SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard detained two dozen protesters who formed a blockade with kayaks and other vessels Monday to try to stop Royal Dutch Shell’s drill rig as it left Seattle on its way to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean.
The protesters were scooped up from the water because they were violating the safety zone around the Polar Pioneer, which departed around 6 a.m., Coast Guard Lt. Dana Warr said. They would be released after receiving violation notices that carry a $500 penalty, he said.
About a dozen “kayaktivists” paddled out around 4 a.m. to try to prevent the 400-foot-long rig from leaving, said Cassady Sharp, a Greenpeace spokeswoman. Several dozen supporters in kayaks and canoes lined up behind them, she said.
Seattle Councilman Mike O’Brien was among those detained. He and others in kayaks paddled into Seattle’s picturesque Elliott Bay before dawn to oppose Shell’s plans.
“That monstrous rig is headed to the Arctic to attempt to do something unconscionable,” he said in a text message as he was processed by the Coast Guard at its offices. “I had done everything I know how to do as a citizen, an activist, and as a councilmember to stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic.”
The petroleum giant has been using the port to load drilling rigs and a fleet of support vessels before spending the brief Arctic summer in the Chukchi Sea.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said Monday that the vessels are on the way to Alaska.
“We remain committed to operating in a safe, environmentally responsible manner and look forward to exploring our Chukchi leases in the weeks to come,” he said in an e-mail.
