Greenpeace says Spanish navy injured 1 of its activists during protest off Canary Islands
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Greenpeace says Spain's navy has rammed into its dinghies during a protest in the Atlantic Ocean against oil exploration near the Canary Islands, seriously injuring one of the environmental organization's activists.
The navy, which took the injured protester to a hospital by helicopter, said she was hurt Saturday by propellers from a Greenpeace dinghy.
Joel Stewart, captain of Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, told The Associated Press that the 23-year-old Italian activist was hurt when a navy boat slammed into her inflatable dinghy during the peaceful protest.
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On Oct. 24, the Spanish government asked the Constitutional Court to block proposals by the Canary Islands regional government to hold a referendum on oil exploration in waters off the popular tourist archipelago.
The government has licensed Repsol S.A. to begin oil exploration there.