Bainbridge Grad Chained to Ship in ‘sHell No!’ Protest
Photo by REESE SEMANKO / AP
Chiara Rose (a.k.a. Chiara D’Angelo), the Islander who climbed and perched in protest in a tree slated for clearcut on the Visconsi development last summer at High School Road and 305, is now up a boat. BHS graduate Rose is attached to the anchor chain of the Arctic Challenger, a support vessel for Shell Corporation’s Arctic drilling operations, in the port of Bellingham. Her action is part of the sHell No! protest against Shell’s scheduled drilling in the Arctic.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Katelyn Shearer said that Rose has been up on the chain since about 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 22. During the time since, Rose was joined by fellow protestor Matt Fuller. Fuller requested help from the Coast Guard to come down from the chain this morning at 4:30, said Shearer. They helped him onto a small vessel and then turned him over to the Bellingham Police who questioned him and then released him to an EMT crew. The EMTs determined he was in good condition and released him.
Coast Guard Lieutenant Dana Warr is overseeing the situation in Bellingham. He said the Coast Guard is on scene as a support agency and that they’re focused on “the safety aspect. Our goal is for everybody to get out safely.”
The Coast Guard established a 100-yard “safety zone” around the vessel into which no one is being allowed to enter. Both Shearer and Warr said there had been numerous incursion of vessels into the safety zone and the Coast Guard responded, issuing citations to the vessel operators. Shearer said they cited two vessels overnight and four this morning.
So far, Warr said, there have been no arrests. But he said there could be some penalties issued to the vessel operators, “upwards of $40,000 in fines for violating the safety zone.” He said the violators could be charged with civil penalties or a Class C felony.
As for Rose, Warr said, she is trespassing on private property—the Arctic Challenger is owned by Superior Energy Services—and she could be cited for trespassing. But Warr said the Coast Guard has no intention as of now of removing her.
Warr said the Coast Guard had spoken with Rose’s supporters about food and water and they had worked out a communication system. If she feels she needs food or water, the Coast Guard retrieves it for her from her support staff.
Warr said, “She’s safe in our minds.” He added, “She is aware she is trespassing. But as she needs supplies to insure her health, we’re working with other people to ensure her safety.” He said, “Communication is key to this.” Referring to the Polar Pioneer protest in Elliott Bay, he said, “We had a very successful mission in Seattle. The rig was able to come in to Seattle, yet people were able to express their first amendment rights, and nobody got hurt. We hope the same for this.”
Rose’s mother, Debra D’Angelo, wrote to supporters early this morning, “My fierce and willing daughter, Chiara Rose, is holding strong and anchoring down the massive Arctic Challenger. My heart feels her suffering and shares her courage and passion. She is defending this planet—our gift from the creator—where breath, nourishment, belonging, medicine, and spirit belong to all. She is pulled to take this act, as our leaders have failed us and fed instead the dragon of greed and self-interest.”
Supporters gathered today, Sunday, May 24, at Bellingham’s Cornwall Beach.
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Woman Hanging on Shell Ship Since Friday Ends Drill Protest
By Associated Press, www.nbcnews.com
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A woman who had been hanging off the anchor chain of a support ship that is part of Royal Dutch Shell’s plans to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean ended her dayslong protest north of Seattle on Monday morning.
Student activist Chiara D’Angelo requested assistance getting down from her perch on the Arctic Challenger in the Bellingham harbor around 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said.
D’Angelo was checked for hypothermia and then released, Petty Officer 3rd Class Katelyn Shearer said.
She spent the weekend attached to the ship in an environmental protest against Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea off northwestern Alaska. The oil company’s proposal also has drawn large protests in Seattle, where a massive, floating drill rig is being prepared for the excursion.
A second protester, Matt Fuller, joined D’Angelo from Saturday morning until Sunday.
The Coast Guard cutter Ospry spent the weekend monitoring the activists but took no action, Shearer said.
Shell said Sunday that the illegal stunt would not delay its plans.
“We respect the rights of individuals to express their views related to our Arctic program, so long as they do so safely and lawfully,” company spokesman Curtis Smith said.
Smith said the two activists trespassed on private property, while compromising their safety and that of others. He commended the Coast Guard and local law enforcement for de-escalating the incident.
Lt. Cmdr. Justin Noggle, chief of enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, said Sunday that it is the agency’s duty to promote safety on the seas and in ports and to protect the First Amendment rights of people to safely and lawfully assemble on the water.
The Arctic Challenger is a converted barge that is designed to launch containment equipment in the event of a spill. Protesters have questioned its ability to be effective in the harsh Arctic climate.
Earlier this month, hundreds of activists in kayaks swarmed Elliott Bay in Seattle to protest Shell’s plans.