Japanese Police Seize Sea Shepherd Cameras and Film
During the evening of Wednesday, November 19th, (Tuesday, Nov 18 in the USA), Japanese police raided the trailer park where the Sea Shepherd crew are headquartered in Taiji, Japan.
The Shingu police ordered Nik Hensey and Thomas Heineman to leave the trailer. The police then entered and boxed up all the property in the trailer including cameras, film, clothing and a laptop computer. Neither of the men was charged with a crime.
The police have continued to hold Allison Lance-Watson of the USA and Alex Cornelisson of the Netherlands in the jail at Shingu. They have not been allowed to have contact with or to communicate with any persons outside of the jail.
On Tuesday, November 18 (Japanese time) Allison and Alex were arrested after diving into a netted enclosure and releasing 15 dolphins that were about to be slaughtered by Japanese fishermen. The two Sea Shepherd crew untied the nets allowing them to sink, enabling the dolphins to escape.
The Japanese authorities have reacted by making it illegal to photograph or film the slaughter of dolphins and small whales.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is organizing an international day of protest against the Taiji slaughter for December 10th at Japanese Consulates around the world.
Meanwhile, the Society is continuing our attempts to contact Allison and Alex at the Shingu police station.
In defense of the horrifically cruel slaughter of the defenseless dolphins at Taiji, the Japanese are exercising a police state approach to any person who attempts to document the atrocities.
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