New York City: Saving Dolphins

By Taffy Williams, CSI Board

Swim To Save Dolphins

Labor Day in New York brought out local area swimmers in a show of support to stop the Japanese Drive Fisheries and the ongoing slaughter of thousands of dolphins and to call attention to the serious conditions facing dolphins and whales around the world.

It was the second annual Great Hudson River Swim To Save Dolphins. Five swimmers were supported by 15 kayakers from the Yonkers Paddle and Rowing Club, a City of Yonkers Marine Patrol vessel, one City of Yonkers Emergency Services Vessel, one US Coast Guard vessel, a civilian vessel that acted as our "ferry," and two helicopters from the Yonkers Emergency Services and the US Coast Guard.

Yonkers Paddle and Rowing Club escorting the swimmers

Civilian vessel takes the swimmers across for the return swim

The public was joined by friends, families and even our local NYS Assemblyman and his family. Journal News reporter Will David covered the event in the next day's paper: "Swimmers brave the Hudson to save dolphins," which can be found at http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070904/NEWS02/709040337/1246/NEWS0224. Martin McGloin filmed the swim for Yonkers TV with a view from the civilian vessel. You can watch it at http://yonkerstv.blogspot.com/2007/09/yonkerstv-exclusive-swim-across-hudson.html. This year's challenge to the swimmers was the roughness of the water, continual wakes and a persistent current that couldn't be seen from above the water.

Patty Sullivan after the swim, with husband Paul DiGangi

Taffy, Paul and Patty talk to Journal News reporter Will David

NY4Whales is grateful for the many supporters and friends who came to cheer us on, and to add their voice to the outcry against these brutal dolphin slaughters. Sadly, instead of responding to the international condemnation for these brutal dolphin killings Japanese officials have expanded the hunt, allowing the drive fisheries to begin earlier in the year, from the first week of September, which coincided with the swim event on September 3, 2007. They even increased the take numbers to allow for more killings, as if to flaunt their disregard for our efforts. Despite the "slap in the face," the world continues to expose the outrages and gain numbers opposing their deeds.

Japan Dolphin Day

September was a busy month for CSI's New York project. Fresh out of the water from our Second Annual Great Hudson River Swim To Save Dolphins, ny4whales organized the New York City "leg" of the international Japan Dolphin Day at the Japanese Consulate just a few blocks from the UN headquarters. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, our event was postponed because that was the morning G. W. Bush would be in NYC to address the UN delegation and heavy protests were expected. It was "UN Week" when dignitaries from around the world gathered to discuss and address global concerns. The streets were predictably blockaded, and much of midtown Manhattan was virtually "shut down," with security especially high, even more so when Bush is in town. Accordingly, the event was put off until Friday, September 28, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Despite the postponement, the event brought cetacean advocates and protesters to 49th and Park, the UBS Building which houses the headquarters of the Japanese Consulate on the 18th floor.

We anticipated an uneventful demonstration, holding signs, passing out flyers and talking to the usually widely-supportive passers-by about the plight of dolphins in the Western Pacific. The US Secret Service greeted us when we arrived, guided us to our usual location. Soon, however, building security, both American and Japanese, were on the scene telling us we were not allowed to lean our numerous 4-foot signs on the UBS building wall. We were told it was private property, and we were also not permitted to stand behind the concrete line with our signs, where we usually stand. Fine. We inched forward, holding our signs in the middle of the sidewalk, outside of the building's concrete line. Then the building security personnel and the NYPD came over and told us we were blocking sidewalk traffic. I argued that people were passing us both behind and in front of us, and we were in no way being an obstacle. We asked, since our peaceful gathering had not been a problem in the past, why was it now? Despite our protests and reminders of our right to assemble and exercise our constitutional freedom of speech, we were given a NYPD escort to a designated location across the street.

For our past events, UBS building security has been tolerant and even seemed supportive of our events, but this was still UN Week, and our designated location, adjacent to the Waldorf Astoria, had been the scene of several protests against dignitaries from various NGO's and nations during the past few days. The location we were taken to had been set up across the street for the many protesters who had gathered throughout the week, for other issues targeting other officials. After a short time in our barricaded location, we decided to return to our favored corner to challenge the right of UBS buildling security and the NYPD to relocate us. We were told flatly that the corner was off limits. It was a losing battle, and we were again told we would have to move. We knew if we didn't move we could be arrested, even without cause or justification: Activists know that NYPD tactics are to arrest protesters just to get them off the site. It is also understood that protesters will win arguments and be released, and that courts will uphold the right to freedom of speech and assembly. In the meantime, the NYPD will have done their job in clearing the location of protesters during their event. Rarely will protesters bring action against the police for arresting them; they just want to get out of jail. We felt we couldn't win so we retreated back across the street behind the barricades, accompanying by a smiling police officer.

In all the years we have stood at the UBS building, this is the first time we had any "trouble" or were told to move from our location. This disheartening episode gives us cause to get a permit for a sound device for every event at this location, to affirm our position on the street.

About an hour into our event another group of people, 3 activists from Greece who were protesting the Turkish government and various murders, were escorted to our location, just as we had been, by the NYPD. When we learned what each other's causes were, they joined us, and we joined them, and together we were 8. One of our whale people brought out a small, rather discrete sound device and made a little noise, too! Security in the building behind our police barricade gave us the thumbs up, and one employee came over and did a video of us to put on YouTube (which hasn't been posted yet). "I don't usually get involved in protests," he said, "but this is really wrong - what they're doing to the dolphins!" Check http://www.ny4whales.org/ for the link to the video, which will be up soon.

People took our literature; about 200 flyers were distributed over 2 hours, and soon we saw why the Secret Service was on our corner. Bill and Hillary Clinton arrived at the Waldorf Astoria, for some event that included the target of our friends' protests, the prime minister of Turkey.

After 6:00 PM our crew disbanded, just in time to beat the rain that soaked the city and cleaned the air. Maybe we didn't have television or radio coverage for the dolphins in New York, but we were enough of a "fly on the nose" of the Japanese Consulate officials that they had us removed from our corner and taken by police away from the building. And we know the Consulates must report all the annoying little protests to Tokyo, all of which makes us proud, and maybe even a step closer to shutting down the dolphin slaughterhouse drive fisheries.