Shell Arctic drilling rig departs Seattle surrounded by protesters

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

SEATTLE (Reuters) - A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drilling rig that will search for oil in the Arctic left its temporary base in Seattle on Monday for the trip north to Alaska as dozens of activists in kayaks tried to stop it, authorities said.

Live television showed the rig being towed out of its terminal at the Port of Seattle with kayakers fanning out in an arc as it moved into the Puget Sound.

Twenty-five people were detained by the Coast Guard for violating a safety zone around the vessel and were fined $500 each, Coast Guard spokesman George Degener said.

The rig paused at Bainbridge Island, west of Seattle, and several tweets indicated it had beached. Degener said the reports were incorrect and the rig was changing towing configuration.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/shell-arctic-drilling-rig-departs-seattle-surrounded-protesters-012416523--finance.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Go, kayakers!

!@#$% Shell Oil!

Disgusting Coast Guard and their harassing fines! If anybody knows how to contact these kayakers, I would send a donation to help pay their $500 fines.

Oil drillers pose a HUGE threat to the western coastline! And what is the Coast Guard supposed to be doing? Protecting the coastline! Where was the Coast Guard when these oil bastards spread their filth up and down the California coast, out of Santa Barbara, from their rusty, decrepit pipe? Why didn't the Coast Guard shut them down before that happened? They apparently don't give a damn and serve only Big Money!

Padding their coffers with $500 fines against people who ARE trying to protect the coastline!

Gawd!

[ManiacJoe]

2. The CG was making sure the kayaks did not get run over...

while they violated the safety zone.