

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 28 Sep 2013, 08:19

RenewableCandy wrote:But how could you ever, possibly, find anything Biff might do bad enough to protest against ??

My daughter did once light a jostick. Unnecessary burning of biomass.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 28 Sep 2013, 08:26

“The criminal activity I am blamed for is called journalism. I will keep doing it.” - Denis Sinyakov, freelance photographer aboard the Arctic Sunrise when it was seized 8 days ago.

I was shocked to see pictures of Denis behind bars in the Russian courtroom yesterday. I'm a freelance photographer too and I was about to replace him when the ship reached the next port. But now Denis is being held in jail for another 2 months, without charge.

Yesterday, the Arctic 30 appeared before a court in Murmansk, Russia. No charges were laid, but all 30 are still being detained. 22 people are being held for two months as Russian authorities pursue an investigation around piracy charges. Eight people are being held for three days awaiting a new hearing.

The Russian authorities are punishing those who have risked their liberty to highlight the madness of Arctic oil, while protecting the fossil fuel industry. It should be the other way around.

Join me in central London, October 5, as part of worldwide event to free the Arctic 30. Sign up to get an SMS or email with more details of the time and place.

I am relieved to see people all around the world speaking out in support my friends. Russian newspapers are blanking out images on their webpages to draw attention to it. Together we’ve sent over half a million messages to Russian embassies worldwide. We’ve made global headlines. Now we need to show our determination on the street.

Today I went to the Russian embassy in London with my young son. I met his mother onboard the Arctic Sunrise four years ago. We all visited the ship again just a few months back. Some of the crew are like part of our family now: people like Haussy (the ship's electrician from New Zealand), 'Big John' (outboard mechanic from Tonga), and Paul (first mate from Canada). It's upsetting to think I was saying goodbye to them on the quayside in Norway only last month. Now they are facing up to two months in a Russian jail without charge.

I could have been behind bars in that courtroom yesterday. But instead I can stand with my brave colleagues and show them that they're not alone. Join me in standing up for the Arctic 30 on October 5. We must show the world that blatant intimidation will not succeed.

I’ll do anything I can to get these guys home as soon as possible. Thanks for being there with me.

Nick Cobbing
Freelance Photographer and part of the Greenpeace community