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| Judge fines Greenpeace as Portland bridge protesters force Shell ship delay | Judge fines Greenpeace as Portland bridge protesters force Shell ship delay |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A federal judge in Alaska has ordered Greenpeace USA to pay a fine of $2,500 for every hour that protesters continue to block a Royal Dutch Shell icebreaker from leaving Portland, Oregon, for the Arctic. | A federal judge in Alaska has ordered Greenpeace USA to pay a fine of $2,500 for every hour that protesters continue to block a Royal Dutch Shell icebreaker from leaving Portland, Oregon, for the Arctic. |
| US district court judge Sharon Gleason ruled Thursday in Anchorage that Greenpeace is in civil contempt because of protesters dangling off a bridge in Portland, whom she said impeded the Shell vessel. | US district court judge Sharon Gleason ruled Thursday in Anchorage that Greenpeace is in civil contempt because of protesters dangling off a bridge in Portland, whom she said impeded the Shell vessel. |
| Related: Activists continue high-wire Shell protest at Portland bridge – in pictures | Related: Activists continue high-wire Shell protest at Portland bridge – in pictures |
| “Shell is still trying to circumvent the growing global call to preserve the Arctic, and has turned to the courts for help,” Leonard said. “While we respect the courts, we also respect the increasingly urgent science that tells us Arctic oil needs to stay underground.” | “Shell is still trying to circumvent the growing global call to preserve the Arctic, and has turned to the courts for help,” Leonard said. “While we respect the courts, we also respect the increasingly urgent science that tells us Arctic oil needs to stay underground.” |
| There was no immediate sign, however, that the protesters were about to move from their perch after the ruling. | There was no immediate sign, however, that the protesters were about to move from their perch after the ruling. |
| “We are confronted with a huge decision, one we cannot make alone,” Greenpeace USA executive director Annie Leonard said. “Right now we’re asking the activists what they think we should do next. As of this moment, the 26 activists will stay in place.” | “We are confronted with a huge decision, one we cannot make alone,” Greenpeace USA executive director Annie Leonard said. “Right now we’re asking the activists what they think we should do next. As of this moment, the 26 activists will stay in place.” |
| The activists have been hanging from the bridge since Wednesday at approximately 3am PT, delaying the departure of the oil company’s 380ft Fennica icebreaker. The vessel was originally scheduled to leave on Wednesday at 4.45am, according to the Columbia River Pilots website. The Columbia River Bar Pilots website later listed the launch time as midday Wednesday. | |
| The ship set out early Thursday morning local time with police escorts. But it stopped short of the bridge and remained idle. The US coastguard told protesters to leave but they continued to block the vessel’s path. The ship turned around at approximately 8am and returned to dock. | |
| Backincamp - the Fennica is no longer in sight. That was one hell of wake up call and very exciting morning. #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/kEQS0K7X2D | Backincamp - the Fennica is no longer in sight. That was one hell of wake up call and very exciting morning. #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/kEQS0K7X2D |
| The activists have supplies for “a couple of days”, said Cassady Sharp of Greenpeace USA. Other protesters, nicknamed “kayaktivists”, have also joined Greenpeace by taking to the water below in kayaks. | |
| “With these people hanging here it was too dangerous for the authorities to move through,” Maya Jarrad, a spokeswoman for 350PDX and Portland Rising Tide, told Oregon Live. “The kayakers are also impeding the ship’s progress.” | “With these people hanging here it was too dangerous for the authorities to move through,” Maya Jarrad, a spokeswoman for 350PDX and Portland Rising Tide, told Oregon Live. “The kayakers are also impeding the ship’s progress.” |
| Gleason in May granted Shell’s request that activists protesting Shell’s Arctic drilling plans be ordered to stay away from Shell vessels and beyond buffer zones. | Gleason in May granted Shell’s request that activists protesting Shell’s Arctic drilling plans be ordered to stay away from Shell vessels and beyond buffer zones. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |