FOLLOWUP: Sunday’s Port Encouragement Rally/March; Saturday’s kayak training for would-be ‘flotilla’ participants

Opponents of the plan for Shell’s Arctic fleet to use part of the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5 plan two events in West Seattle this weekend:

SUNDAY ‘ENCOURAGEMENT’ MARCH UPDATE: That’s the map for Sunday’s rally/march from The Junction to Terminal 5, dubbed by organizers as a Port Encouragement Rally – encouraging the Port of Seattle to cancel the T-5 lease for Shell vessels/equipment intended for Arctic drilling. We published the original announcement back on Monday. It starts at Walk-All-Ways (California/Alaska) at 1 pm Sunday; the march will be “using sidewalks and obeying pedestrian traffic laws,” says the update from Stu Hennessey, which also notes:

This March is sponsored by the Green Party of Seattle and is supported by Greenpeace, 350.org, Backbone, West Seattle Meaningful Movies and the citizens of West Seattle. Speakers from the Green Party, Sustainable West Seattle and 350.org will address the crowd as they gather at the entrance of West Seattle’s Terminal 5.

Also noted in the update – Sunday’s march will be discussed at the West Seattle Meaningful Movies gathering this Saturday night, 6:30 pm at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center.

KAYAK ‘FLOTILLA’ – SATURDAY TRAINING: Opponents of the lease warned at the last Port Commission meeting March 24th (WSB coverage here) that the presence of Shell vessels/rigs here would result in a “long, hot summer” of demonstrations. In addition to Sunday’s rally/march, plans for a “flotilla” are taking shape, and the coalition organizing it is planning training sessions at Alki Kayak Tours in West Seattle. The first one is scheduled for 10 am-12:30 pm tomorrow.

WHEN DOES THE ‘FLEET” ARRIVE? No timeline has been announced for expected arrivals – the chair of Foss‘s parent company Saltchuk, Mark Tabbutt, told the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce yesterday morning (WSB coverage here) that the platform Polar Pioneer is indeed headed this way. (Here are its specs, including a 17-story-high derrick; not as high as the SBX radar platform that was here four years ago. It was built by Hitachi Zosen, also known in these parts for building the Highway 99 tunneling machine “Bertha.”) It’s on board a “deck cargo” ship called Blue Marlin, which is still out of MarineTraffic.com-tracking range but filed a plan with estimated arrival in the Port Angeles vicinity around April 12th. Greenpeace is following the Polar Pioneer/Blue Marlin across the Pacific with its boat Esperanza.

That same Greenpeace boat was here in 2012 while part of Shell’s fleet was at Vigor.

17 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Sunday's Port Encouragement Rally/March; Saturday's kayak training for would-be 'flotilla' participants"

  • ltfd April 3, 2015 (2:49 pm)

    In that tweeted photo from Greenpeace’s ship Esperanza- is that a solar-powered vessel, or a standard hydrocarbon powered ship?

    Ah, I thought so.

  • AtomicOven April 3, 2015 (7:21 pm)

    I can understand the concern of the protesters however Seattle needs this income to continue the way of life we have become accustomed to. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I encourage all protesters to apply for gainful employment with Shell to ensure compliance of all regulations. Conscious effort by a company’s employees is the BEST way to prevent accidents. IF enough protesters can achieve employment it will allow them to buy vs rent, pay taxes like the rest of us and ultimately drive these Shell dogs out of Seattle because we won’t need the income to sustain the way of life we are accustomed to. The woman in the photo looks refreshed and relaxed. We all need some of that

  • Joan April 3, 2015 (8:57 pm)

    Not ALL citizens of West Seattle support the march to terminal 5.

  • lemme guess April 3, 2015 (9:25 pm)

    So AtomicOven and Joan. No college education then?
    You’ve our sympathies.

  • AtomicOven April 3, 2015 (10:08 pm)

    Lemme guess is it? Yes I have a college education but I’ll ask anyone else who might be reading this….What does that have to do with our comments?

  • HappyOnAlki April 3, 2015 (10:25 pm)

    Seriously, lemmeguess? I’m anti-Shell, but I’m pro-civility. As are most WS folks, I’d guess. Let’s stay on topic.

