By Phuong Le
The Associated Press
UPDATE — Foes of Royal Dutch Shell’s use of a Seattle terminal to prepare for exploratory oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean have attacked on two fronts as a few hundred protesters blocked port entrances and the City of Seattle declared that Shell and its maritime host lacked a proper permit.
The city issued a violation notice late Monday afternoon, saying use of Terminal 5 by a massive floating drill rig was in violation of its permitted use as a cargo terminal. Shell’s host, Foss Maritime, can appeal that notice.
Possible fines start at $150 per day.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith says his company believes “that the terms agreed upon by Shell, Foss and the Port of Seattle for use of Terminal 5 are valid,” and Shell plans to continue loading its oil rigs.
Foss Maritime spokesman Paul Queary says Terminal 5 “is permitted to tie up ships while they being loaded” and that’s what’s happening.
OUR EARLIER STORY:
SEATTLE — A few hundred critics of oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean blocked entrances for several hours Monday to a seaport terminal where Royal Dutch Shell’s massive floating drill rig will be loaded up before heading to the waters off Alaska this summer.
Protesters holding banners and flags marched across a bridge to Terminal 5, temporarily closing the road during Monday morning’s commute.
Once at the terminal, they spread out across the entrances and rallied, danced and spoke for several hours before leaving the site in the early afternoon.
Peaceful demonstration
Organizers had prepared to engage in civil disobedience to stop work on the Polar Pioneer drill rig, but Seattle police said Monday afternoon that no one had been arrested and the demonstration remained peaceful.
A few dozen officers followed the march on foot and bicycle and kept watch at the terminal.
The mass demonstration was the latest protest of the 400-foot Polar Pioneer’s arrival in Seattle.
Protesters greeted the rig Thursday, and then hundreds of activists in kayaks and other vessels turned out Saturday for a protest dubbed the “Paddle in Seattle.”
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said in an email that the “activities of the day were anticipated and did not stop crews from accomplishing meaningful work in preparation for exploration offshore Alaska this summer.”
There were minimal operations at Terminal 5 “so there’s not much to block,” Port of Seattle spokesman Peter McGraw said.
Closed gates
The operator of Terminal 18, a major hub of port activity where the march began, closed those gates in anticipation of the demonstration, he said.
Officials have been urging people to exercise their First Amendment rights safely, and “that’s what we’ve been seeing so far,” McGraw said.
The activists said they are concerned about the risk of an oil spill in the remote Arctic waters and the effects that tapping new frontiers of oil and gas reserves will have on global warming.
Officials in Alaska have touted the economic benefits that drilling could bring there and to the Pacific Northwest.
All ages
On Monday, protesters of all ages sang, rapped and danced at the vehicle gate of Terminal 5.
They chanted and held signs saying “Climate Justice For All” and “You Shell Not Pass.”
Lisa Marcus, 58, a musician who participated in Saturday’s protest, turned up with her “Love the planet” sign for another day of activism Monday.
“We’ve got to wake up” to the dangers of human-caused climate change, she said, ticking off a list of environmental problems that the world is facing.
“Shell is trying to make it worse, and that’s not acceptable.”
