Damp start to phosphate ship protest

 

Environmental Justice Otepoti members Olivia Goldsmith (left) and Dante Dawes battle to get their protest against phosphate carrier Federal Crimson under way as the vessel nears Ravensbourne wharf yesterday.

Another protester, Rachael Laurie, had two clashing appointments yesterday and was not going to miss either of them.

Ms Laurie wanted to be at the protest but she also needed to be at Dunedin Town Hall to graduate with a bachelor of arts honours degree in sociology.

The degree trumped the protest, but about 30 of Ms Laurie’s fellow group members started a noisy ‘‘unwelcome’’ for the vessel until she was able to join them.

The protesters said the vessel carried phosphate sourced from mines in Western Sahara, a disputed territory occupied by Morocco in 1975.