Hundreds Protest Shell Drilling with Dramatic Flotilla of Kayaks and Boats
Hundreds of people kayaked and rowed through Puget Sound to express their displeasure with Shell's decision to resume drilling in the Arctic.
The protesters are motivated by fears over what would happen if there were an oil spill in the Arctic, where resources and people to clean up after such an accident are scarce. Additionally, in 2012, Shell lost control of an Arctic rig, the Kulluk, which crashed into an Alaskan island.
The US Coast Guard said that Shell took unnecessary risks and was ultimately to blame for the Kulluk's grounding. This history of reckless behavior in the Arctic is another reason that activists strongly oppose future drilling in the notoriously dangerous arctic waters.
Images of the Seattle protest against the Shell rig Polar Pioneer proliferated on social media.
Kayaks surround Shell's rigs. This is the fight for the future. #shellno pic.twitter.com/lkShuBhowd
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) May 16, 2015
#ShellNo! Scenes from yesterday's #Seattle flotilla action against arctic drilling https://t.co/wE5jfMQnJL pic.twitter.com/U20eF1yzUR — Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) May 17, 2015
THIS is what #PeoplePower looks like! Thousands said #ShellNo to Arctic drilling this Sat: https://t.co/ZfOKV9tr6Y pic.twitter.com/PomJDX7sIn — Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) May 17, 2015
The flotilla. It is massive. #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/GX7eD3peWk — Ansel (@Ansel) May 16, 2015
Among the many environmental groups were a number of Native American tribes and activists.
"The Duwamish people do not want that rig there!" - Blake Shelafoe #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/TFTNlrJJfn — Ansel (@Ansel) May 16, 2015
"This is our home. We are going to defend it in solidarity with the Duwamish." #ShellNo pic.twitter.com/OwuglgOaIL — Ansel (@Ansel) May 16, 2015
Some protested in the their traditional canoes.
16/5/2015 Seattle. Flotilla contra plataforma de Shell #Seattle, #PaddleinSeattle #ShellNoFlotilla pic.twitter.com/GA8tH40SG7 — occupybarcelona (@occupybarcelona) May 17, 2015
Tribal canoes are intermixed with the kayakers and other boats participating in the #paddleinseattle pic.twitter.com/mQYp1M94Te — Coral Garnick (@CoralGarnick) May 16, 2015
The tribal canoes are going to the beach for a landing ceremony. #paddleinseatttle pic.twitter.com/iv7zArVpFb
— Coral Garnick (@CoralGarnick) May 16, 2015
