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Latest News Another Greenpeace activist arrested for monitoring BP Amoco Arctic oil operations
ANCHORAGE, March 20 - A Greenpeace activist will be arraigned in front of a Barrow magistrate this morning, following his arrest Sunday while bearing witness to, and monitoring the construction of BP Amoco's Northstar construction project in the Arctic Ocean. Richard Watson, 35, from the United Kingdom, is the fourth Greenpeace activist to be arrested at the site where Greenpeace has set up a protest camp to challenge the multinational's role in fueling global warming by opening a new oil frontier. Three activists were arrested on March 10 in a similar incident. The event, which provoked Watson's arrest, occurred on Saturday, March 18 when two large, off-road seismic survey vehicles were traveling outside the "no trespass" zone at the Northstar construction site, approximately two miles from the Greenpeace camp. Two Greenpeace activists went over to investigate. According to security guards hired by BP Amoco, one of the snow machines crossed the so-called no-trespass 'line' which BP Amoco has drawn around the Northstar construction area. A North Slope Borough police officer and the BP Amoco security guard traveled out to the camp shortly thereafter to investigate. At 2 PM Sunday, three North Slope Borough police officers, a BP security guard, and another private security guard returned to the camp with a warrant for Mr. Watson's arrest. They arrived in a large off-road vehicle (a 'Rolligon') belonging to Crowley Marine, a major oil industry contractor. Mr. Watson is being held in Deadhorse, and is charged with second-degree trespass. Bail requested in the warrant is set at $5000. "Once again BP Amoco has shown it wants Northstar and all other oil operations on the North Slope out of sight and out of mind', said Melanie Duchin, campaigner at Greenpeace camp. "The company is clearly bound and determined to prevent any independent observation of their operations. And by providing logistical support to the local police, BP Amoco ensures their activities receive no independent scrutiny." |
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