Several members of the so called ‘Arctic 30’, who spent two months in Russian prison last year on piracy and then hooliganism charges following the protest, were there to greet the ship and boarded the vessel in Beverwijk, near Amsterdam, including Australian Colin Russell and Sydney permanent resident Alexandra Harris.
Tasmanian Arctic30 member Colin Russell, who will assist in repairing the Arctic Sunrise and crew on its next campaign voyage said, "You cannot break or take the tenacious spirit of the Arctic Sunrise. We will fix up all the damage, replace the equipment and the Arctic Sunrise will bounce back into her role as the campaigning legend she is. The only way to be confident that we can actually maintain an existence here on earth next century is to err on the side of caution and take the action needed now so that we are not scrambling to save ourselves later on."
27 year old Australian resident Alexandra Harris, who works at Greenpeace Australia Pacific said, "The Arctic Sunrise is our only icebreaker. She makes it possible for us to campaign in the icy seas and expose environmental crime in the Arctic. But to me, she is way more than a campaign tool - she's a ship that carries hope for a better future and protection of the Arctic against oil drilling."
Dutch climate and energy campaigner and Arctic 30 member Faiza Oulahsen said, "This is a joyous day for me, for my friends and for the millions of people around the world who campaigned for the release of the Arctic 30 and the Arctic Sunrise”, says
“The companies and governments who seek to exploit this vulnerable region for profit have tried to silence the growing call to protect the Arctic for future generations. But they have not succeeded. And they will not. The Arctic Sunrise will sail again. By now more than 5 million people worldwide have spoken out for Arctic protection.”
Oulahsen went on to thank the broad sweep of civil society organizations and individuals who spoke out on behalf of the activists including 11 Nobel peace prize winners, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a host of senior political figures from across the world.
“We are incredibly grateful for the huge level of support we received, and conscious that many others have not been so lucky. I would like to use this opportunity to support the many other peaceful environmental activists who remain oppressed or imprisoned for their beliefs, both in Russia and around the world.”
The activists saw the ship for the first time since it was seized by Russian security agents on September 19th 2013. The ship will now sail to the harbour of Amsterdam, accompanied by a fleet of Greenpeace supporters in small vessels.
In Amsterdam the Arctic Sunrise will host a humble, but festive homecoming ceremony. On board the ship is a samovar, a traditional Russian tea-pot. The tea-pot, engraved with the words ‘MY Arctic Sunrise - From Russia with love’, will stay on board, as an ongoing symbol of support and care from the Russian Arctic defenders. Once the Arctic Sunrise arrives in Amsterdam, members of the Arctic 30 will drink the ceremonial first cups of tea from the samovar.
In a few days the ship will be moved to a shipyard in Amsterdam for much needed repairs. Even though captain Daniel Rizzotti and his crew have worked hard for several weeks in Murmansk to make the Arctic Sunrise seaworthy again, a lot of work still needs to be done. Within two weeks Greenpeace expects to have a thorough idea of the extent of the damages.
ENDS
For comment please contact: Greenpeace Australia Pacific Ben Pearson 0424 575 111 or James Lorenz 0400 376 021. Colin Russell and Alexandra Harris are available for extended interviews. Photos and video available of return.