Greenpeace activists blocked Finnish icebreaker in Portland

American environmental activists Greenpeace today prevented the exit of the Finnish icebreaker Fennica from the port of Portland, Oregon, which was heading to the shores of Alaska to participate in the program of the energy company Royal Dutch Shell in search of oil in the Chukchi Sea. This was reported by the TV channel KTAU.

“The icebreaker left dry dock in the morning, where urgent repairs were taking place,” he notes. “However, the ship was unable to pass under St. George’s Bridge, from which thirteen Greenpeace activists descended on long ropes almost to the water.”

A few more inflatable boats of the organization are now under the bridge and also block the movement of ships in this part of the Willamette River. So the protesters are protesting against the plans of Royal Dutch Shell - to begin in the coming days, drilling on the shelf of Alaska.

Greenpeace activists occupied the bridge of St. George on Wednesday. Some of them, with the help of climbing equipment, climbed down on the ropes and hovered above the water.

Judicial authorities have already responded to the blockage of navigation on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. In response to Royal Dutch Shell's lawsuit, Anchorage, Alaska, federal judge Sharon Gleason fined Greenpeace for obstructing the icebreaker Fennica. “For every hour of the blockade, Greenpeace must pay 2,5 thousand dollars,” she announced. The judge noted that Greenpeace, by blocking the passage of the icebreaker, “does not comply with previous decisions regarding the ban on obstructing ships chartered by Royal Dutch Shell.”

Two missions are assigned to the icebreaker as part of an oil exploration program in the Arctic. It must ensure the safe movement of two oil platforms in case of ice, and there are plugs on board to seal wells in case of oil leakage due to an accident or unforeseen developments.