Greenpeace protesters board Gulf-bound ship

icNewcastle ^ | January 30 2003

[knighthawk]

Greenpeace protesters have boarded a military supply ship in an anti-war protest.

Five campaigners from the conservation group have managed to get aboard the MV Lyra while at anchor in the Solent off Southampton.

The Lyra was awaiting a pilot to take her into Marchwood Military Port on Southampton Water when the protesters got on to the ship and set up a "peace camp" at the stern of the vessel.

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is also at the scene.

The Lyra is carrying military vehicles on its decks for possible deployment to Iraq but Greenpeace said they did not know what was in her hold.

"This is part of Greenpeace's global campaign to prevent a military attack on Iraq which will kill thousands of civilians. This war is not justified," the spokesman said.

The protesters were hosed with water by the crew of the ship and a police launch was at the scene, Greenpeace said.

A Royal Navy spokesman said he could not confirm that protesters were onboard the ship but he did say two Greenpeace rigid inflatable boats had attached themselves to the vessel's anchor.

"This will not delay the operation significantly and we will now take the appropriate action," he said.

[knighthawk]

Europe-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[Frank_Discussion]

"This will not delay the operation significantly and we will now take the appropriate action," he said.

"REPEL BOARDERS, ON MY COMMAND!!"

[No Truce With Kings]

Hijacking a ship is piracy. Pirates are illegal combatants. Read them the Riot Act, and ship 'em off to Gitmo if they do not clear off the ship.

[Timesink]

"This will not delay the operation significantly and we will now take the appropriate action," he said.

Um, the appropriate action is shoot to kill, no? Oh, right, they're British, silly me.

[OldFriend]

A little of that gas the Russians used in the theater might make their tent a little more cozy.

[Porterville]

Keel haulthem- To discipline by dragging under the keel of a ship.

[AppyPappy]

DROP ANCHOR!!!

[RonF]

They're not hijackers, they're stowaways. Illegal boarders. Trespassers. Force is in order, however, if they don't clear off when told to do so.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

Bah. Sink their stupid boat.

[TXBubba]

Sprayed them with water? Just throw them overboard and forget them.

[DoughtyOne]

Protesting is one thing. Interfering with military operations is another.

[Normal4me]

LOL! You owe me a keyboard. ;)

[Ann Archy]

They should be fired on as the enemies they are.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sounds like piracy to me. Appropriate action would be to have them forceably removed and arrested.

[nypokerface]

I hope we don't let these people get away with this just because they say it's a protest. Lock them up and throw away the key.

[csvset]

Greenpeace tried to chain themselves to the USS Coral Sea's anchor chain while we pierside in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

They were met with straight streams of saltwater from 2.5 " firehoses @ 100-150 psi. The GP's were hydro-blasted out of their Zodiac boat. The local cops fished them out of the drink and arrested them.

The non-lethal defense method was dubbed "Operation Waterfall".

[Britton J Wingfield]

Break out the 2-1/2 inch firehose. Aim for the crotch.

[TXBubba]

See, I wouldn't have fished them out. Oh well, if they go to jail that will be okay. IF they go to jail. They should have left them swimming with the fishes.

[No Truce With Kings]

"They're not hijackers, they're stowaways. Illegal boarders. Trespassers. Force is in order, however, if they don't clear off when told to do so."

Yeah, but my solution is more fun. Britain could hand them over to the US as "potential terrorists," and it would take years for Greenpeace lawyers to unsnarl the mess and get the release of the arrested idiots. The Crown courts could defer to United States courts, which after due consideration would send it back to Britain, who would consider it longer, and decide that since the US had possession, the issues had to be worked in US courts.

You would only need to do it once, and then you'ld see Greenpeace give these ships a wide berth.

[theDentist]

Isn't that an act of Piracy? And so, all the pains and penalties would apply, right? Better beware of rope burns.

[Poohbah]

Hijacking a ship is piracy. Pirates are illegal combatants. Read them the Riot Act, and ship 'em off to Gitmo if they do not clear off the ship.

Actually, the skipper of the ship is fully within his rights to convene a drumhead court, convict, and HANG the pirates himself.

[Britton J Wingfield]

Once in PI we tried attaching a big zinc to the end of a firehose, then letting it run wild on the pier as a means of keeping intruders away from the trash. It just ended up shredding the hose, so we went back to manually washing them down the pier, ass-over-tits.

[txradioguy]

IMHO....The CINCLANTFLT (Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet)should issue orders to all ship commanders to post deck watches to prevent further incursions by these "activists". Any further attempt to board a vessel will be taken as a terrorist attack and all boarders will be shot!