  • wb April 4, 2015 (12:19 am)

    Thank you greenpeace.

  • DarkHawke April 4, 2015 (5:39 am)

    A ‘“long, hot summer” of demonstrations,’ eh? Bet’cha it’ll only be long and hot for the demonstrators; the Port commissioners will work regular hours in air-conditioned comfort. I hope the demonstrators will enjoy their new digs outside of Seattle, ’cause if they’re continually successful in ousting rent-paying tenants of Port facilities, the subsequent tax/rate hikes will eventually raise the cost of living in Seattle beyond their meager means.

  • ChefJoe April 4, 2015 (9:17 am)

    Is the long game to make it difficult to safely store vessels during the arctic winter in the hopes that they get stored un-safely ?

    We have an empty port terminal and Shell’s already existing fleet needs somewhere to winter the storms. They’re not coming in loaded up with crude oil or anything particularly hazardous. It’s just business to help recoup some of the public’s investment in the port (see your property tax bill).

    If you want to change government policy, there are other ways.

  • wetone April 4, 2015 (9:52 am)

    All the people against this must live under a rock and not wear clothes. Because anything else would have you using a product in one form or other that has oil involved :) T-5 was prior home to one of the biggest ship yards on west coast and next to it was Wyckoff Creosoting.

  • G April 4, 2015 (11:01 am)

    HappyOnAlki,

    Thanks for the reminder – we’ve all been there at one time or another, regardless of what side we’re on. I’ve had comments “scubbed” and in retrospect, they have generally been good calls because they probably do more to inflame emotions than further constructive dialogue. If only we had personal editors, or a 5 second delay, to accompany us through life….hah.

  • Wseattlelite April 4, 2015 (9:34 pm)

    Typical corporate Greenpeace. With a 70’s vessel that produces more carbon than the heavy lift vessel transporting the the drill ship, they are more than doubling the actual problem. If they follow the drill ship into the Arctic, that will be the ultimate sacrilege. The drilling fleet meet tier 3 environmental controls whilst the Greenpeace boat speed carbon output. Give me a break. Local W Seattlelites, don’t play sheep to Greenpeaces’ corporate ambitions.

  • arthurdenny April 5, 2015 (11:33 am)

    Can we please stop making the incredibly stupid point that everyone is forced to use petroleum products in modern life? Just because someone drives a car doesn’t mean they aren’t allowed to oppose drilling in the Arctic, which is an extremely dangerous activity for the planet.

    Yes, obviously our society is tied to fossil fuel consumption. Roads are designed for gasoline-burning cars. Trains and ships also are carbon emitters. As our many power plants. We know all of this. We also want to change all of this. It is such a red herring for the pro-oil idiots to constantly be screaming “look! he’s using gasoline! he can’t be against drilling because he drives a car!”

    We as a collective society of carbon addicts, need to find a way to kick the habit. Some of us are actually committed to making that change. Others would rather gawk at the protesters like the redneck bumpkins they are, content to let climate change reek havoc on Puget Sound. When the salmon are gone because of ocean acidification, you may just regret being so ignorant and uncaring.

  • Born on Alki 59 April 5, 2015 (4:20 pm)

    Redneck bumpkin ignorant uncaring oil burning idiots? Dude, jump off T5 for a swim, you need to chill.

  • Born on Alki 59 April 5, 2015 (4:46 pm)

    Arthurdenny, please tell me where I can purchase some dilithium crystals to operate my vehicles on. Thanks, from your redneck bumpkin pro oil idiot uncaring neighbor.

  • smokeycretin9 April 5, 2015 (6:53 pm)

    wow, @ arthurdenny that is pretty much uncalled for.

    you sound pretty elitist. I bow down to you, I am not worthy

  • wb April 5, 2015 (9:20 pm)

    Look up shell’s reputation then ponder the exxon valdez. If you cant recall or don’t remember See
    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/environmental-effects-of/- journey up to seward alaska and visit their alaska sealife center. It is quite an education.

    i am wondering if some people are looking forward to the inevitable cleanup effort – it certainly would supply some jobs while trashing the seafood industry here in the puget sound.

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