Greenpeace at the Nazca Lines
With a history of using contentious methods, Greenpeace has been trying to change the world since 1971 by opposing nuclear bomb tests, deforestation, overfishing, and other issues. Although they aim to protect the environment, their members have a history of being overly enthusiastic and have come under fire for being careless, among other things. And when they chose to execute a publicity stunt by traveling to the well-known Peruvian Nazca lines during a symposium on climate change, they wound up harming the 1,500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The hummingbird-shaped lines, which were created by removing stones and leaving behind dirt of a distinct color, were kept for centuries by the arid environment. Access to the area is strictly controlled, and you require special shoes to even approach them without disturbing the ground. Not Greenpeace, though. Instead, they erected "Time for Change" banners inside the lines.
Greenpeace said they had followed all rules to protect the site until drone footage was released, revealing they had done nothing to protect it. The Peruvian authorities worried the cables were irrevocably damaged. When they were exposed, they apologized. After searching for the perpetrators for a number of years, at least one activist received a probationary sentence and a $200,000 fine.
