Court slams activists for using 'pirate' tactics
Wednesday 27 February 2013
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EmailThe US Court of Appeals castigated the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its founder Paul Watson on Monday for the tactics used in their campaign to disrupt the annual Antarctic whale hunt.
"You don't need a peg leg or an eyepatch," judge Alex Kozinski wrote.
"When you ram ships, hurl glass containers of acid, drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders, launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are a pirate, no matter how high-minded you believe your purpose."
The ruling overturned a previous decision siding with the protesters and rejecting a suit by a group of Japanese whalers seeking to halt to the aggressive tactics.
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