I recall that nauseating feeling when we discovered that Shell was about to start Seismic blasting on the Wild Coast… panic soon replaced nausea.. OMW, we have to stop this disaster from unfolding on our pristine coastline..
A group of activists created a planning group.. legal representations, researchers and affected communities soon joined.. We all knew the disasters associated with seismic blasting… but how do we make the rest of the country aware… Sharing ideas until 2 or 3 am and then starting again at 6 am..
This was the first time multiple environmental orgs came together for this colossal environmental fight…
Within hours we had planned multiple protests along our shorelines not only for weekends, but mid-week too, we had the Battleurs aircrafts join us nationwide to film beach protests… Hurrying between getting permits, venues, alerting the general public.. exhausted, but we would sleep when this #Shell nightmare is over..
Our first of many anti-Shell seismic blasting protests took off without a hitch… Adrenaline flowing, complete strangers fighting for a common cause… A loss could mean death to the Wild Coast… to livelihoods, to culture, to marine species… we had to fight…
Protest after protest all the smaller groups’ numbers grew… We were no longer a group of concerned citizens, we had become a formidable movement of people…
Our hearts sank as the first ruling was against us and was in favour of arrogant Shell…. Back to the drawing board, we continued our fight… The second interim judgement was in favour of the PEOPLE… Oh my word.. the elation, the tears… WE STOPPED SHELL…
That feeling… oh my word… Together we CAN…
Being a Greenpeace Volunteer Activist gave me the courage and platform to give future generations a better chance and a healthier environment…
Desiree Laverne, Greenpeace Volunteer and Activist