Norwegian Authorities arrest Greenpeace Ship

The Norwegian Coast Guard arrested the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, following a peaceful protest in the Barents Sea.  The Arctic Sunrise is currently being towed away from the drilling site, to the mainland in Tromsö, Northern Norway.

Early Thursday, activists on inflatable boats and kayaks entered the exclusion zone of Statoil’s Korpfjell well, Norway’s most northern oil drilling site to date, and attached a giant globe to the rig Songa Enabler. The globe carried written statements from people from all over the world, with a message to the Norwegian government to stop the oil drilling. The activists halted the operation of the rig, and after several hours of demanding an end to the drilling in the Arctic, the Norwegian Coast Guard interfered with the peaceful protest.

Truls Gulowsen, Head of Greenpeace Norway, said:“The Norwegian coast guard doesn’t have the right to board or remove our ship. Protest at sea is an internationally recognized lawful use of the sea, related to the freedom of navigation. We are taking action against Arctic drilling in an area where our rights to protest are protected under international law. The Norwegian government cannot unjustifiably interfere with that right.”

Greenpeace has monitored Statoil’s oil drilling program in the Barents Sea for the last month.This is a part of Greenpeace’s global campaign to protect the climate and the Arctic. In Norway, Greenpeace Nordic and Nature and Youth have challenged the licensing of these Arctic oil fields in court, and the climate lawsuit will be heard in the Oslo District Court in November. The organization invites activists from all over the world to sign the People’s Witness Statement, that will be presented to the court.