Activists Occupy Shell Icebreaker in Finland

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In an effort to prevent destructive oil drilling in the Arctic,
dozens of Greenpeace Nordic activists have boarded and occupied a
Shell-contracted icebreaker in Helsinki harbour on May 1 as it prepared
to leave for the Alaskan Arctic.

At 10:30 a.m. in Helsinki, Finland, 20 activists from 13 different
countries boarded the Nordica and have locked themselves down throughout
the ship, from the cabins to the top of the mast. Greenpeace is calling
on the oil giant Shell to abandon its controversial plans to open up
the fragile Arctic for oil drilling.

“We are here on behalf of the nearly 400,000 people around the world
who in just a couple of months have spoken out demanding that Shell
cancel its reckless campaign of Arctic destruction,” said Greenpeace
Campaign Manager in Finland, Tapio Laakso. “Oil companies know full well
that an oil spill off the Alaskan coast would devastate the environment
and prove impossible to clean up.”

The Nordica is one of two Shell-contracted icebreakers owned by the Finnish government.1
Activists have also deployed banners on the key side, in the ship’s
crane and a 20 x 3 meter banner on the side of the ship reading Stop
Shell.

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