Russia reduces charges against Greenpeace activists over Arctic protest

1 of 3. Greenpeace International activist Dimitri Litvinov, one of the ''Arctic 30'' detained on piracy charges, attends his bail hearing at the Regional Court of Murmansk October 23, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Igor Podgorny/Greenpeace/Handout via Reuters

By Steve Gutterman

MOSCOW | Wed Oct 23, 2013 4:39pm EDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday dropped piracy charges against 30 people involved in a Greenpeace protest against Arctic oil drilling, replacing them with lesser offences and cutting the maximum jail sentence they face to seven years from 15.

The charges against activists who protested at a Gazprom oil platform off Russia's northern coast last month have been changed from piracy to hooliganism, the federal Investigative Committee said in a statement.

Greenpeace said the new charges were still "wildly disproportionate" and promised to contest them.

All 30 people who were aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise during the September 18 protest, in which activists tried to scale the Prirazlomnaya platform, are being held in detention in the northern Murmansk region until at least late November.

The Investigative Committee said it had begun the procedure of pressing the new charges, which carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. The piracy charges were punishable by 10 to 15 years.

Greenpeace called the hooliganism charge "nothing less than an assault on the very principle of peaceful protest".

"This is still a wildly disproportionate charge that carries up to seven years in jail," Vladimir Chuprov of Greenpeace Russia said in a statement.

"We will contest the trumped up charge of hooliganism as strongly as we contested the piracy allegations. They are both fantasy charges that bear no relation to reality," he said. "The (activists) are no more hooligans than they were pirates."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the activists were clearly not pirates but that they violated international law.

MORE CHARGES POSSIBLE

The Investigative Committee dismissed Greenpeace's claim that the protest was peaceful, saying "anyone who illegally and premeditatedly seizes ... a stationary platform is committing a crime, no matter what their motive".

The committee said the investigation was continuing and reiterated an earlier statement that it could still bring additional severe charges against some of the activists, including the use of force against representatives of the state.

Courts in the Russian city of Murmansk have denied bail to the people of 18 different nationalities who were detained - 28 activists, including the crew of the Arctic Sunrise, and two freelance journalists who were documenting the protests.

Greenpeace has said the arrests and charges are meant to frighten off campaigners protesting against drilling in the Arctic, a region Putin describes as crucial to Russia's economic future and its security.

Moscow says the environmental protesters violated a security zone around Prirazlomnaya, which is Russia's first offshore oil platform in the Arctic and is scheduled to begin production by the end of the year after delays.

The United States believes "the purpose and nature of the actions taken by the defendants in attempting a peaceful protest should be fully taken into account as the Russian investigation proceeds," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

"We are going to continue monitoring it closely," she said at a daily briefing. The captain of the Dutch-registered Arctic Sunrise and another activist are American, and Harf said U.S. diplomats had visited both of them since their detention.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russia said it would not take part in a case filed with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in which the Dutch government is seeking the release of the activists pending trial.

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Alison Williams and Tom Pfeiffer)

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T-Shirts & Apparel : Zombie Protest

Congratulations! We're glad you're ready to fight for zombie rights. This article outlines some of the steps involved and the associated pitfalls to avoid when planning a successful zombie gathering.

Leadership. As you know, it is vital that some of the living remain in positions of leadership in the organization to provide the necessary motivation and thought-process behind running a large organization. Although, for consistency, you probably want your highest official to be a zombie in order to have him speak incoherently at corporate meetings and drool convincingly in discussions with politicians. However, leadership at the event should be an intelligent human, sympathetic to zombie rights. As the event coordinator, this human can provide guidance via a megaphone and also serves as a rallying point around which zombies will gather. Occasionally this "gathering" leads to "dismemberment" so you want to ensure that your event coordinator is expendable. This position fits nicely for zombie-rights activists hoping to transition to the less-demanding, zombie lifestyle.

Attendance. You might have a whole legion of supporters, but it's important to mobilize your zombie protesters so that they show up on the day of the event. Plan ahead so that folks can put it on their calendars. You can notify the mindless via your MySpace or Facebook account. Pass out leaflets to ensure the interested are notified. We've found that promising that there will be beer and brains brings the college-aged zombies out en masse in particular.

Location. We recommend a popular location with high-visibility for maximum exposure to the uninitiated. Although some organizations prefer the march, we find it easier to choose a specific place to protest. Shambling does not lend itself to marching, and zombies tend to get distracted more easily while in motion. Check with your local city hall to find out if you need a permit to gather at the location you've chosen. Remember that some of your supporters undoubtedly have physical impairments, so ensure your site is fully accessible.

Coverage. It's important to get your event covered by the media so that your reach is greater than those present at the event. After all, they all may have been eaten, even the well-intentioned, amenable-to-Zombie-rights ones (sometimes they're the tastiest). Documentary film makers, such as George A. Romero, are an indispensable resource in getting the word out. Make use of them as whenever possible.

"Zombies Were People Too" on a sandwich-board-clad zombie in black, blood red, and rotting-flesh green on a military green, 100% cotton t-shirt.

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Louvre Museum shuts for day as guards protest pickpockets

People enjoy the snow in front of Paris landmark, the Pyramid of the Louvre Museum, January 20, 2013, after several inches of snow fell on the French capital halting bus transportation and closing public parks.

Credit: Reuters/Christian Hartmann

PARIS | Wed Apr 10, 2013 1:21pm EDT

PARIS (Reuters) - Tourists caught no glimpse of the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory or Venus de Milo on Wednesday due to a one-day closure of the Louvre, as guards protested that pickpockets were rampant at the world's most visited museum.

Two hundred museum guards exercised their right to a work stoppage, forcing the museum to shut its doors for the day, union representatives said.

The CGT union said guards were "fed up" by attacks and threats directed at them and visitors over the past few months by pickpockets.

The secretary general of the national union for museums (SNMD), David Maillard, said petty thieves were multiplying at the site, visited by nearly 9 million people each year.

"There are thefts and threats every day. The guards are fed up with being assaulted by pickpockets," Maillard told Reuters, adding that the unions want better security at the museum.

The Louvre, which confirmed the closure on its website, could not be immediately reached for comment, but unions said the museum would reopen on Thursday.

Paris police regularly patrol the city's most crowded tourist sites, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

But thieves who often operate in organized gangs are a constant frustration for authorities as they are easily able to exploit tourists and can lose themselves in crowds.

Many of those arrested do not hold French nationality or are minors, complicating judicial pursuit.

The Louvre posts signs warning against pickpockets at its entrances.

(Reporting By Alexandria Sage and Marion Douet; Writing by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Michael Roddy)

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