Philippine development sparks 'sunset' protest

Terra Daily via AFP: Hundreds of Filipinos converged on the Philippine capital's main bayfront Tuesday for a unique "sunset watch" protest aimed at stopping what they said would be a disastrous reclamation project. Armed with binoculars and cameras, the protesters called on the Manila city government to repeal an ordinance granting permission for a developer to reclaim 288 hectares (711 acres) of the bay.

"This reclamation will not only block the view of the famed sunset on Manila Bay but will also lead to worsening environmental degradation, like more floods," said Chiqui Mabanta, one of the organisers of the event.

The protest involved a broad coalition of Manila residents, artists, civic leaders and environmentalists called SOS Manila Bay, which last month filed a petition with city hall to stop the reclamation. The protesters linked hands to form a human chain at sunset, while artists painted the famed views.

The group said the developer, Manila Goldcoast Development, had presented plans for an international cruise ship terminal to boost tourism to the area. The complex would also house entertainment businesses, as well as a high-rise residential development....

Sunset at the Manila Bay Yacht Club, shot by Waiting for serendipity, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Dissent criminalized again: Arctic drilling ships legally protected from protesters

As Mark Twain noted, "The price of freedom is eternal discretion." From the Courthouse News Service: Fearing environmental activists will try to board or divert 19 Arctic oil drilling ships, the U.S. Coast Guard established a 500 yard no-go zone around the vessels as they pass through Washington's Puget Sound. The ships have been staged in Seattle, Wa., for the summer drilling season where several have also undergone extensive retrofitting.

Citing a spate of recent unsafe and illegal demonstrations tactics, including actress Lucy Lawless' February boarding of the Noble Discoverer in New Zealand, the Coast Guard said the no-go zone is need to protect the safety of protesters, the drilling ships and other shipping traffic.

"While the Coast Guard respects the First Amendment rights of protesters, it is clear that certain unlawful protest activity poses a danger to the life and safety of protesters, target vessels, and other legitimate waterway users. The Coast Guard must take swift action to prevent such harm," the Guard said in a Federal Register notice.

The Coast Guard said that Greenpeace has identified ships being used by Shell and British Petroleum as targets for boarding and that the advocacy group Alaska Wilderness League had chartered a boat to observe retrofitting of Shell's mobile offshore drilling unit Kulluk at a Seattle shipyard.

A common tactic used by activists is to put kayaks, or swimmers and other small boats in front of ships to slow or divert them while teams of protesters try to board them. The Coast Guard said that given the size of the ships this could have fatal results for the protesters, cause severe damage to the vessels if they run aground, or cause environmental damage if they divert into ecologically sensitive areas....

Young Friends of the Earth Norway demonstrates against oil drilling in the Norwegian Artic. Shot by Natur og Ungdom, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license