Greenpeace executive director and former politician Russel Norman will stand trial for his part in a deep-sea oil protest.
He and volunteer Sara Howell jumped into the water in front of the oil exploration ship Amazon Warrior, off the Wairarapa coast, in April 2017.
They're charged with interfering in the operation of the ship.
While they were offered diversion, they've both pleaded "not guilty", and face fines of up to $300,000 and a year in jail.
"To paraphrase the late, great Tom Petty, we won't back down, we will stand our ground," says Norman. "The future of humanity is at stake in this climate battle against the oil industry and their government.
"By stopping this ship blasting our seafloor in search of new deep sea oil, we were stopping a far greater wrong - the destruction of our climate, and the risk to our marine life and coastal communities from a catastrophic oil spill."
The trial is set down for next April.
Newshub.
