Portland – 28 July 2015 – The scheduled “Arctic oil exploration” that was to be done by the launch of Royal Dutch Shell ship met with utmost protest. On Tuesday evening, at Portland, the protesters assembled at a riverside park and began protesting, whereby they even intended to lower “kayaks in the water”, as a symbol of protest against the expedition.
The leaders of the protesters even went to extreme to announce an overnight vigil at Seattle. The protesters mob followed the lead and tried to create blockage on the way to “Shell’s planned oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea”. The “kayaktivists” of Portland will be keeping an overnight watch “on the Willamette River” as the river flows through the Portland downtown. The “Portland Rising Tide”, an environmental activist group is also supporting the protest. In fact Portland Rising Tide’s organiser Meredith Cocks informs:
The leaders of the protesters even went to extreme to announce an overnight vigil at Seattle. The protesters mob followed the lead and tried to create blockage on the way to “Shell’s planned oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea”. The “kayaktivists” of Portland will be keeping an overnight watch “on the Willamette River” as the river flows through the Portland downtown. The “Portland Rising Tide”, an environmental activist group is also supporting the protest. In fact Portland Rising Tide’s organiser Meredith Cocks informs:
"Our goal is to basically demonstrate as much community resistance to Shell’s plans to drill for oil and secure new oil reserves in the Arctic”.
However, the sheriff officer from the “Multnomah County”, Lieutenant Steve Alaxander, reported that the group of protesters who gathered in the Cathedral riverside park on Tuesday was small in number. He also went further to say that by the evening the protesters had calmed down. Furthermore, the river will be guarded by the U.S. coast guards and the staff of the “sheriff’s department” who will ensure the safety of the boaters by overseeing that they are properly equipped.
It has been informed that there are plans of the activists to create blockage on the Shell’s way with the help of “Fennica, an icebreaker ship”, which will obstruct the exit point. The protesters are against the drilling project of the Arctic as it will lead to the end of “pristine wilderness” putting the nature at risk whereby accelerating the process of “global warming” like feeding petrol into the burning flame “through continued reliance on burning fossil fuels”. The 350PDX, an environmental group, involved in the protesting movement declares that this fight is for the humanity. The coordinator of 350PDX, Maya Jarrad says:
"We're here fighting for humanity against the most wealthy and powerful industry in human history, but we're not afraid, because everything we love and value in life is on the line”.
The activists used kayaks and other small boats in hundreds to showcase their protest “on a Seattle bay” in order to show opposition towards the Arctic oil exploration to be resumed by Shell. In fact, in the port of Portland itself the project has been drilling two of its rigs. The spokesman of Shell, Ray Fisher stated:
"Shell acknowledges the right of any individual or organization to express their point of view; however we won’t condone illegal or unsafe tactics that put people’s safety at risk”.
