JULY 30, 2015
by
PORTLAND, OREGON
Portland police closed the St. Johns Bridge Thursday afternoon as 13 protesters hung from the bridge in an attempt to stop the Shell Oil icebreaker Fennica from its path to the Arctic.
After nearly two days of hanging from the bridge, the dangling protesters were lowered one by one into the Willamette River.
The protesters said they were cited with criminal trespassing and interfering with a peace officer.
The moment that three protesters were removed, the Fennica began heading towards the St. Johns Bridge. "Kayaktivists" in the Willamette tried to move in front of the boat's path but crews pushed them away and the ship passed under the bridge just before 6 p.m. It was expected to reach Astoria by 11:50 p.m.
"The Fennica is now safely on its way to Alaska and will join Shell's exploration fleet in the Chukchi Sea -- where the Transocean Polar Pioneer commenced initial drilling operations at approximately 5:00 tonight AKDT," Shell Oil said.
Coast Guard, Oregon State Police, Portland Fire & Rescue crews and other local and state agencies responded to the scene Thursday afternoon.
Members of Portland Fire's high-angle rescue team lowered down from the bridge and cut the ropes connecting the dangling protesters to each other.
Meanwhile, a separate protester from the local environmentalist group Portland Rising Tide locked his neck to the Oregon Slough Railroad Bridge using a bike lock. Crews cut the lock from his neck and took him off the bridge. He was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Crews asked the dangling protesters whether they would leave voluntarily before other action was taken. They denied the requests before lowering themselves voluntarily one at a time starting around 4:30 p.m.
Crews were forcibly moving the kayaktivists beneath the bridge by hooking their kayaks to jet skis and pulling them closer to shore.
"Our number one priority is safety," said Sgt. Pete Simpson of Portland police.
Multiple people were put in plastic handcuffs and escorted off the bridge Thursday afternoon. Those people were apparently other protesters who were standing on the bridge, acting as helpers for the danglers.
The bridge was closed in both directions to cars, bikes and pedestrians Thursday afternoon and evening. The Willamette River was also closed from Swan Island to Kelley Point during the protest. The bridge was reopened shortly after 8 p.m.
A small crowd of protesters not associated with Greenpeace was on the St. Johns end of the bridge and some were yelling at police.
Every hour the protesters hung from the bridge, Greenpeace was fined $2,500. That number would have risen each day the protesters blocked the ship's path. The final tally as the Fennica passed the bridge was $17,500.
A Greenpeace spokeswoman called the protest a success.
"We found that the blockade was successful," said Mary Nicol of Greenpeace. "Climate change does present a real threat to everyone globally."
She said the organization is prepared to accept the financial consequences of the protests. She hopes the protest will spur President Obama to reconsider allowing Shell Oil to drill in the Arctic.
Mayor Charlie Hales released the following statement about the protest:
"This was a hard day for me – and for a lot of people in Portland. I oppose drilling in the Arctic. But it was a great day for Portland in these ways:
First, we made sure everyone was safe. Everyone was committed to safety, including the protesters, our amazing first responders, the Coast Guard, and the activists. That was our first priority.
Our second priority was free speech. It was imperative that the protesters be heard. They were, on a national and even international scale. That's something we all believe in, here in Portland.
And third, we enforced the law.
Now it's time to move from protest to action: to changing the laws. After all, that's the point of the protest.
I want to thank everyone involved in this situation."
People on the scene were live-tweeting updates using the #ShellNo hashtag on Twitter.
Here's a recap of the coverage from Thursday morning:
The Fennica at the center of a protest at the St. Johns Bridge was out of dry dock Thursday morning and on the move toward the bridge.
But then shortly after it neared the bridge, it turned back and docked again.
Greenpeace members who started the second day of dangling below the bridge to stall the ship's departure started to lower themselves closer to the water as the ship came toward them.
Fennica is destined for the Arctic, where it will return to an oil-drilling operation.
Just after 8 a.m. the boat was retreating and they resumed their posts.
All traffic on the St. Johns Bridge was temporarily closed as a precaution.
Recap: Shell vessel retreats from St. Johns Bridge
KGW
Those on the 13 ropes were prepared to stay for several days. Others are on the span were there to oversee their safety.
"We're prepared to stay as long as it takes to send a message from Shell and stop the Fennica from leaving," said demonstrator Georgia Hirsty.
One the activists told KGW he brought along a copy of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to help him pass the time.
The activists also kept busy by hosting an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit.
"We don't intend to disrupt business of other things or get in the way of other people," Hirsty said.
Pedestrians were not allowed to cross the span Wednesday. Cyclists were allowed to cross the bridge to commute home beginning at 5:30 p.m., according to police.
A few protest supporters were allowed on the bridge due to "safety equipment concerns," Greg Stewart of Portland police said.
Shell Oil spokeswoman Megan Baldino said in a prepared statement, "We respect the rights of individuals and groups to express their opinion, all we ask is that they do so within the confines of the law and maintain safety as their first priority. Safety is paramount. "
Greenpeace USA executive director Annie Leonard said delaying the icebreaker would give President Obama more time to reconsider giving Shell the last permit it needs to drill.
Opponents of Arctic drilling worry the area's remoteness and rugged conditions will hamper cleanup efforts in the event of a spill, risking devastation to a fragile marine ecosystem.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) released a statement Thursday condemning the oil drilling mission in the Arctic.
"The Arctic region is full of scenic splendor and is habitat to many endangered and threatened species," he said. "Many people are concerned about the protesters that are hanging from the St. John's Bridge in Portland. No matter how you feel about the protests, we should all get behind their call to stop any drilling for oil in the Arctic, where federal studies estimate a 75 percent chance of at least one large oil spill during the lease."