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Title: STINK BOMBS, LOCK-DOWN, MEMORIAL SERVICE: ANTI-WHALING SHOWDOWN AT THE IWC
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Blog Entry: From and e-mail I received: SANTIAGO, CHILE – Once again the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conference was greeted bright and early by local and international protesters demanding that all the nations of the world put an end to whaling. This time they were met with a disruption of stink bombs, a lock-down at the front doors, and a street theatre memorial service. During the scheduled lunch break of the conference, Japan gave a presentation detailing their “pseudo”-scientific research program, JARPA II. JARPA II doubles the number of whales killed each year in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, compared to previous research programs. Up to 935 minke whales will be hunted each year. For the first time, the fin whale- the world´s second largest whale-is being hunted under the program. There has been repeated criticism of the validity and necessity of Japan´s scientific whaling program at the IWC. The IWC has passed more than 40 separate resolutions rejecting scientific whaling since the moratorium came into effect. In June 2005, a resolution was passed condemning the JARPA II program and calling for its amendment or withdrawl. The adoption of this resolution was co-sponsored by 26 countries. The Coalition of Deroches Animales (CDA) received an anonymous email stating: “This ridiculous facade of Japan´s presentation was met by stink bombs to demonstrate that Japan´s scientific research is not only unjust and unnecessary, but it ´STINKS!´ Today Japan received a foul-smelling reminder of what their whalers are accustomed to out at sea. We are here to make sure that Japan will be confronted with resistance wherever they go- city or sea- until they stop slaughtering whales. Japan keeps coming up with new ´programs´ as an excuse to keep killing whales to sell as food. Japan has no respect for protected Sanctuaries, and they have no respect for the demands of the rest of the world.” Moments after the supposed stink bombs were released, a member of CDA went toe-to-toe with conference organizers and police in defense of whales by locking his body to the front doors of the Sheraton Hotel. International media and police swarmed him as he passionately shouted a demand for an end to all whaling. After two failed attempts, police finally extracted him as a witness burst into tears from the protester´s emotional plea. “There are nations that are still killing whales with any excuse to make money. This is genocide that we must stop!,” said Wladimir Madrid. “Every tactic which applies pressure is valid to end whaling.” Later in the evening, demonstrators from the Juvan Animal Rights organization based in Concepción, returned to the IWC conference to hold a street theatre whale cemetery to honor the great whales massacred to near extinction. Two blood-splattered men posed as being freshly harpooned to make the connection between human and animal life. They stood in the middle of a cemetery with whale-tail tombstones labeled R.I.P. “We think that animals have the right to live just the same as humans,” said Abel Cisterna from Juvan. “ Whales are living beings who can suffer the same as us, and they are at risk of being extict.”