Greenpeace activists face trial in Valencia over Sagunto port blockade

Eleven Greenpeace activists are facing trial in Valencia, Spain, following a 2021 protest at the Port of Sagunto. The activists, representing eight different nationalities, are accused of aggravated public disorder for blocking a vessel carrying 138,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas extracted via fracking in the United States.

The prosecution is seeking five years of prison for each of the 11 defendants. Greenpeace has condemned these requested sentences as some of the harshest ever sought against peaceful climate activists in Europe, describing the legal action as an attempt to intimidate social mobilization and suppress the right to protest.

To draw attention to the proceedings, Greenpeace organized a large-scale demonstration in Valencia, deploying a 530-square-meter eye installation on the roof of the Hemisfèric building alongside large banners reading ‘The world is watching’ and ‘Activism is not a crime’. The organization noted that it has already paid over 160,000 euros in administrative fines related to the incident.