Government’s “Ministry of Oil” charges Greenpeace NZ head, Russel Norman
Greenpeace NZ executive director Russel Norman has been charged under the Crown Minerals Act along with two others for their peaceful protest at sea against the Amazon Warrior, which is searching for deep sea oil on behalf of Chevron and Statoil.
Russel Norman, Greenpeace NZ executive director, Sara Howell a 25 year old Greenpeace volunteer from Wales, and Gavin Mulvay, a kite maker from Ashburton, have been charged with interfering with the oil exploration ship Amazon Warrior under the Section 101B(1)(c) of the Crown Minerals Act, known as the Anadarko Amendment.
In response, Norman has made the following statement:
“Three of us who got in the water yesterday in front of a climate-destroying oil ship have been charged.
We have been charged, not by the police, but by “The Ministry of Oil” (the petroleum division of MBIE) – the Government’s ministry responsible for supporting, subsidising and propping up the oil industry here in New Zealand, using public money.
The science of climate change is unequivocal. It tells us that if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change we cannot burn even known fossil fuel reserves, let alone new oil – which is exactly what The Amazon Warrior is looking for.
The oil industry is the most powerful industry in the history of humanity and they have huge influence on governments.
Ours is no different.
Our Government are backing that industry’s greed over the collective interests of its own people and all humanity.
For the first time in New Zealand history, we are being charged under the” Anadarko Amendment” – part of the Crown Minerals Act for interfering with a mining ship.
This piece of legislation was specifically written and passed to stop peaceful protest at sea after Greenpeace protests against Petrobras in 2011.
It was put in place by the Government to protect the interests of big oil and to stifle dissent.
It is an anti-democratic law designed to silence the voice of reason – a collective voice that demands we stop this insane trajectory toward self-destruction on that is drilling and burning oil which drives climate change.
Because of our Government’s complicity with the oil industry, and its failure to protect us from dangerous climate change, we had no choice but to take action yesterday to secure our common future.
We will continue to resist the oil industry by every peaceful means available – until our action, and the collective action of millions of people here and across the planet, eject this industry from New Zealand and from the rest of the world.
If all of us are to have a future. The oil industry can have no future.
We are the generation that ends the age of oil. “
We are all behind you Russel,
Please place a crowd funding site up on “Give a little” so we can all contribute to a legal/ and media funding fund.
SO WE CAN GET THE WORD OUT WELL AHEAD OF THE COURT CASE AND ELECTION TIME.
IT IS A SMART IDEA FOR US TO USE A MARTYR FOR A “CLEAN AIR SOCIETY” AS YOU CLEARLY ARE NOW.
A MARTYR IS NOW BADLY NEEDED SO THE MEDIA WILL COME TO COVER THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE.
AS WE SEE IN THIS LINK;
https://www.rt.com/shows/documentary/384152-poisined-secrets-chemical-industry/
THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY ARE PREPARED TO DESTROY ALL OF US WITH THEIR TOXIC PRODUCTS.
Happy to help in crowd funding.
Russell you were a thorn in their side while in Parliament and now an even more successful thorn in their side as people back you in doing something for our future.
I will certainly chip in to support your defence.
They will try to make a criminal out of someone who is doing good and hurting no one. The oil investors are dangerous faceless cowards along with NACT who enact laws against the good of the NZ people and our future generations.