Greenpeace head Kumi Naidoo risks arrest in Arctic oil rig protest

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The executive director of Greenpeace International faces prison in Greenland for breaking an injunction and boarding a giant rig exploring for oil in Arctic waters.

In dramatic scenes 120km off the west coast of Greenland, a Greenpeace inflatable speedboat evaded a Danish navy warship, allowing Kumi Naidoo and two activists to clamber aboard one of the massive legs of the Leiv Eiriksson, a 52,000-tonne rig. According to Greenpeace, the crew of the rig tried to prevent them from boarding with water cannons.

The three activists are said to be 30m above sea level on a small platform. The Danish navy has launched a helicopter which arrived at the rig within the last few minutes.

In addition to the likelihood of prison, Greenpeace faces a fine of $50,000 a day after Scottish oil company Cairn Energy obtained an injunction which forbade the organisation from going within 500m of the rig. Cairn sought the injunction in Holland after 20 Greenpeace activists were arrested on the rig in the last month for stopping the rig from operating.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/17/kumi-naidoo-greenpeace-arctic-oil-rig

[swilton]

1. Greenpeace

Walks the talk!

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

2. $50,000/day...That ought to get their attention.