Guest essay by Eric Worrall
A US judge in Anchorage has slapped a massive accumulating fine on Greenpeace of $2500 per hour, rising to $10,000 / hour, for every hour Greenpeace activists block Shell Oil ship MSV Fennica from leaving Portland, to sail for Alaska.
According to Sky News;
A US judge has slapped a $US2,500 ($A3,426.77) fine on Greenpeace for every hour its activists continue to block a Shell Oil ship headed for Alaska on a drilling expedition.
The activists have been hanging from ropes since Wednesday from a bridge in Portland, Oregon’s main city, to prevent the departure of the MSV Fennica, a Shell icebreaker that was in town for repairs.
But federal judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city, ruled in the oil giant’s favour on Thursday, imposing the hourly fine until the protesters withdraw, a court official told AFP.
The fine will increase the longer the protest continues, according to the local KGW News.
Starting at 10am on Friday (0300 AEST on Saturday), Greenpeace will be fined $US5,000 an hour, increasing to $US7,500 an hour on Saturday and $US10,000 an hour from Sunday.
Greenpeace is a massive multi million dollar international organisation, with assets in the 10s of millions, so in principle they could laugh off even a $10,000 / hour fine for at least several weeks before feeling the financial strain. My guess is there may be some interesting discussions occurring now in Greenpeace HQ, about how much money they should burn to make their point.
Update
The MSV Fennica made it past the protestors at 6pm Thursday, according to Oregon Live.
Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, the controversial icebreaker MSV Fennica threaded through a hole cut by law enforcement in the wall of protesters suspended from the St. Johns Bridge.
…
A police Special Emergency Response Team officer rappelled over the bridge and cut the lines connecting the protesters dangling from the bridge. Then Portland Fire Bureau technical rescue teams moved in, with some firefighters going over the bridge’s edge and asking the protesters to voluntarily ease themselves down to waiting boats.
The first two protesters came down on their own but the third wouldn’t communicate. Firefighters connected two rope lines to his lines, removed his anchor and lowered him on their attached lines to a boat.
Their work opened a gap just wide enough for the Fennica’s safe passage.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/07/greenpeace_protesters_claim_sy.html
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He subsequently sued the railroad and lost. The judge ruled he didn’t have a leg to stand on.
+1
Need to pour boiling oil down the ropes on these morons. If they drop fine. If they don’t drop too bad for them.
Although our local politicians (Including US Senator Jeff Merkley, US Representative Earl Blumenauer, and Portland Mayor Charlie Hales) cheered on these protesters , the police and Coast Guard saw this stunt for what it was: an unlawful attempt to block commerce. That is a hopeful sign that we will finally step back from mob rule and may return to the rule of law here in Portland, despite pandering politicians. The longer that such protestors get their way, the more such stunts they will pull and the more damage they will cause to civil society.
It was hugely helpful and long overdue for a judge in Alaska to impose stiff fines on Greenpeace for their continual contempt.
My thanks to all who stood up to the anarchists, this time at least.
Greenpeace morons!
This image says it all.
http://media.breitbart.com/media/2015/07/GettyImages-482416200.jpg
A bit more explanation:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/07/31/latest-images-migrants-enter-uk-clinging-to-truck-after-fourth-night-of-chaos-at-calais/
Looking at those windmills behind them? I almost wish these people had wings!
And if there were unlimited free energy available, then what?
And if there were unlimited free energy available, then what?/i>
The we would find something else to fight about.
Greenpeace morons took over a decommissioned Shell drilling rig from the North Sea, alleging that there was plenty of oil on it and also toxic materials. This held up the singing of the rig for a long time, until eventually an independent inspection occurred. A small [amount] of oil and no toxic materials. Unfortunately they were not [held] to account.
Greenpeace have been harassing Japanese whalers, and eventually some climbed aboard the mother ship. Promptly arrested by the crew, and taken to Japan. There was every likely hood that they would be charged with piracy and imprisoned for years, but unfortunately the Australian Government managed to do a deal with Japan and they were released.
They tried the same thing with a Russian drill rig, and were arrested and carted off to gaol. Unfortunately they were eventually let go, but it was a close thing. Should have got about three years in a Russian gaol.
Please, before quoting what I have written, check the details VERY carefully. I believe my memory is correct, BUT, it is late at night and it does not work so well after midnight!
An article of mine was published on this site. It began “Unlike many readers of this site, I have environmentalist sympathies”. Many commenters told me I was wrong. The comments above tend to confirm my analysis of the readership of wattsupwiththat.com. The article also led to a debate about the definition of “terrorism”. Some of the comments above are even more retarded, claiming that hanging from a bridge, obstructing a ship, is comparable with crashing planes into buildings.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/09/a-review-of-craig-rosebraughs-documentary-greedy-lying-bastards/
Its a start, you dont see them protesting in Russia anymore….