I think there is a 20% chance Russia is trying to scare them and send a message, or that a savy Putin will at one point in time pardon them to help bolster his fake image to the world. And there is an 80% chance that they will speak fluent russian in the next several years.
I think their odds just went down to 1% on getting freedom ... The Soviets are pressing additional charges ...
Moscow (AFP) - Russian investigators said Wednesday several of the 30 Greenpeace activists already charged with piracy over their Arctic oil drilling protest were set to face additional charges for "other grave crimes".
The Moscow-based Investigative Committee said the authorities had found "narcotic substances" on the Dutch-flagged Arctic Sunrise ship detained by Russia.
They added that some of the equipment on the vessel was of "dual purpose" and "could have been used not just for ecological purposes".
Investigators also said that they were working to determine who exactly "rammed coast guard motor boats on purpose, preventing border guards from fulfilling their duties" and putting their life and health at risk.
So well said, polaris_x. These people are rightly called eco-warriors, not because they put others in harms way but because they put themselves in harm's way to save the rest of our sorry asses. Groups like Greenpeace, Sea Shepherds and Earth First! are widely misunderstood and they are vital in, as you say, making the moderate voices appear more acceptable. I think Dave Foreman said this somewhere as well. And he is another very much misunderstood activist- a brave champion of environmental activism.
i believe the charges to be excessively harsh but then again - this is Russia and these activists needed to at least know this was a possibility ...
these activists are an absolutely necessity ... the environmental movement is a failure in general however, it doesn't mean the work should stop ... ultimately, we need the radicals ... as long as no lives are hurt - i am in favour of most of their primary acts of civil disobedience ... it not only raises awareness but it's also the radicals that allow the moderates to make headway ... these actions allow other groups and organizations with a more moderate voice appear relatively open and they can get some actual change done ...
it is absolutely tragic that the environmental movement has been politicized so much that people lose sight over the fact that pretty much every environmental cause benefits the whole and really the only people that suffer from environmental sustainability are greedy assholes in $10,000 suits ...
i hope these activists will be remembered for their work and sacrifice ...
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
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http://news.yahoo.com/russia-says-greenpeace-activists-face-charges-002736589.html
Moscow (AFP) - Russian investigators said Wednesday several of the 30 Greenpeace activists already charged with piracy over their Arctic oil drilling protest were set to face additional charges for "other grave crimes".
The Moscow-based Investigative Committee said the authorities had found "narcotic substances" on the Dutch-flagged Arctic Sunrise ship detained by Russia.
They added that some of the equipment on the vessel was of "dual purpose" and "could have been used not just for ecological purposes".
Investigators also said that they were working to determine who exactly "rammed coast guard motor boats on purpose, preventing border guards from fulfilling their duties" and putting their life and health at risk.
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