Emily is today's contributor to our spring blog relay - catch up on entries from other Greenpeace staff.
I've been working at Greenpeace for just over two years, before that I was a volunteer with both the climate team and the active supporters unit as well as an activist. I now work in the actions unit - a job I love - we deal with the logistics and equipment involved in all of our non-violent direct actions.
Today I feel as if I am half here in our peaceful, light-filled office in London, and half in Brussels filled with mixed feelings of anticipation, adrenalin, moral strength and the odd moment of fear. I have just returned from a three day trip to Brussels where I went with a team of 38 UK activists to be part of a huge direct action that involved 340 activists from 20 different countries.
On Tuesday morning at 11am on the dot we divided into groups of five or six and slowly gravitated towards the same conference centre. Everyone ran towards the building, jumping fences and darting between police and security guards to form a human wall to block all three of its entrances. Inside the building, the European Union finance ministers were meeting to discuss the financial crisis and the climate crisis. We were there to demand an answer on climate funding and the banners we carried said 'Sav€ the Climate' and 'Bail out the Planet'.
It was an impressive feat and an amazing sight, over 300 people in Greenpeace jackets sealing off an entire building. We sat pushed hard up next to one another, three or four people deep, arms locked together to create a human wall. Inside our campaigners told the finance ministers that we would not move to let them out until they agreed to commit the money necessary for a climate bailout.
We heard crowds chanting from what seemed like a few blocks away, and discovered that hundreds of people had gathered at the European Council building on what was also the 50th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day to protest against the occupation and repression of Tibet.
At first I felt quite pensive and a little depressed thinking about all the
wrongs and pain in the world, but this was quickly overtaken by a feeling of
strength, solidarity and positivity that there are so many people from all
corners of the globe who are prepared to stand up for what they believe in, to
make their voices heard and take direct action to save what they see needs
saving...
The
police eventually swooped in on our building and arrested everyone there. We
were all handcuffed with cable ties behind our backs, many of the police
officers were incredibly brutal and four people ended up being taken to
hospital as a result. I could see people being crushed by truncheons, being
pulled away by their jaw bones. Faces were harshly forced into the wet concrete
ground, knees violently pushed into backs as we were thrust to the ground to be
handcuffed. Faces were contorted in pain as ankles were twisted and legs were
forced. Each person was then dragged across the concrete and dropped in groups,
hands bound, and we waited. Eventually we were all taken on busses to a large
basement building for processing by the Belgian police and released without
charge a few hours later.
I returned to London yesterday afternoon with three mini busses full of bruised and slightly battered but elated activists who were welcomed with hugs and words of congratulations by members of staff here at the office.
This is just the beginning of a global campaign in the run up to the UN meeting in Copenhagen in December. The future of the planet could hinge on this meeting where world leaders need to make the right decisions to avoid catastrophic climate change.
I feel incredibly fortunate to work here and returning with that group of brave, passionate, committed people. Overriding my weariness was an intense sense of pride in what we do and what Greenpeace stands for.
