With only a few days to breathe after our #ToHellWithShell victory, we were alerted to another disaster that was about to unfold… this time on the South African West Coast.. The Australian Seismic blaster was heading to our shores to blast the already compromised West Coast to smithereens.. Familiar feelings of panic and nausea returned.. So many questions…. How is it possible that these destructive seismic blasting vessels are being allowed?
This battle round, we had to execute our first protest within 3 days.
Our target for protests would be different… we would target Impact oil CEO, Johnny Copelyn. I consulted with both metro police and Parks and Recreation and our first protest was hurriedly put together.. Our target was Johnny Copelyn’s Suncoast Casino..
Because of such short notice, we were unsure how many protesters we’d have.. It could only be 3 of us but we’d protest nonetheless, irrespective of the numbers.. One voice is better than no voice, I believe …
To my amazement.. the numbers started showing up… 5, 10, and our numbers kept growing… Curious onlookers wanting to engage, to find out what we were doing and why… The horrified looks on their faces when they found out the truth…
As we stood protesting outside Johnny Copelyn’s ‘Suncoast casino’, we could hear echoes of “Thank you for taking a stand, Thanks for protecting the oceans, Well done” from bystanders…
It gives one a certain amount of pride knowing that you’ve managed to put this protest together in only a few days and people have taken note of the looming disaster on our West Coast.. Engaging and educating the public on the disastrous consequences of seismic blasting and having them understand the reason why we protest is a mini victory, irrespective of the court’s decision..
Our small 3 person protest soon became 30+ strong… and we were heard, our message was passed on..
Once the applicants, the small-scale fisherfolk and communities, took their case to the Cape Town High Court, we waited in nervous anticipation as their case between The Applicants and Australian company Searcher Seismic was being heard.. Judge Thulare ruled in favour of the Applicants, the small-scale fisherfolk and communities and instructed Searcher Seismic to halt Seismic blasting… for now…
The feeling you get when you open up gifts from a loved one… can’t compare to the feeling you get when you know that the ocean environment is safe from destruction for a little while longer… Between the tears… the gasps of relief… “OMW, we did it again… We’ve managed to halt the destruction of the West Coast for a little longer”…
I’m super proud to be a Greenpeace Volunteer Activist.. Without the ethics, training and encouragement that I’ve received , I doubt that I would’ve gained the skill to take action and create a successful campaign to challenge these earth destroyers that value Profit before People…
