Greenpeace activist injured in confrontation with Army over Canary Island oil drilling
Sunday, November 16, 2014 @ 6:45 PM
GREENPEACE has reported that one of its activists was injured early this morning when two Armed Forces vessels collided with theirs as they protested over plans to extract oil from the sea-bed off the coast of the Canary Islands.
The 23-year-old woman from Italy is said to be 'out of danger' after falling in the sea and colliding with one of the propellers, suffering two deep cuts and an open fracture to her leg.
According to the environmental charity, their boat, the Arctic Sunrise, was rammed twice by the Army's own craft after stationing in exactly the point off the islands where petrol giant REPSOL was due to start drilling for oil today (Sunday).
The Army shielded the REPSOL craft, the Rowan Renaissance, and prevented the protesters from blocking the way.
As a result of the impact, the young Italian woman fell in the water, but was rescued by the Army and Air Force and taken to hospital in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria by helicopter.
Another activist is said to have needed medical treatment for minor wounds as a result of the collision between the crafts.
Spain's ministry of defence claims that the Greenpeace activists intended to board and 'hijack' the Rowan Renaissance just before 07.00hrs, where it was about to start work off the east coasts of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com