The 30 Greenpeace activists seized by Russian authorities after peacefully protesting against dangerous oil drilling in the Arctic are now officially charged with piracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. Greenpeace’s director Kumi Naidoo described the charges as “an outrage and represents nothing less than an assault on the very principle of peaceful protest. Any claim that these activists are pirates is as absurd as it is abominable”.
He’s right. Peaceful activism is vital when governments fail to respond to catastrophic climate change, and that’s exactly what thousands of people sending messages to Russian embassies think too.
We’re joining the call for a global day of solidarity tomorrow to stand with our brave friends in a global vigil. You can find the nearest event in this map and join. The Arctic 30 took a stand to protect the Arctic and our climate. Now they need you to take a stand for them and for our planet.