A Shell Arctic oil-drilling vessel made its way Thursday under a Portland bridge and out to sea after being stalled for more than 24 hours in the harbour by demonstrators dangling from the St. Johns Bridge.

After some Greenpeace USA protesters who had been suspended on the bridge since as early as 2 a.m. Wednesday voluntarily came down and authorities forced others in kayaks to leave, the icebreaker made its way through a small opening on the Willamette River. Shell's Fennica was on its way to an Alaska drilling operation. Activists in kayaks tried a last ditch attempt to block it once again, but the Coast Guard thwarted their efforts, according to local news reports.

The stand-off between the protesters and the ship prompted a flurry of law enforcement activity and delays for commuters. The mid-air protest aimed to draw attention to Shell's drilling practices, which Greenpeace USA dislikes for environmental reasons.

"Today's over, but the campaign goes on," Mark Floegel, research director for the environmental activist group said, according to KATU News.

Earlier, a federal judge in Alaska had ordered Greenpeace USA to pay a $2,500 fine for every hour it continued to block the vessel from leaving the harbour.

U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled Thursday in Anchorage that Greenpeace USA was in civil contempt because of the protesters impeding the Shell vessel. Thirteen members of Greenpeace USA had initially suspended themselves from the bridge.

Gleason, in May, granted Shell's request that protesters be ordered to stay away from its vessels and buffer zones. Attorneys for Shell Oil took the matter to court Thursday, originally requesting the court fine Greenpeace USA $250,000 each day the group continues to block Fennica. The court settled on a $2,500-per-hour fine instead.

Source: mashable.com

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