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MoD targets Greenpeace

01 January 2003

The Ministry of Defence police recently used satellites and a spy plane to follow a psychedelic lorry housing a mobile generator used by the campaigning organisation Greenpeace to power music festivals across Britain. The MoD cited "credible" intelligence that the group was planning to use a heavy goods vehicle to attack a military spy base. This was later toned down, though it was admitted that "stunts" for the media are considered a threat to national security:
The information that the MoD received was that Greenpeace had laid up a lorry and were going to do something in Westminster or up in Fylingdales. They were endeavouring to create a major media impact. It was decided that this represented a threat to national security
A Greenpeace activist commented: "We'd never attack a military site with a truck, especially not after 11 September. We'd also never use one painted with pink, red, orange and blue checks...".
On 2 February police and MoD forces boarded Greenpeace's flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, after it had blockaded supply vessels due to leave for the Middle East from Marchwood Military Port in Southampton. The ship had been in the port for six days, following a High Court Decision refusing to grant the MoD an injunction to ban the Rainbow Warrior from the area. In turning down the Defence Secretary's request, the Judge granted an interim injunction stipulating that Greenpeace must not board or touch the Ministry of Defence chartered vessels.
Under the cover of darkness MoD officials defied the high court decision, forcibly removing the Greenpeace ship from the Southampton docks. The Rainbow Warrior was surrounded by six MoD and police boats and up to twenty police boarded the ship just after 10:00 pm Saturday night. By 3:00 am they had cut the anchor chain and towed the ship out of the way.
Two days later, 14 Greenpeace activists entered Southampton's Marchwood Military Port and occupied tanks and jeeps queuing up to be loaded on the roll-on/roll-off ferry Stena Shipper bound for the Gulf.
Sunday Times 19.1.03; Observer 2.2.03; http://www.greenpeace.org/news/
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