This is undeniable to me - their sole action was to interfere with their country's actiions in this conflict - throw them in jail, give 'em a year or so in the slammer ... this crossed the line from peaceful protest to actions detrimental to not only the ship but to whatever mission they were on ... these weren't innocent, freckle-faced teenagers doing this - read the article ...
Australian PM embarrassed as anti-war protest halts Iraq-bound warship
SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian warship set sail for the Gulf with a "No War" banner attached to its bow after two daring peace activists clambered up the hull in a spectacular anti-war protest here.
They were arrested with 10 other protesters after a Sydney Harbour blockade by flotilla of small boats forced the guided-missile frigate HMAS Sydney to stop, disrupting its departure for an hour and causing acute embarrassment to Prime Minister John Howard.
Howard, a staunch supporter of the US campaign to oust the Iraqi regime, had minutes earlier farewelled the ship with its 230-strong crew on their way to war in Iraq (news - web sites).
News footage showed one protester, named by Greenpeace as Mike Rosato, 30, climbing up the hull of the warship after a rope and grappling hook were thrown to the bow rail from one of the protest boats.
Then he unfurled the banner and clung by harness to the hull for half an hour until police and navy forced him down.
A second protester, Sarah Roberts, 25, climbed up the stern of the vessel was quickly taken down by police using bolt cutters.
A police officer sustained a suspected broken rib in the incident which occurred despite intensive security at the farewell ceremony which was attended also by Defence Minister Robert Hill and defence force chief, General Peter Cosgrove.
Security had been stepped up around landmarks and key infrastructure after a similar incident in which two anti-war protesters painted "NO WAR" on the top of the Sydney Opera House on the day the war started last month.
A furious Howard lashed out Tuesday, saying the protesters had no consideration for the sailors or their families.
"These clowns ought to understand that and if they think that's winning support to their cause, they're very badly mistaken," he told a Sydney radio station.
"I hope the news outlets of Australia suitably downgrade the coverage they give to this sort of stupid behaviour."
The frigate was forced to stop as water police moved in to remove the protesters from the hull and arrest their comrades in small boats.
One of the protesters, New South Wales state Greens MP, Ian Cohen, was arrested as he tried to paddle a surfboard towards the warship while it was pulling away from a naval base here.
Howard earlier thanked the Sydney's crew for their service, saying it was a proud moment for the navy.
"It is my hope that during your time, in the not too distant future, the really hostile part of the war to disarm Iraq will have terminated," Howard told sailors and their families.
"But that does not mean there will not be very important work following the formal cessation of hostilities."
Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said security at the farewell ceremony was mainly a matter for the police but the defence force supported the right of people to protest.
"It's an important part of our democracy, but this is a dangerous thing to do and we really think we'd discourage it from that point of view," he said.
Greenpeace activist James Courtney said the protest was aimed at sending a message to Australian troops that they should return from what he described as "an illegal and immoral war."
He said the protesters were all highly trained and capable people who took part in the action to try to stop the ship going off to the Gulf.
Australian PM embarrassed as anti-war protest halts Iraq-bound warship
SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian warship set sail for the Gulf with a "No War" banner attached to its bow after two daring peace activists clambered up the hull in a spectacular anti-war protest here.
They were arrested with 10 other protesters after a Sydney Harbour blockade by flotilla of small boats forced the guided-missile frigate HMAS Sydney to stop, disrupting its departure for an hour and causing acute embarrassment to Prime Minister John Howard.
Howard, a staunch supporter of the US campaign to oust the Iraqi regime, had minutes earlier farewelled the ship with its 230-strong crew on their way to war in Iraq (news - web sites).
News footage showed one protester, named by Greenpeace as Mike Rosato, 30, climbing up the hull of the warship after a rope and grappling hook were thrown to the bow rail from one of the protest boats.
Then he unfurled the banner and clung by harness to the hull for half an hour until police and navy forced him down.
A second protester, Sarah Roberts, 25, climbed up the stern of the vessel was quickly taken down by police using bolt cutters.
A police officer sustained a suspected broken rib in the incident which occurred despite intensive security at the farewell ceremony which was attended also by Defence Minister Robert Hill and defence force chief, General Peter Cosgrove.
Security had been stepped up around landmarks and key infrastructure after a similar incident in which two anti-war protesters painted "NO WAR" on the top of the Sydney Opera House on the day the war started last month.
A furious Howard lashed out Tuesday, saying the protesters had no consideration for the sailors or their families.
"These clowns ought to understand that and if they think that's winning support to their cause, they're very badly mistaken," he told a Sydney radio station.
"I hope the news outlets of Australia suitably downgrade the coverage they give to this sort of stupid behaviour."
The frigate was forced to stop as water police moved in to remove the protesters from the hull and arrest their comrades in small boats.
One of the protesters, New South Wales state Greens MP, Ian Cohen, was arrested as he tried to paddle a surfboard towards the warship while it was pulling away from a naval base here.
Howard earlier thanked the Sydney's crew for their service, saying it was a proud moment for the navy.
"It is my hope that during your time, in the not too distant future, the really hostile part of the war to disarm Iraq will have terminated," Howard told sailors and their families.
"But that does not mean there will not be very important work following the formal cessation of hostilities."
Defence spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said security at the farewell ceremony was mainly a matter for the police but the defence force supported the right of people to protest.
"It's an important part of our democracy, but this is a dangerous thing to do and we really think we'd discourage it from that point of view," he said.
Greenpeace activist James Courtney said the protest was aimed at sending a message to Australian troops that they should return from what he described as "an illegal and immoral war."
He said the protesters were all highly trained and capable people who took part in the action to try to stop the ship going off to the Gulf.
