Zambales, Philippines — One of our activists participating in a peaceful protest against a coal power plant outside Manila has been horrendously beaten by local plant security, who drew weapons and fired warning shots at people armed with nothing but a banner. Four other Greenpeace activists are also in hospital after having stones thrown at them.
German volunteer Jens Loewe, 36, has been taken to a hospital after being beaten with a metal pipe. Filipinos Janine Mercado, Tomás Leonor, Pam Palma, and New Zealander Debra Gay Pristor have also been taken to hospital after they were pelted with stones.

Unfortunately this is not the first violent reaction to a peaceful Greenpeace protest in the Philippines. In 2002 during a protest against the biggest coal-fired power station in the Philippines a security guard fired a warning shot over the heads of the activists.

"Greenpeace condemns this violent attack to a peaceful protest," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Energy Campaigner Red Constantino. "It is disproportionate to the nature of the protest which is a peaceful, non violent protest.

"We're outraged that the Filipino plant personnel prefers to protect the interests of a power plant that brings more harm than good to people. Coal is the culprit here, not peaceful protest."

Greenpeace activists were at the plant to draw attention to Australian and Japanese backing of the expansion of climate changing coal dependency in Asia. "The Masinloc power plant displays the very worst excesses of the Philippine and Asian coal industry," said Constantino at the plant site.

Burning coal is one of the primary causes of global warming. Australia and Japan are underwriting global warming at a time when the Philippines and Asia are facing the likelihood of devastating social and economic instability from climate change precisely when the country and the rest of Asia are least able to deal with its impacts.