COPENHAGEN (AFP) — Three Greenpeace activists were briefly arrested Tuesday as they attempted to board a Panama-flagged cargo ship carrying South African coal to Denmark, Danish police said.
The three, who could face charges of obstructing public transport, were released after being questioned by police, the duty officer on the central Danish island of Fyn told AFP.
The Greenpeace Nordic branch announced earlier Tuesday that a number of activists were trying to board the 300-metre (985-foot) Hanjin Imbari just south of the Great Belt bridge connecting two of the country's main islands.
"The action is part of an international campaign against the burning of coal in energy production," the group said in a statement.
Greenpeace activists in boats carrying banners stating "Quit Coal" had unsuccessfully tried to climb onto the ship, which was hauling a load of coal from Richards Bay, South Africa to the Enstedvaerket coal plant in Aabenraa in southwestern Denmark, the group said in a statement.
Crew members had held them at bay with water hoses, said Tarjei Haaland, Greenpeace Nordic's climate and energy campaigner.
"It is truly outrageous that a small country like Denmark imports and burns 8.3 tonnes of coal on average every year, causing annual CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission of 19 million tonnes," he said in the statement.
That is the same amount of CO2 emitted from Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique combined, he said, pointing out that the four African countries together had 111 million inhabitants, while the Scandinavian country had a population of just 5.5 million.
"Denmark is using coal to produce 50 percent of all electricity in the country," Haaland said, insisting that "it is about time to lead Denmark away from the coal age and the only thing missing to do that is political action, not just empty words."
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