14 DAY TRIAL // Only yesterday, a group made up of polar bears (environmentalists dressed up as polar bears, to be more precise) and activists managed to shut down one of Shell's fuel stations in Davos.
This protest was part and parcel of Greenpeace's Save the Arctic campaign. Thus, the greenheads who agreed to take part in this takeover of said fuel station had one goal in mind: that of drawing attention to the fact that Shell's plans to drill in the frozen Arctic constitute a major threat to the environment.
According to the official website for Greenpeace, some of the activists climbed on top of the fuel station and held up a banner which read as follows: Arctic Oil – Too Risky.
Meanwhile, other activists went as far as to chain themselves to the stations' pumps so as to make sure that people stopping by for some gas and/or oil were unable to refuel their cars.
As was to be expected, the protest sparked quite a stir, and several journalists were quick in arriving at the scene.
Needless to say, police officers did not delay in surrounding the fuel stations, yet the protesters did not display any aggressive behavior which was why no drastic measures on behalf of the local authorities were required.
Greenpeace member Ben Stewart, who also took part in this protest, described the experience as follows: “I'm standing outside a Shell petrol station in Davos, looking at polar bears on the roof with a banner that says ARCTIC OIL – TOO RISKY.”
Furthermore, “Twenty-five activists have shut down the station, some of whom are chained to the pumps. The place is surrounded by police, but it's also been surrounded by journalists who have ducked out of the Davod meeting to hear their message about the dangers of drilling for Arctic oil.”
Greenpeace's taking over this fuel station in Davos was meant to draw the attention of the politicians and business leaders taking part in the latest meeting of the World Economic Forum. This meeting was taking place just a few minutes away from the fuel station.
“Wherever there's a great concentration of power it's vital that the voices of ordinary people are also heard. I hope the voices of these volunteers are loud enough to reach the ears of the assembled power brokers in Davo,” Ben Stewart explained.