FIRST FIVE ARRESTED IN LONDON AT JAPANESE EMBASSY PROTEST
Five UK activists from London Rainforest Action Group and Earth First!
were held by police for twenty-two hours after a peaceful
demonstration in London on Wednesday 3rd July 1991. The demonstration
was attended by thirty people from various groups. It took place
outside the Japanese embassy in London and drew attention to Japan's
role in the logging of rainforest in Sarawak.
These are believed to be the first UK arrests ever in defence of
rainforests. They came only two days before the arrests of nine
international activists in Sarawak itself. The Sarawak action halted
loading of log barges at Kuala Baram for five hours.
Before the London demonstration, a thirty foot long banner bearing the
words "Ban Japan from Rainforests" was suspended between trees
directly opposite the first floor of the embassy. Plackards in
Japanese and English and further banners added to this message. A
letter was also handed to staff inside the embassy.
The action was co-ordinated by a new London campaign headquarters
shared by London Rainforest Action Group and Earth First! This office
will be a centre of UK actions against rainforest destruction by
European activists during the forthcoming G7 meeting and beyond. The
address is as follows:
Earth First! / London Rainforest Action Group,
9 Cazenove Road,
Stoke Newington,
London,
N16 6PA.
Phone from UK: 081-806-1561.
From abroad: +4481-806-1561.
Fax: As above for a week or so until a second line is installed.
E-mail: gn:gmarshall or gn:timrick
[ From the U.S., these can be written "igc.org!gn!gmarshall" etc. --Gary ]
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