Report: Protestors Use Drastic Measures To Try To Stop Oil Drilling

According to reports from the Seattle Times, protestors in Portland are doing everything they can to delay Shell’s Arctic icebreaker from leaving their port.

The 380-foot vessel, named the MSV Fennica, arrived in Portland last Saturday for repairs. Shell received a permit last week to begin drilling but cannot start until the ship brings the needed safety equipment. 

Protestors began arriving at noon Tuesday, July 28 with enough supplies for several days. Groups are blocking the ships path by paddling out in the water on kayaks. 13 protestors even suspended themselves from St. Johns Bridge, hanging low enough to keep the ship from leaving.

In a news release, Greenpeace US director Annie Leonard said this was President Obama’s “last chance to wake up.” She said the government should cancel Shell’s drilling lease. “Rappelling from a bridge is a walk in the park compared to the risks that we’ll face if we continue the climate change trajectory we’re on now,” she said.

Shell is not planning on cancelling their plans to drill in the Arctic. “The Fennica will begin its return journey to Alaska once we’ve completed the final preparations,” said Shell spokesman Curtis Smith.

-Saher Khalil: OTG Team