Greenpeace's brave warriors have done it again! It's happening now!! Check out the story below, especially the bit where communication revealed that the workers did not have an emergency number to call and they didn't know who to contact about our valiant friends boarding the platform!! Shell will never convince me their activity in the Arctic are safe! Well done Greenpeace!! Booo!! to Shell
As I write our intrepid climbers Jens, Sini, Basil, Terry, Lars and Kumi (from Germany, Finland, USA, Canada, Germany and South Africa respectively) are currently safe and well, securely anchored in place to the superstructure of Gazprom’s monster Arctic drilling platform the Prirazlomnaya in the Pechora Sea. The climbers are in great spirits, have supplies to last for an extended stay and are in a good position for future re-supplies.
See http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/live-arctic-oil-drilling-platform-occupied-activists-20120824 It’s been an incredible morning. At about 04:00 local time our team left the Sunrise and headed to the platform. There were no coast guard or military vessels present but getting on to such an imposing structure as the Prirazlomnaya was never going to be easy, and workers began firing water cannons at the climbers. They are safe now but as Dima, our campaigner extraordinaire on board said, Kumi “was dunked in water like bait on the end of the string. He is soaking wet and freezing but in good spirits!” The teams have portaledges up in some very hard-to-reach parts of the platform and are making themselves as comfortable as they can. While monitoring radio traffic from the platform we overheard the problems the crew were having contacting either the coast guard or Gazprom head office. They didn’t seem to have any contact details, which doesn’t suggest they would be able to rapidly respond to and Arctic oil spill. The Prirazlomnaya’s chief officer accused us of piracy and we were told that we were "interfering with their ability to work." Given the extraordinary risk Gazprom poses to the Arctic this is no bad thing, and our climbers intend to stay there for the long haul. The first images of the climb team on the Prirazlomnaya have just arrived and have been sent out to the wires. Check them out here (there is also a great selection of photos from life on-board the Sunrise as well) – http://photo.greenpeace.org/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox&STID=27MZIFVT3T3T&CT=Story You can also see some fabulous shots of the climbers preparing to go into action here – http://photo.greenpeace.org/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox&STID=27MZIFV2DRI8&CT=Story
Media interest is starting to pick up too: 1) We have a Reuters journalist on-board who has just filed this story – http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL6E8JO0VN20120824 2) It’s being covered domestically in Russia too – http://www.newsru.com/russia/24aug2012/greenpeace.html 3) ABC News – http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/greenpeace-activists-storm-russian-oil-rig-17070433 4) Washington Post – http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greenpeace-activists-storm-oil-rig-in-russias-pechora-sea-in-protest-of-arctic-drilling/2012/08/24/27b39530-edb6-11e1-866f-60a00f604425_story.html 5) BBC World – http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ultimas_noticias/2012/08/120824_ultnot_rusia_greenpeace_plataforma_petrolera_artico_jp.shtml
What can you do to support the action? Please help us push this inspiring action and the incredible bravery of our six Arctic defenders as much as you can. Specifically:
1) We want to use this action to encourage as many new people as we can to sign up to the Arctic scroll! Please encourage people to go to www.savethearctic.org
2) Share this blog via facebook, twitter and email your webgroups to ask others to do similar; http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/live-arctic-oil-drilling-platform-occupied-activists-20120824
3) Comment on the blog, again ask others to do similar, and send your best wishes to the activists
4) Tweet and retweet all the tweets and pictures that are being generated from our live blog here http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/arctic-action-live-occupying-platform/blog/41855/. We want to get #StopGazprom trending in as many places as possible!
5) Push the new Gazprom Facebook page via your personal and local Facebook pages / groups – https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.220541381404741.50019.190271334431746&type=3 5)
Write your own blogs about your reflections of what’s happening and post them to Greenpeace/active. Then share those via Facebook, Twitter and email your webgroups to tell them there’s a new blog on your website to read.
Update by GP HQ
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