Nice got the ball rolling. But the movement is not limited to maritime cities. The proof is that in Essonne, at least two municipalities are showing their support for Paul Watson, arrested in July and whom the Greenlandic justice system decided to keep in detention this Wednesday, October 23. For several days, the portrait of the 73-year-old captain, founder of the NGO Sea Shepherd, has been hanging in large format on the front of the town halls of Pussay and Coudray-Montceaux.
The councilors of these two municipalities responded to the call launched by Hugo Clément, journalist and co-creator of the online media Vakita. Other communities in Île-de-France are also involved, such as Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis) which will make Paul Watson an honorary citizen during its municipal council meeting at the end of November.
“Saving whales is not a crime”
“Paul Watson is still languishing in prison in Greenland for having protected whales,” wrote Hugo Clément on his social networks on October 8. Denmark is banking on weariness to extradite him to Japanwhere he died in prison. Can you, like Nice, display a portrait of Paul on the facade of your town halls? Keeping the light on Paul is the only way to protect him. »
Paul Watson, environmental activist, is under an international arrest warrant issued by Japan for his activities against Japanese whalers for acts dating back 14 years. A few days ago, he wrote to Emmanuel Macron to request political asylum from France.
“Support for his release is obvious,” exclaims Grégory Courtas, environmentalist mayor of Pussay, in South Essonne. The disappearance of whales is on the same level as the disappearance of bees, it is the end of humanity. Saving whales like Paul Watson did his whole life is not a crime. On the contrary, it is the preservation of man, and ultimately of our blue planet. »
His colleague Aurélie Gros, mayor (La France really) of Coudray-Montceaux, shares his position. “Our fellow citizens are shocked by Denmark’s attitude. How saving whales can lead to prison,” asks the elected official who invites people to sign a petition put online by the French Sea Shepherd movement.
“Paul Watson would have made it possible to protect more than 5,000 whales from Japanese explosive harpoons,” she continues. As local elected officials, we must mobilize so that the right is reaffirmed and that Paul Watson is released. We must relay this commitment to future generations. »