Over 30 protesters gathered outside the Danish Embassy in Brussels on Wednesday to demand the release of prominent anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, whose arrest has sparked international outrage.
The 73-year-old Canadian-American was arrested in Greenland on 21 July on the basis of an Interpol arrest warrant issued by Japan in 2012.
Watson is accused of causing damage to a Japanese whaling ship and injuring a Japanese crew member with a stink bomb in 2010. Currently held in Nuuk prison, he faces possible extradition to Japan, where he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Watson, a legendary figure in the anti-whaling movement, is known for his confrontational tactics interfering with the activities of whaling ships at sea. He founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 1977, which gained attention through the reality TV-show Whale Wars, as well as the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF).
While Watson and his supporters insist he engages in "aggressive non-violence interference,” critics have sometimes labelled his activism as "eco-terrorism."
One of the protest organisers, Vincent Delhauteur, is waiting for Watson's signature to found the Belgian chapter of CPWF. He and is organisation were protesting what he called the "unjust detention of one of the biggest defenders of the environment."
Hatuey Suarez, a self-proclaimed "fan of Watson's ever since he was a boy", was encouraged to see the number of protesters had grown since last week. "Watson doesn't just stand around holding signs like they do at Greenpeace. He actually puts himself between the whale and the harpoon," he said.
"He is the only one left," remarked seasoned Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd activist Daniel Van Den Nyden, who attended the protest with his wife Véronique Naisse. Holding up 'Free Paul Watson' signs, they emphasised, "We are here because it's important for the planet."
As the protest continued, news broke that the Nuuk court had extended Watson's custody in Denmark until 2 October. CPWF has said it will challenge the ruling, citing a "lack of concrete evidence."
