The woman who had been hanging off the anchor chain of an Arctic oil-drilling support ship in Bellingham since Friday night has ended her protest, asking for help to get down.
The woman who had been hanging off the anchor chain of a support ship moored in Bellingham that is part of Shell’s plans to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean ended her days-long protest 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.
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A second protester joined D’Angelo from Saturday morning until Sunday.
A Coast Guard cutter spent the weekend monitoring the activists but took no action, Shearer said.
Shell said Sunday 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.
He commended the Coast Guard and local law enforcement for de-escalating the incident.
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.
This month, hundreds of activists in kayaks swarmed Elliott Bay in Seattle to protest Shell’s plans.