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Actress Lucy Lawless is shown protesting Arctic oil drilling Friday aboard the ship Noble Discoverer at Port Taranaki, New Zealand.
Actress Lucy Lawless and six other Greenpeace activists boarded an Arctic-bound Shell oil-drilling ship in Port Taranaki, New Zealand, on Friday morning, causing authorities to limit port access.
The group scaled a 53-meter derrick on the Liberian-flagged Noble Discoverer around 7 a.m. local time.
Lawless told msnbc.com that her heart was pounding and she was "a little shell-shocked" as they boarded, but that she now felt safe.
"We don’t need to trash the Arctic to get three more years' worth of oil," she said in a telephone interview from the ship.
Even as police warned them that they were breaking the law, protesters remained aboard.
After about five hours, police told the protesters, including Lawless, they were under arrest and should come down.
Lawless told police the group wasn't leaving and "we feel we have no choice morally but to stay here and get our message out," New Zealands' 3 News reported.
Earlier, Greenpeace and Lawless tweeted the occupation.
“I’m on one of the oldest drill rigs on the planet and it’s heading to the Arctic. Tell Shell to stop,” Lawless tweeted.
Unique species
James Turner, a spokesman for Greenpeace, told msnbc.com the occupation was the organization's last resort to stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic.
"We simply don’t believe Shell's reassurances that this is safe," Turner said.
He said the Arctic is the home of many unique species, and an oil spill would be virtually impossible to contain, given the area's remoteness. Turner also accused Shell of having a "poor record" regarding oil spills.
Shell says it was "disappointed" with Greenpeace's actions, 3 News reported.
"Actions such as this jeopardize the safety of everyone involved," the company said in a statement. "While we respect the right of individuals to express their point of view, the priority should be the safety of Noble Discoverer’s personnel and that of the protesters."
"Shell has undertaken unprecedented steps to pursue safe, environmentally responsible exploration in shallow water off the coast of Alaska," the statement said.
The ship was due to depart on a 6,800-mile journey to the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska, New Zealand’s 3 News reported.
A weekend departure was planned, but Shell said the protest halted ship operations.
Turner said that Shell has a limited drilling window, given the Arctic's extreme weather conditions. Drilling can only take place when the sea ice in Alaska melts, usually between July and early fall, he said. During the rest of the year, thick ice makes drilling impossible.
Turner said the occupiers have supplies for several days. "We’re there to stop the tanker from leaving," he said.
'A peaceful protest'
But Lawless, 43, said she wasn't sure how long they'd last aboard.
"Our main aim is that this be a peaceful protest, but the law will do what the law has to do," Lawless told 3 News. "We do what we feel we have to do." She told msnbc.com that she and the other protesters have respect for the police.
One person was arrested at the port gate, 3 News said.
The police commander for New Plymouth, Inspector Blair Telford, told the New Zealand Herald that his office's role was to ensure any protest was lawful and that owners and crew of the ship were allowed to go about their lawful business.
"The protesters are clearly breaking the law by trespassing on the ship and we are currently liaising with the Port of Taranaki and the harbormaster to decide the most appropriate course of action. Public safety is paramount.''
Lawless is best known for her television title role as "Xena: Warrior Princess" and currently stars in Starz's "Spartacus" as Lucretia.
She told msnbc.com she hopes her children will live in a better world. "Climate change profiteers should not be allowed to destroy our children’s future," she said.
"Companies are addicted to oil; they’re begging an intervention," Lawless said. "Shell has the technology to be one of the world leaders in a clean energy economy."
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Lawless ....that about sums it up.
You know, when she's all dressed up in her Xena outfit, she is hot enough to stop men from working.
I know she would stop me from working if she walked up on me like that.
Well, Shell is the douchebag of douchebags when it comes to oil. Leave it to the Dutch and BP to operate 200 years in the past. Exxon and Chevron actually pay attention when they drill, despite their reputation.
Arrest the whole group for criminal trespass and be done with it. They endangered their own safety and the safety of the ship's crew in their stunt of climbing on-board. This is not the behavior of rational, responsible people.
JS, I take it you are white and you live in South Dakota? I have quite a few ancestors that died there due to your ancestors criminal trespass.
Shell doesn't own that land, maybe we should charge them with criminal trespass as well as crimes against humanity for the mess they have left everywhere they have drilled around the world.
Hungymongoose, I actually think she looks better this way, plus I doubt she would last long in the arctic wearing her Zena outfit.
oh no lucy !
No JS is black lives in LA and has a lot of stock in Shell, Exxon, BP & other energy companies.
But don't fret if I know JS he will short his energy stocks just as soon as gas nears 6 bucks a gallon.
You go Lucy!!! Big Oil only cares about profits for the rich at the expense of everybody else.
Yo deprogrammer. I don't live to far from the Trail of tears. Of course it's true that the people who decimatted the red man didn't really think that you counted. Of course I'm sure there were a few white folks killed by indians. The BLackhawk wars come to mind. Don't blame Shell, blame the great white father, oh wait isn't that a kick in the history pants. Just the same it's congress that is allowing Shell and Big oil with all of their lobbyists to do this damage.Get it straight.
You're all idiots picking on JS in SD. Theres more people in San Diego (where he's from) than all of South Dakota (near where I grew up). It's funny how you demonize people for owning stock or investing in their future and shows concern for money matters. I'm not poor but i wasn't always. No silver spoon at birth, just hard work and making the right decision for my family's and my future. I pay taxes and don't gripe about the small stuff or somebody else has life better than me. This is the land of oportunity. If you can't succeed here, you can't succeed anywhere IMO.
