Police arrest oil rig climbers

Greenpeace activists gave up protest due to harsh weather.

Police have arrested the four activists who scaled an oil rig near the Greenland coast, putting an end to their 40-hour protest that halted drilling operations there.

The arrests came after the demonstrators abandoned their posts due to harsh weather conditions and climbed up onto the gantry of the rig Thursday morning, according to Greenpeace.

"Last night was freezing and now the sea below us is churning and the wind is roaring," said Sim McKenna, an American who was among those arrested. "It's time to come down, but we're proud we slowed the mad rush for Arctic oil, if only for a couple of days."

It took police four hours to safely rescue the demonstrators, whose charges are not yet known. The Guardian reports that the individuals could be deported instead of facing prosecution.

Greenland police also seized Greenpeace's helicopter as evidence and to ensure the international advocacy group pays off fines associated with the protest.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org

Recent Headlines

Want to write Congress about SOPA?

If you'd like to write Congress about SOPA, the easiest thing to do is go to our Facebook page and use our Tell Congress app.

The Beat: How Government Works

In this episode of "The Beat," we talk with Roll Call Associate Editor Paul Singer about a new project exploring the behind-the-scenes work that makes government function.

The Beat: Defense

Congress.org editor Ryan Teague Beckwith and CQ defense reporter John Donnelly discuss the latest in defense news.

Directories

Legislation

Issues & Actions

Election


Soapbox

More Resources