[toddst]

They should be fired on as the enemies they are.

Lets hope this is exactly what would take had these wackos pulled this on a U.S. military ship. I really can't understand the British reluctance to use appropriate force in a situation that (I believe) clearly calls for it.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

You're darn right it's piracy and should be treated as such.

[Poohbah]

They're not hijackers, they're stowaways. Illegal boarders. Trespassers. Force is in order, however, if they don't clear off when told to do so.

You can commit the crime of "piracy" while the ship is at anchor. They are attempting to prevent the master of the vessel from exercising command; that's piracy.

Convene a drumhead court, convict, and hang. And blow the Rainbow Warrior out of the water as a pirate vessel.

[Britton J Wingfield]

Drop the anchor about 10 feet or so. Not enough to kill anyone, but enough to ruin their boat. And ruined the pants of anyone suddenly jerked 10 feet under water by a zillion pounds of anchor chain :)

[Centurion2000]

Greenpeace protesters have boarded a military supply ship in an anti-war protest.

Treat them as spies ... summary execution after an unpleasant interrogation

[dinasour]

If a couple of Eco-Wackos are allowed to attach themselves to an anchor, what's to stop a couple of Jihadis with 500 lbs. of C-4?

Whoever let them get that close should be court-martialed.

[Britton J Wingfield]

Good point.

[Tennessee_Bob]

This war is not justified,"

But shooting boarders is justified...

[Hugin]

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is also at the scene.

Where are the French? Never around when you need them.

[Flyer]

If a couple of Eco-Wackos are allowed to attach themselves to an anchor, what's to stop a couple of Jihadis with 500 lbs. of C-4?

That's worth repeating.

[RonF]

It didn't read to me as though they were trying to take control of the ship, which I thought was a requirement to be considered a pirate, as opposed to an illegal boarder.

[txradioguy]

"Where are the French? Never around when you need them."


Figures, the ONE group the French will use violence against and they're nowhere to be found. *sigh*

[tom paine 2]

They should have hosed them down with a machine gun.

[Poohbah]

It didn't read to me as though they were trying to take control of the ship, which I thought was a requirement to be considered a pirate, as opposed to an illegal boarder.

All that is necessary is ANY willful attempt to prevent the master from exercising full control of the vessel. In that sense, they've attepmpted to "take control of the ship."

They are pirates; the Rainbow Warrior is engaged in piracy; hang 'em from the yardarms and sink the Green Peas vessel!

[dagar]

Three words: Shoot the bastards

[MediaMole]

Greenpeace, now there's an enemy the French can deal with...

[Madame Dufarge]

The only thing France did right in years. Of course, that was pretty much it:

"Some of Greenpeace's earliest campaigns confronted the French over nuclear testing. The Greenpeace yacht Vega was badly rammed in 1972 by French warships at Moruroa. In 1973, the Fri was boarded and the crew detained while, in the same year, the skipper of the Vega was severely beaten by French commandoes."

Then, I believe they blew up the Rainbow Warrior. This must be Son of...

France and Greenpeace

[harpseal]

Actually, the skipper of the ship is fully within his rights to convene a drumhead court, convict, and HANG the pirates himself.

Only if the opportunity to turn them over to an admiralty court or a naval vessel of the same flag is not available. I am presuming this is a civilian vessel of British flag. If that is the case hand them to the RN as pirates and let them deal with them as pirates.

[Charles Martel]

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is also at the scene.

Where are the French? Never around when you need them.

LOL, my thoughts exactly! Say, isn't that Greenpeace ship named the Rainbow Warrior II?

Ah, no matter... the Frenchies would *never* think of sinking a vessel that is in any way opposing or impeding operations of the U.S. or British military.

[ParityErr]

Hell, Just keep them aboard until the ship reaches Iraq then drop them off.

[Poohbah]

Only if the opportunity to turn them over to an admiralty court or a naval vessel of the same flag is not available. I am presuming this is a civilian vessel of British flag. If that is the case hand them to the RN as pirates and let them deal with them as pirates.

Any time/distance limit on the "availability?" I mean...if there isn't any RN warship or admiralty court close by, he needs to take care of business himself...

[JimRed]

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is also at the scene.

I thought the Aussies sank that ship a while back. Or, was it another one?

[JimRed]

OOPS! It wasn't the Aussies; it was the CESM's.

[RansomOttawa]

Haven't these people got whales to save, or something?

[wcbtinman]

"Where are the French?"

They are busy drawing up the terms of their surrender.

[Texas_Jarhead]

they should have been repelled by the vessel's security personnel