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The Moores got some gumption and edged closer; soon they were standing beside the ship’s gangway, where people were lined up, waiting their turn to tour the large boat. Mr. Moore carried a yellow banner under one arm. His brother helped unfurl it. The message was bleak. “Greenpeace’s Crime Against Humanity: 8 Million Children Dead.”

Heads turned. People began to point. Some of the Greenpeace volunteers laughed.

Michael Moore started a chant: “Greenpeace be nice, allow Golden Rice.” The rest of the Moores joined in. “Eight million children dead,” yelled Patrick.

Yossi Cadan, Greenpeace Canada’s campaigns director, stood on the ship’s deck and watched. A wry smile crossed his face. It’s not every day that Greenpeace is protested. The Moores were now handing out brochures, making things a little uptight.

Mr. Cadan stepped through a hatch and into the ship’s campaign room. He sat down at a table, and explained why Greenpeace takes the position it does against Golden Rice, why it will oppose to the end its commercial production. “Proponents say it will address Vitamin A deficiency, but that isn’t the main problem,” he said. ‘‘The main problem is malnutrition, and that is a result of poverty.” People need a range of healthy, fresh food, such as green leaf vegetables, not vitamin-enhanced rice, he said.

“There are other solutions,” he said, such as handing out pills to millions of vitamin-deprived people. Easier said than done. Mr. Cadan also repeated a familiar — but unproven — refrain, that genetically modified products are inherently unsafe. “We think it’s just insane,” said Mr. Cadan.

Talk turned to Mr. Moore, and his Greenpeace roots. “I know of him, of course,” said Mr. Cadan. “I don’t know him, personally. I’m not sure I’m interested in meeting him.”

He returned to his watch post, on the ship’s deck. The Moores were now in full disruption mode, handing out more brochures, holding up their banner, engaging with folk. “It’s a free country,” Mr. Cadan said with a shrug. “They can do what they like.”

National Post

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