Do you disagree with Shell Oils plan to drill in the Arctic? Well, Shell is trying to silence you.
This week, the Shell Oil Company responded to Greenpeace New Zealand activists who boarded its drillship by filing a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Greenpeace USA. Shells proposed order would have been one of the broadest and most restrictive in US legal history.
If granted, the restraining order could have been applied to any of the 500,000 online activists associated with Greenpeace USA who chose to take action with the organization at Shells gas stations, regional offices or its other venues around the country.
But, on March 1 a federal judge in Alaska rejected the bulk of the request as too broad. Instead, the judge issued a limited order against Greenpeace USA to keep us from approaching either of the drilling vessels that will be used for offshore exploratory drilling north of Alaska.
The TRO will last for 14 days unless further extended by the court. A hearing on Shells Motion for a Preliminary Injunction (a more permanent measure) is scheduled for March 14, 2012 at 9:00 a.m.
But yes, Shell was trying to silence the many of you who disagree that it can or should
drill in the Arctic.
Lets not let Shell take away our right to protest! If you havent yet, send Shell a message and demand it stop its dangerous Arctic drilling.
Then lets raise a ruckus online. Denounce Shells attempts at censorship with posts to twitter and Facebook. Click here to share the below image on Facebook and copy and paste this tweet:
.@Shell wants to take away your right to protest. Dont let it silence us! http://bit.ly/yPlL5m #censorship #savethearctic
Shells legal maneuverings havent stopped there. It also filed a preemptive motion to keep individuals and organizations from challenging the efficacy of its oil spill response plan for the Arctic. As of this writing, that case has not been heard in court.
The real threat to America comes not from those peacefully raising their voices in opposition to Shells plans, but from a reckless oil company whose plans to drill in Alaska’s icy waters risk polluting our coastlines, devastating local communities and destroying our climate.
The other very real threat comes from a multinational oil company bent on betting on risky fossil fuel ventures and spending some of its record profits to silence all of you who disagree with it. Shell is using its sizable bank accounts to silence any dissent.
Greenpeace will continue to stand with all of our supporters to put a spotlight on Shells dangerous plans, which put the Arctic at risk for serious pollution and the world at risk for climate change.
