Thirteen Greenpeace activists hung from St. Johns bridge to block a key vessel in Shell’s Arctic drilling feet from leaving Portland’s port.
You Shell Not Pass! Amazing photos of activists blocking Shell’s Arctic icebreaker in Portland. #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/T7Yhf8VlZn
— Jamie Henn (@Agent350) July 29, 2015
The Guardian reports:
The oil company’s 380-foot Fennica icebreaker arrived in a dry dock in the city for repairs on Saturday, following damage to its hull in the Aleutian Islands earlier this month.
Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace US, said, “Every second we stop Shell counts. The brave climbers here in Portland are now what stand between Shell and Arctic oil. This is president Obama’s last chance to wake up and realize the disaster that could happen on his watch.”
The activists have enough supplies (and diapers) to last days and they have another 13 people assisting them.
“We are aware of the demonstration and are monitoring it in the area. The St Johns Bridge remains open to all vehicle traffic. Arrests may be possible as the day goes on. Our top priority is public safety, including that of the demonstrators and other people using the river,” Sergeant Peter Simpson, a Portland police spokesman, told the Guardian.
This action is similar to the one that took place in Seattle last month.
FOX 46 uploaded a video of the protesters hanging from the bridge:
