From Igor Podgorny’s LiveJournal:
Greenpeace set up an Arctic reserve at the gates of Gazprom
This morning, polar bears and Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance to the Gazprom offices in Moscow, and created a new Arctic reserve in front of the building. The bears settled down on the white snow and were quite comfortable until the arrival of the police. Although, of course, it was obvious from their faces snouts that they would be quite happy to continue to live in the Arctic, which Gazprom and other companies are so eager to destroy.
Activists from Russia, Germany, Austria, Poland and Hungary took part in the demonstration. Around the “reserve”, there were 10 metre banners in English and Russian saying “Gazprom are destroying the Arctic”.
At the same time, opposite Gazprom’s Berlin office, activists built a three-metre-high model of an oil rig, with a black liquid leaking out underneath the ice, symbolising the risk of oil spills and their impact on the Arctic environment.
Half a million people support Greenpeace’s campaign to protect the Arctic already. Many celebrities have also come out in favour of the creation of an international nature reserve around the North Pole, including Paul McCartney, Robert Redford, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Pedro Almodóvar amongst others.
Update: All the bears and Greenpeace activists from Russia, Germany, Poland, Austria, and Hungary have been arrested. They were taken to Cheremushkinskiy police station. They have been charged under article 20.2, which is punishable by a fine of 20,000-30,000 roubles [note: 500€-750€, $650-$1000], or 50 hours community service for citizens. For officials, the fine is from 20,000-40,000 roubles [note: 500€-1,000€, $650-$1,300], for legal entities, from 70,000-200,000 roubles [note: 1,700€-5,000€, $2,250-$6,350]. […]
Comments from Igor Podgorny’s LiveJournal:
papaxa:
This is a gay [cause to contribute to].
What the BP spill has done to the Mexican gulf doesn’t bother them.
When BP or another Yank outfit come to the Arctic, all these clowns won’t speak up. They’re just being paid to hit Russian companies.
igorpodgorny: (responding to above)
Are you capable of looking into the history of the problems before writing your comments? For example, bash the words “Gulf of Mexico” into Greenpeace’s website, and you’ll read that demonstrations are going on around the world against a number of companies, etc.
papaxa: (responding to above)
Specialist button pusher, where are the links to the demonstration you undertook cutting off access to the main entrance to BP’s offices?
BP have committed a real crime against humanity.
In the water around the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, there was one spot that was 16 km long, 90 m thick going down 1300 metres deep.
The Gulf Stream has been destroyed.
That’s reality, and not this bollocks about the harm caused to Gazprom by these teddy bears.
And what have you, the “ecologist” done to call BP out on it?
Yeah, you’ve done fuck all.
That’s why no-one’s coughed up.“Polar bears have already been to Shell petrol stations in England, Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Argentina, and other countries.”
Of course, Shell is one of the biggest investors in the Russian economy.
That’s why this hired team of motherfuckers will attack companies around the world.You all just sit there, on your fucking high horse, fucking your employers over.
While you’ve not had your balls cut off, and you’ve not been sent to build a second branch of the BAM.[Note: The Baikal Amur Mainline was built for the most part by POWs and prisoners in work camps during the Soviet times, many of whom died due to the conditions. As many of 90% of the POWs who worked on the line did not return.]
cybergo_ru:
Another sell-out eco-warrior demonstration? Are you jackals not ashamed of being bought for kopeks and PR? [Note: a kopek is worth less than a thousandth of a euro/dollar]
igorpodgorny: (responding to above)
Turn your brain on )
olikaomsk:
Did the Germans not consult with our activists beforehand? Their banners aren’t really in Russian :) Write again after the court case saying what’s been decided and how harsh the courts are.
krylusha:
Listen to Kommersant-FM, to what Oleg Kashin has said about this demonstration.
I don’t approve of the demonstration, but Kashin’s reaction was a nasty surprise.
igorpodgorny: (responding to above)
I read Kashin, he’s written some nonsense.
Further comments from Argumenty I Fakty:
Нужын новые технологии:
But Gazprom are shifting all the Soviet gas. The deposits are almost exhausted, and finding new ones is too expensive.
The West are conserving energy, moving over to wind and solar power. And reducing gas purchasing.
Instead of this, [we’re spending] 600 billion roubles [15bn euros, 19bn dollars] on a summit in Vladivostok.
Vovik77: (responding to above)
Alternative energy sources are inefficient, the West are still using huge amounts of gas, most of it Russian. Maybe that’s why Greenpeace are so focused on Russian exploitation of the Arctic oilfields (because it’ll be cheaper to produce it themselves than to buy it from the Russians).