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UK military port blocked

Greenpeace flagship RAINBOW WARRIOR setting up peace blockade at Southampton's Marchwood military port stopping military hardware leaving for the Gulf. Enlarge Image

Rainbow Warrior seized

For the last six days Greenpeace activists have peacefully protested in a UK port where military supply vessels are preparing for departure to Iraq. A High Court ruling has recognised Greenpeace's right to protest and denied the Defense department's request for an injunction banning the Rainbow Warrior from the area. But under the cover of darkness early Sunday morning Ministry of Defense officials defied the high court decision forcibly removing the Greenpeace ship from the Southhampton docks.

Fourteen of Greenpeace volunteers entered Southampton's Marchwood Military Port and occupied tanks and jeeps queued up to be loaded on the roll-on/roll-off ferry Stena Shipper bound for the Gulf. Enlarge Image

Tank girls occupy war machine

Despite growing public opposition to a war with Iraq, day and night British tanks, helicopters and jeeps are streaming though Southampton as part of the build up of the war machine. For over a week we have tried to stop the supplies from loading and leaving the Uk and today 14 volunteers entered the military port occupying tanks and jeeps ready to roll on the ferry Stena Shipper bound for the Gulf.

Greenpeace activists are over powered by a policeboat as they try to prevent the Dutch hired vessel NDS PROGRESS from leaving her berth in Rotterdam harbour. The ship is carriying US militairy equipment, bound for the Gulf adding to the arms build-up to war against Iraq. Enlarge Image

US military shipment confronted

Rotterdam harbour was the latest scene of opposition to the military build-up in the Gulf. Activists in canoes and inflatables attempted to prevent a cargo ship loaded with US military equipment, from leaving port. Read a first hand account from the scene.

The Rainbow Warrior is in Cadiz in the southwestern part of Spain for its latest stop campaigning against war. Enlarge Image

Spanish people say no war

It is spring in Spain, the sun is shining and the countryside is being covered in a blanket of green, fragrant yellow flowers are growing on gently rolling hills. No wait, those are not hills, they are ammunitions bunkers buried in the ground behind three razor wire fences guarded by video cameras and regular patrols on a joint US and Spanish military base.

Greenpeace activists protesting in front of the US and Spanish naval base in Rota where there is a heavy presence of military vessels and preparations being made for the Gulf.. Enlarge Image

Fingers on the triggers

The US Navy kept more than a close eye on Greenpeace activists this morning as the Coast Guard vessel Dallas left the US and Spanish naval port in Rota. The activists were escorting the vessel out of the port and were immediately pounced on by three police boats and a helicopter flying just metres above our inflatable boats while the coast guard crew manned the 20mm canons.

The Rainbow Warrior captain Daniel Rizzoti was arrested among others by the Spanish Guardia Civil. The RW was boarded last night while protesting in front of Rota Naval Base. Enlarge Image

Stopping the war machine in Spain

It could be just days before the US goes to war in Iraq and still supplies for the war machine are on route. The Rainbow Warrior blocked the US and Spanish military port of Rota in the south of Spain, trying to stop the US military cargo ship Cape Horn from leaving port for the Gulf. The ship was boarded and several crew members were arrested.

Greenpeace activists stage action in front of Hong Kong Legislative Council, calling on the government not to be complicit in the illegal war on Iraq Enlarge Image

US unilateralism no laughing matter

"Frustrated with the United Nations' consistent, blatant regard for the will of its 188 member nations, the US announced Monday the formation of its own international governing body, the USUN." Some would merely laugh off this satirical story in America's Finest News Source, The Onion. But as the Arab League calls for an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly to halt the illegal, unilateral war on Iraq we must ask, is it really just a laugh?

Greenpeace activists from the Greenpeace vessels, Rainbow Warrior and Argus display a peace symbol on the side of two of the transport vessels -CATHERINE and REPUBLICA DE ROMA which are shipping helicopters, tanks, trucks and other military vehicles to the Gulf. Enlarge Image

The second superpower

On February 15th, 2003, history saw the world's first truly global anti-war demonstration. It didn't stop a fundamentally flawed war. It didn't make a US president who wasn't elected by a majority of Americans listen to the majority of world opinion. It didn't prevent over 10,000 civilian deaths. Yet that day has yielded real results, and the 30 million people who took time to say "No" to war sent a potent signal of hope: peace can speak with one voice.

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