Activists Blockade Shell Refinery in Port of Rotterdam
Dozens of Greenpeace activists in Rotterdam port used a ship, buoys and a small flotilla of kayaks on Monday to block traffic around Shellâs Pernis refinery, Europeâs largest, as part of a campaign seeking a ban on fossil fuel advertising.Police ended the blockade after several hours and the portâs authority said economic disruption to the wider harbor was minimal.The action comes as Greenpeace and more than 20 other environmental groups began seeking a million signatures for a European Union-wide ban on adverts and sponsorships by oil and gas companiesâŚ
Greenpeace Ship Welcomed Back After 300-day Russian Detention
The environmental protest icebreaker 'Arctic Sunrise' has sailed back into Dutch territorial waters after over 300 days in Russian custody. The ship had been held illegally since taking part in a peaceful direct action against state owned oil company Gazprom, as it tried to drill the worldâs first oil well in icy Arctic waters, says Greenpeace. Several members of the so called âArctic 30â were there to greet the ship and boarded the vessel in Beverwijk, near Amsterdam. âThis is a joyous day for me, for my friends and for the millions of people around the world who campaigned for the release of the Arctic 30 and the Arctic Sunriseâ, says Dutch climate and energy campaigner Faiza OulahsenâŚ
Greenpeace Posts Bail for Nine of the Arctic 30
Greenpeace International said it has already posted bail for nine of the Arctic 30, but does not expect them to be released before the weekend. Lawyers say they are making bail payments - set at 2 million rubles (âŹ45,000) for each detainee - as quickly as they can. At court hearings this morning Faiza Oulahsen from the Netherlands and British citizen Alexandra Harris became the 13th and 14th Arctic 30 prisoners to be granted bail. Lawyers for Greenpeace today said there are a number of bureaucratic issues to resolve before any of the Arctic 30 are released from jail and they do not expect any of them to be out of prison until the weekend, possibly later. It is still not clear whether their movements will then be restricted.