Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Greenpeace activists fined over St Kitts whaling protest
06-22-2006

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (AFP): A magistrate in the Caribbean state of St Kitts and Nevis fined six Greenpeace activists more than 9,000 dollars Wednesday, a day after their seaborne protest made a splash at world whaling talks.

Five activists who jumped from high-speed launches and waded through the surf to the beach of the resort hosting the talks were convicted of illegal entry and fined 5,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars (1,852 US dollars) each.

The protesters, four from Brazil and one from Mexico, had boarded the launches from the nearby Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, which had been banned from entering St Kitts' port, during International Whaling Commission talks.

They had planned to plant more than 800 banners in the sand in the shape of whale fins bearing the slogan "R.I.P." in memory of whales killed by Japan in the Southern Ocean during its "research whaling" program this year.

A sixth activist, Greenpeace spokesman Mike Townsley from Britain, was convicted of obstructing a police officer and fined 1,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars (370 US dollars).

Prosecutors said Townsley was charged after telling other protestors not to give their names to a senior police officer.

A second charge of resisting arrest was dropped against him.

All six activists were remanded in custody until the fines were paid, an issue complicated by a public holiday called Thursday in St Kitts to celebrate the island's first ever Test cricket match, between India and the West Indies.

They were then to be turned over to immigration authorities until they leave the country.

Four other activists also arrested on Tuesday, but who had entered the country legally, were released without charge on Wednesday.

Defense lawyer Courtney Abel had pleaded with the magistrate Claudette Jenkins to show leniency, arguing that they had not intended to cause trouble -- only to engage in a non-violent protest.

"All I am asking is not to come down with the full brute force of the law," he said.

But the magistrate was not impressed, and pointed out that the activists landed illegally, did not arrive at a port of entry, and had come from a ship already barred from St Nevis.

"Yes you can come into St Kitts, we have no problem with it, but you have to make legal entry," she told the activists, as they stood crammed together in a witness box in the small, white-washed courtroom.

The activists were brought to court in mid-afternoon from prison where they had been overnight.

Greenpeace was wiring money to Basseterre to pay the fines, activists said.