In Portland, environmental activists test out a new tactic. Climbers have rappelled off a bridge to block a Shell icebreaker.
Trying to delay Royal Dutch Shell’s Arctic ice-breaking ship in Portland, several protesters are dangling in mid-air from the St. John’s bridge. The climbers, who rappelled from anchors on the bridge, have “enough supplies to last for days,” according to a news release from environmental activist group Greenpeace.
Last week, Shell received a permit to begin operations in the Arctic. But until the icebreaker arrives with a key piece of safety equipment, the company cannot drill into “oil bearing zones.