Thousands of kayaktivists took to the water on Elliott Bay to protest against Shell's hideous oil drilling rig, The Polar Pioneer, on Saturday, May 16. People from sHellNo.org, Greenpeace, and other organizations as well as many media outlets from around the U.S. showed up to support and document the huge flotilla event.
Seattle Police, U.S. Coast Guard, and other security vessels were out and set a safety perimeter from the kayaktivists from getting too close to the drilling platform and all of the protesters were peaceful and respectful.
The safety zone around the rig was 500 yards and the protestors couldn't enter closer than that.
Zoe Buckley Lennox, a student/volunteer for Greenpeace spoke to the Herald: "My mission is to stop Arctic drilling of course and at the moment I'm here to help shine a light on the fact that Shell has already brought their rigs here and planning on heading up to the Arctic and drilling for oil in the next 60 days, knowing well that there may be a 75 percent chance there might be a massive oil spill if they do go up there and develop."
"The crew of the Greenpeace Esperanza and myself followed the rig across the Pacific Ocean keeping an eye on it and then eventually boarding the platform on the high seas and occupied it for six days to spread the message that Shell is planning on doing this. It was great and fun, I loved climbing it but it was a bit scary because the rig was so massive, but we were all well trained for the experience," Lennox said.
The event took place Saturday morning around 10 am near Seacrest Marina and lasted throughout the day. They had a barge out on the water for public speakers and performances by musicians and tribal people. There were also information booths at Jack Block Park.
*
MEANWHILE, here is background on the issue from sHellNo.org, one of the primary groups organizing the actions:
On January 8, we learned that Shell will be hosting their Arctic drilling rigs in Terminal 5 of the Port of Seattle. That same day the journal Nature published an article saying that Arctic oil MUST be left in the ground in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. Drilling for Arctic oil is an open attack on people in the global south, who are already losing communities to rising seas and extreme weather. It could also spell disaster for one of the most unique wilderness areas on the planet and all of its inhabitants.
Shell’s rigs will arrive as we mark the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. We need a massive peaceful resistance to confront Shell, and the systems of colonialism, racism, and capitalism that drive climate chaos.
From May 16 to May 18, join us in Seattle for three days of creative, people-powered resistance to Shell and the climate crisis. We will converge on the Seattle waterfront by land and sea, transforming Terminal 5 and Harbor Island into a festival of resistance that will nonviolently block Shell’s preparations for Arctic drilling.
While we confront Shell, we stand in solidarity with indigenous peoples and people of color who endure the brunt of extraction and climate chaos.
We will unite in creative action, including a mass water-based blockade, and an event focused on working to honor our connections with this beautiful and complex planet. These events will build to a day of Mass Direct Action on Monday, May 18, when we will use nonviolent action to SHUT DOWN SHELL and all operations related to their Arctic expedition.
Shell’s drilling rigs are a prime example of the root causes and injustice of the climate crisis. They will generate untold wealth for the few, while wrecking the climate for everyone, trampling on indigenous rights, and causing millions of deaths in the global south.
Fifteen years after the WTO protests, we will remind the world that corporations like Shell that abuse human, environmental, and labor rights are not welcome in Seattle. We are fighting for a world where we can all provide for our families without risking our health, planet, or future generations.
The fossil fuel economy of exploitation is over. A new world is within our reach. Rise up. Resist. Join us in Seattle!
3 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
- Log in to post comments
