If you want to stop a giant oil company from drilling in the Arctic, you have a few options. A large group of Portland residents are currently forming a blockade to prevent one of those oil company’s ships from getting to the Arctic. And they’re doing it with kayaks.
The Greenpeace-organised protest, which is known as #ShellNo, is trying to stop Shell’s MSV Fennica from making its way down the Willamette River to the Pacific, where it is scheduled to make the journey to the Arctic. The protest began with people rappelling off the St. John’s Bridge yesterday, and today, dozens of kayaks and canoes (kayaktivists!) are in the water below the bridge hoping to “turn Shell around.”
LIVE UPDATES: Police, fire crews, coast guard on scene at #ShellNo protest in Portland http://t.co/kS8nTgb5ox
— KGW News (@KGWNews) July 30, 2015
“Just hangin’ around to save the earth” and other tweets from #ShellNo protest. http://t.co/4vwsA5NpNA pic.twitter.com/UomWnitT73
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) July 29, 2015
“The kayaks are multiplying!” says TV announcer. This is the best television I’ve seen in weeks. #PDXvsShell #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/VmzwRCxdUm
— Collin Rees (@collinrees) July 30, 2015
Update: Support activists on bridge have been removed, climbers remain in place. #ShellNo #Greenpeace #PDXvsShell pic.twitter.com/mv0xmiOiNt
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) July 30, 2015
The Coast Guard is towing away boats and at least two people have been arrested, but it appears that the Shell vessel has returned to its dock and delayed its departure schedule, at least for now. It’s also 100 degrees in Portland right now, so at the very least this is making for a lovely summer evening on the river.