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Danny Sweeney
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
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Bush - setting a precedent
May 14, 2004 - 03:49 AM
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Next monday (17th May) George Bush isw planning on taking the whole of the international environmental group Greenpeace to court.
The trial begins on May 17th, and results from a protest against an illegal shipment of mahogany headed for the Port of Miami in Florida two years ago.
Unable to find a suitable law against calling attention to environmental crimes, the Attorney General has charged Greenpeace under an obscure 19th-century law designed to stop prostitutes from boarding sailing vessels.
If we are found guilty, it will mean being branded a criminal organisation
While Greenpeace is in the dock, those who logged, imported and sold the illegally imported mahogany continue to operate.
Not only is this a wholly unwarranted and politically motivated attack on an organisation that was attempting to prevent a crime, but it also sets a dangerous precedent for the future of free speech and the right to civil protest in the US. It could also be used as an example in other countries to curb non-violent direct action. The case has been attacked in articles and editorials
in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and Miami Herald. Senator Patrick Leahy of the US Judiciary Committee wrote to US Attorney General John Ashcroft saying his selective prosecution of Greenpeace could "have a chilling effect on free speech and activism of all kinds." Al Gore called the case "highly disturbing" in a speech to MoveOn members. Fellow environmental and civil rights groups have rallied to demand Ashcroft drop the case. But Ashcroft's not listening.
Now it's your turn to make sure we don't let this case go unchallenged. We need your help. Sign on to our letter demanding Bush and Ashcroft prosecute illegal
loggers rather than Greenpeace. To date, 37,000 people have joined this appeal.
We want to have 50,000 signatories by Monday. We need to show the US government that people all over the world are watching this trial. We need to remind them they can't silence Greenpeace without silencing everyone who supports
Greenpeace.
Don't let Bush and Ashcroft silence you. Take action now:
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/bin/view.fpl/10048/action_id/195.html
Find out more about the case below:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=472552
Meet some of the people involved and the history of the action and prosecution:
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2004-04-29/feature.html/1/index.html
Send this fun animation about the case to your friends:
http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/bin/view.fpl/8035/article/931.html
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Antoine Wood
Joined: Apr 25, 2002
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Re: Bush - setting a precedent
May 20, 2004 - 06:55 AM
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Just as a follow-up the case has been thrown out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3731003.stm
That's good for all of us in favour of freedom of speech as well as those who dislike this ridiculous use of law... How do you apply an anti-prostitution that hasn't been used in over 100 years to Greenpeace?
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Danny Sweeney
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Re: Bush - setting a precedent
May 22, 2004 - 05:52 AM
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It is great news - another in bush's face.
I don't think it mattered what law it was - Bush isn't happy about Greenpeaces actions against the war - or the ongoing campaign against ESSO - people who pay him large amounts of money.
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Antoine Wood
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Re: Bush - setting a precedent
May 22, 2004 - 12:10 PM
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Would you be able to elaborate a little more on the Esso spin on it, I haven't heard that reasoning before.
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Danny Sweeney
Joined: Mar 22, 2004
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Re: Bush - setting a precedent
May 24, 2004 - 07:19 AM
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sure - just before the last world summit large amounts of money were transfered from the oil company ExxonMobile (ESSO) to bush - ESSO are the only oil company in the world who aren't investigating into alternative fuels. and they deny that the burning of fossile fuels contributes to global warming. As a result bush dragged the conference away from discussing global warming.
you can read more at
www.stopesso.org
www.greenpeace.org
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