The Greenpeace Ship Esperanza arrived at the Port of Miami this
morning and was unlawfully denied docking rights. According to
Greenpeace spokesperson Rose Young, ìThe Esperanza was headed to
Miami to take on supplies and to invite the public aboard to learn
about the work of Greenpeace to protect the Amazon rainforest. But
the Port of Miami is denying the ship and its crew access to the
port and to their supporters."
Port of Miami officials allege that Greenpeace is "an undue
security risk," citing federal charges against Greenpeace in a case
pending in Miami. Greenpeace maintains that the charges against the
organization do not warrant the Port's decision, and have
repeatedly asked that the ship be allowed to dock near Miami.
"The Port of Miami has offered shifting, inappropriate
rationales for keeping Greenpeace's ship from docking," added
Young. "We can only conclude that the Port does not agree with
Greenpeace's message and wants to prevent the people of Miami from
hearing what we have to say. We are surprised and dismayed by the
amount of resistance we have encountered from the officials in this
seafaring city, to even the simplest of measures, such as the
loading and unloading of supplies and crew."
Earlier this month, Greenpeace sought berthing space and Port
officials said the Port would not allow any Greenpeace ship to
enter Miami waters. Alan Farago, an environmental leader in Miami,
said, "Using vague 'security threats' to intimidate and chill civic
participation is an insult to our founding fathers, who were
themselves branded security threats by the despots who ruled them
for a time. Shutting out Greenpeace is a reversal of democracy and
Miami's badge of shame."
Greenpeace's protest stemmed from the organization's ongoing
work to protect the Brazilian Amazon and other ancient forests. In
April 2002, Several miles off the Florida coast, two Greenpeace
activists, carrying a banner that said "President Bush: Stop
Illegal Logging," climbed aboard a commercial ship carrying
mahogany illegally exported from the Brazilian Amazon.
In an unprecedented move, the U.S. government has charged
Greenpeace under an obscure and archaic 19th century law aimed at
preventing boarding house owners from luring sailors to their
establishments. The indictment appears to be the first time in U.S.
history that the U.S. government has prosecuted an entire
organization for peaceful protest acts of its supporters.
"Under the American system of
justice, we are innocent until proven otherwise. This is
particularly true in the case of this bizarre and unprecedented
prosecution," said Greenpeace Executive Director John
Passacantando. "Instead of indicting Greenpeace for blowing the
whistle on the importation of illegal mahogany from Brazil, our
government should be intercepting the contraband and prosecuting
the smugglers."
"Greenpeace will continue to work to protect the planet through
peaceful and nonviolent means, even though we may face strong
resistance," affirmed Young.