*Ø* Blogmanac | US government dusts off 1800s law in targeting Greenpeace
By Catherine Wilson, Associated Press
"MIAMI — When prosecutors brought charges against Greenpeace for protesting a shipment of Amazon mahogany, they dusted off a 19th century federal law enacted to stop pimps from clambering aboard ships entering port.
"Environmentalists call the charges a heavy-handed attempt to stifle free speech and say the government is retaliating against Greenpeace for previous in-your-face protests against the Bush administration.
"The federal government has never successfully prosecuted an entire activist organization on criminal charges over its protest methods — not even the Ku Klux Klan.
"'It's an incredible abuse of power, and this is nothing short of political retribution,' said Sierra Club spokesman Eric Antebi. 'We think this sets a horrible precedent for political intimidation of public interest groups' ..."
Source: ENN
By Catherine Wilson, Associated Press
"MIAMI — When prosecutors brought charges against Greenpeace for protesting a shipment of Amazon mahogany, they dusted off a 19th century federal law enacted to stop pimps from clambering aboard ships entering port.
"Environmentalists call the charges a heavy-handed attempt to stifle free speech and say the government is retaliating against Greenpeace for previous in-your-face protests against the Bush administration.
"The federal government has never successfully prosecuted an entire activist organization on criminal charges over its protest methods — not even the Ku Klux Klan.
"'It's an incredible abuse of power, and this is nothing short of political retribution,' said Sierra Club spokesman Eric Antebi. 'We think this sets a horrible precedent for political intimidation of public interest groups' ..."
Source: ENN
Pip Wilson posted item above at 12:33 PM | Permalink
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home