Imagine the scenario. You live in a small Scottish town which isn’t exactly packed with entertainment. You find out that the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise is in town and there will be an open boat day on Sunday. Brilliant!
You drive down to the harbour, entrancing the kids in the back seat with tales of the ocean waves and hardy seafarers. You park. Climb out. Everyone races towards the shore.
And there’s no boat.
Just two scruffy, beardy men.
The man in black
This actual scenario ocurred on a cold and rainy (dreich in the local parlance) morning back in February 2007. I know because I was one of the freezing volunteers tasked with explaining to the punters that there would be no ship today.
A team of activists had taken direct action against Trident nuclear submarines at the Faslane Naval Base just a couple of days before. The authorities arrested the activists and impounded the ship.
Thus the Arctic Sunrise was across the loch, in the care of the Ministry of Defence, on this cold Sunday morning.
So there I was tasked with explaining this to the disappointed public. The person with me was Richard Martin.
Communication wizardry
In the years since, I have seen Richard employ many of the skills of an activist but never have I been so impressed as I was that day.
He actually managed to get these disappointed punters fired up at the injustice of it all. Some of them were getting really annoyed at the MOD confiscating our lovely Greenpeace ship.
And Greenock (despite the name) is not exactly your typical leafy borough where middle class hippie types hang out.
I just wanted to get indoors and get a cup of tea but there was Richard, campaigning and converting. He probably could have started a local activist group right there and then if he’d wanted.
Hail to the chieftain
So it is with heavy heart that Greenpeace UK activists will wave goodbye to Richard today as he goes to take up a position with the international office, but it is for the greater good.
If there is anyone who can organise and inspire people in Asia to become Greenpeace activists, it’s him. It’s the frontline of the climate struggle and we need our best people out there.
First Greenock, then the world.
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