9:15am local time
Greenpeace activists from Germany, France, Brazil and Canada have just entered a Suncor upgrader facility in the tar sands of northern, Alberta and have shut down the conveyer belt of an open pit mining operation. This follows a previous action where Greenpeace activists stopped operations at Shell’s Albian mine during a 33-hour occupation.
Our activists are putting themselves on the frontlines of climate change again to draw attention to the complete lack of leadership shown by our world leaders. They have shut down a conveyer belt used in open pit mining and locked themselves down.
The tar sands are a perfect example of what lack of leadership on climate change and unchecked greenhouse gas emissions produces – a toxic disaster zone that is leaching 11 million litres of toxins into the groundwater and pumping 100 thousand tonnes of carbon into the air per day. This is why Greenpeace activists are taking action today.
"Everything about the tars sands is a crime, they not only represent the worst excesses of unconstrained climate destruction but are a toxic disaster zone," Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Climate and Energy Campaigner with Greenpeace Canada, commented from inside the ongoing action.
10:50 local time
Activists in boats have deployed a 30 metre long floating banner on the Athabasca river, which runs beside the upgrader facility and open pit mine where they are taking climate action today. The banner reads: 'Dying for climate leadership'.
11:25am local time - Update from Jens, currently on the conveyer belt
All the activists made it onto the conveyor belt and have successfully deployed banners and locked themselves down. The workers already there were friendly towards the activists - wanting to outfit them with harnesses, goggles, etc. We have been in contact with the other team, who is deploying a banner on the water. Photo:
2:45pm local time - update from Jens
'Please don't piss on the belt' - police have told the activists who have shut down the conveyor belt that they could face charges for peeing on it. Other than having to hold it - activists are in good spirits!
Jens streaming live from the conveyor belt.
3:10pm local time
10 activists from the boats have been arrested & police are pursuing others.
3:30pm local time
One live stream is down - taken by police, along with 10 of our people - one still going!
4:45pm local time
Activists on the belt have locked themselves down as a giant crane rolls up alongside them.
More updates will be posted as they come in.
Live feeds from two locations are available on Stop the Tar Sands – there is also a place to comment live and on Twitter you can follow #stoptarsands.