Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior has arrived in the port of Bonaire. The ship will remain in port until Wednesday 1 October to draw attention to Climate Case Bonaire. Open days will be held on 27 and 28 September, during which everyone is welcome on board for a tour and information about the work of Greenpeace and the Climate Case. After visiting the ship, the eight plaintiffs in the Climate Case will depart to The Hague to attend the hearings and speak in court.
Marieke Vellekoop, director of Greenpeace Netherlands: “It is special that the Rainbow Warrior is on Bonaire right now. This iconic ship is a global symbol of courage, groundbreaking protest and solidarity. That is exactly what is needed in the Climate Case that we are bringing together with the residents of Bonaire against the Dutch State. We hope to welcome many people on board and discuss what is at stake for the island.”
On 7 and 8 October, the court in The Hague will hear the Bonaire Climate Case, brought by eight residents of Bonaire and Greenpeace Netherlands against the Dutch State. The plaintiffs are Angelo Vrolijk, Daniela Simal, Danique Martis, Helen Angela, Jackie Bernabela, Judmar Emerenciana, Kjelld Kroon and Onnie Emerenciana. They are demanding climate justice because the government is not taking concrete action to protect them from the consequences of the climate crisis. Bonaire is particularly vulnerable to climate change. People on Bonaire are already experiencing extreme heat, drought and flooding. The coral is in danger of disappearing and a fifth of the island is threatened by sea level rise towards the end of this century. The case demands that the government limits the dangers by reducing CO2 emissions more quickly. In addition, the government must work with the island’s inhabitants to make plans for the protection of Bonaire.
Onnie Emerenciana, plaintiff in the Bonaire Climate Case: “As a farmer on Bonaire, I see and feel the effects of the climate crisis every day. We can no longer harvest what we used to, and the extreme heat forces us indoors. Climate change is not a distant threat to us. It is here. It breathes down our necks, burns our skin and penetrates our homes. Our identity is intertwined with nature: the coral that protects our coast, the fish that feed our families, the trees that hold our soil, the wind that cools us. But that home – our nature – is being taken away from us bit by bit. We demand action to protect our home before it is too late.”
Open boat days
Everyone can visit Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September from 10 am to 4 pm at the Noordpier. Guided tours will be given by the crew of this iconic sailing ship, which is used for environmental and climate justice campaigns. Visitors can learn more about the climate case and leave a message for the plaintiffs. Admission is free.
Rainbow Warrior
The Rainbow Warrior is a well-known Greenpeace ship that has been active in campaigns against whaling, seal hunting, nuclear testing and nuclear waste, among other things. On 10 July 1985, the ship was bombed and sunk in Auckland by the French secret service in response to protests against French nuclear testing at Moruroa. Greenpeace’s current sailing ship is the Rainbow Warrior III, which has been in service since 2011.
Two years ago, the ship was on tour in Vanuatu: an island nation near Australia that, like the Caribbean, is on the frontline of the climate crisis. Plaintiffs in the Bonaire Climate Case Danique Martis and Greenpeace employee Churmer Bomba were also present. The ship collected evidence of climate change, which was presented to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. This also included testimonies from people from Bonaire. In July this year, the International Court of Justice made another groundbreaking ruling confirming that countries must do more to protect people from climate change.
