Also distributed in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 1.50 euros at newsagents.
THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
FRIDAY 28th NOVEMBER TO THURSDAY 11th DECEMBER 2014 MOVIES IN ENGLISH
EDITION 514 BOXING NIGHT
PAGE 3
A LOOK AROUND TEGUESTE MARKET
PAGE 54
PAGES 50-51
OUTRAGE AS OIL FIGHT REACHES FEVER PITCH
H
UNDREDS of thousands of pairs of eyes are focused on the escalating anti-oil campaign here in the Canary Islands as protestors continue to take to the streets.
Photo: Greenpeace España
Repsol has already started tests in the ocean about 62km off the coasts of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote but yesterday (November 25th) more heated demonstrations were held across the islands. The Canary Government and numerous leading environmental groups have been fighting oil exploration for years but sadly, it took a nasty incident in the Atlantic to alert the world to the depth of people’s objections. Shocking scenes captured on video began after the captain of the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise was warned by the Spanish authorities to leave an
since been discharged and flown back to Italy. Her message on leaving was: “Keep on fighting!” The YouTube video on http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v = D 5 D E 6 U m z S O A & f e ature=youtu.be has now been watched nearly 650,000 times and has led to condemnation of Spain’s “over-zealous” and disproportionate reaction. In the last few days, the Spanish Government has defended its actions, claiming Greenpeace was involved in “an
Photo: Greenpeace España / Matilde exclusion zone but refused. The Navy then intercepted two of the group’s inflatable dinghies with activists on board and clearly
rammed them on at least two occasions. A 21-year-old Italian activisit, called Matilde, fell into the water
and broke her leg. She was rescued and air-lifted to hospital where she underwent an emergency operation and has
act of piracy”. It has impounded the Arctic Sunrise which stands in dock in Lanzarote and says it will only be released through the payment of a 50,000 euro bond which the group says it has no intention whatsoever of meeting. The captain has also been warned he faces prosecution. The latest demonstrations in the Canaries are as much about this issue as the oil tests themselves, with people carrying banners demanding “Free the Arctic Sunrise” and a
massive show of support is being conducted on Facebook and Twitter. On Monday, there was a particularly noisy protest in Santa Cruz with shouts against the Spanish Navy and banners which said people had a right to make their feelings known and not be surpressed. Meantime, the Canar y Government and the Cabildos of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote say they will continue to oppose Repsol’s drilling which was allowed by Spain despite the local opposition and court appeals. The Worldwild Life Fund, just one of the dozens of environmental groups backing the Canaries, says it is delighted that a formal complaint about environmental matters relating to the Respol application will be investigated by the EU. A survey just carried out on behalf of the Canary Government by two universities concludes that 75.4 per cent of local residents are against oil drilling and on November 23rd, a pledge was signed in Gran Canaria by 150 public officials to show their opposition. Canary president, Paulino Rivero described the drilling as “an abuse” and said people would continue to rebel and they would continue to fight. Repsol denies there is any danger at all to the environment and says all the safety checks are in place, putting the chances of any accident or spillage at “virtually nil”.