One more, I'm proud to call many Lakota my close friends. Truely a benevolten people worthy of respect.
What I don't get is why they are still on-board??? There should have been 7 splashes just a few seconds after they refused to get off the rig on their own. I don't tolerate trespassers on my property and immediately escort them to the nearest property line when I find them, no "ifs", "ands" or "buts" about it! I also confiscate whatever they are carrying or riding and advise that they can pick it up at the local sheriff's office. Then I take that property to the sheriff's office and file charges against the owner of the items, who self-identify if/when they choose to go try to pick it up. The only thing that matters at that point is that they do not get to enjoy the privilege of being in a place where they do not have permission to be. If they choose not to cooperate with me, they choose the option where the law hauls them off and I hold them there until the law arrives to do so!
@Liarsin Politics - Thank you, yes I am in San Diego and @deprogrammer for the record my family did not come to the states until the early 1900s and were (and mostly still are) on the east coast, so my family never did anything to any native Americans. I also do not own any oil company stock unless one of my retirement mutual funds happens to have shares. I have never bought a single direct share of an oil company stock ever. These Greenpeace nuts are trespassing on private property and deserve to be arrested for it. How would you like it if I decided to come with some of my friends camp out in your front yard without your permission. I am sure you would want us gone. Private property is just that, private and no one has a right to goon private property without permission from the owner.
I don't always agree with their tactics but I do agree with their point of view, and it's nice to see Lucy as a human rather than a scantily clad Amazon bimbo. Yes I guess I didn't take into account there were other SD's besides the one I live next to, even though I have been to San Diego, perhaps your ideological leaning reminds me more of someone from South Dakota rather than San Diego.
I prefer the Amazon Lucy better.
Rich actress attacking capitalism?
So, lets make sure that we only have enough oil so Lucy can fly in her first class seats to Hollywood to make another bad show on the telly. The rest of us have to walk, k?
@Kendra & Rockyroad.....my thoughts EXACTLY. Can't stand it when these hypocrites from Hollywood get involved in political matters.
Green energy? Where is it, dosn't exist, not practical yet and wom't be for many years!
How come actors and singers with money believe they have acquired intelligence with their money?
They can read their lines convincingly or sing well because they have a good voice then support liberal socialism while counting their money because of capitalism. As Lawless demonstrates against oil she enjoys the luxury of limos and jets when not salving her conscience.
Liberals, another word for backward.
Are you so uninformed that you really think green energy doesn't exist? For decades we've been using cheap hydroelectric power.
So I guess "green" doesnt include flooding huge valleys and wiping out everything that lived there. Every energy source has a downside. Just depends if you pay for it before, during or after generating the power.
@Kendra Sigurdson
If it was possible to give you a high-five over the internet, I would.
> implying that hydro is "green energy"
Oh Lucy, yous gots some splanin' to do...
Oh Lucy, indeed. Some kind of one percenter privileged washed up celebrity - looking for some self promoting of her own - about herself. Ho hum, Lawless. You arrogant piece of worthlessness. And irrelevance.
I think Lorraine-312180 is jealous of Lucy.
You sound like some worthless, irrelevant, wannabe actress that got beat out of a part by Lucy. Twice maybe.
Guitarded I was just thinking the same thing. Lorraine comment sounds jealous, bitter and mean spirited.
I agree. Is she so bad at acting that she has to call attention to herself like this? I'll leave the answer for someone else to decide, but I haven't seen her in any movies or shows since she left Xena.
That's piracy not trespassing. Hang the b%^&.
If not hanging, toss the lot of them overboard, hard hats and all. They are not part of the so called 99%, justa bunch of 1% ers wanting to make an idiotic statement. You ain't gonna buck Shell Oil and win. Get over your ego and off the damn ship.
Thumbs UP for LAWLESS! Those morons at Shell have f- up plenty of spills, we thought the Gulf Spill was bad and the decades of hopeful recovery ahead with thousands of lost jobs and animals life in the hundreds of thousands easily may NEVER make a come back. So, a spill in the Arctic would be unimaginable in the devastation it would definitely create!!! THANK YOU GREEN PEACE and Lawless!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess Justice pushes his car down the street. Back the statements up with some facts.
BP says everything is just great. Didn't you see the adds on TV.
I guess yabecoo hasnt walked anywhere except to his car for the past 10 years and has a body to prove it. You mad you arent getting free handouts with the pipeline you want in texas bro.
Three tweets, from Three Twerps.
Another washed up actress looking for free publicity.
LOL, she doesn't need it, you moron. She's on season 3 of that hit series and all.
which series are you referring to?
Really? Not familiar with Spartacus?
Duh! Spartacus. She plays Lucretia. And she is not the hottest chick in the world, but she still does nude scenes. Not bad for someone her age.
"...for someone her age."???? I take that quite personally as I'm the same age she is, and I've aged pretty well! 43 is NOT Chronologically Impaired!
Xena had two things going for it and they held up her outfit. Those days are long gone. Anything to stay in the limelight. I'm sure she appreciates MSNBC's propaganda just like the DNC and Obama does.
"stay in the limelight"????? Hellooo!!!! Did you even read the article? She's currently on a very popular show and still gets $$ from Xena kickin as$ in syndication!
this lady is doing something she believes in. she's not out buying her 3rd mansion or spending ridiculous amounts of money on frivolous things, she's trying to save some aqualife. she's thinking of her kids and their future. get a grip haters!
I think it is more of what happens when a once great star has too much time on her hands. Like Daryl Hannah. You're right, Lucy's loaded, with residuals from Xena and from Battlestar Galactica. But now she lacks purpose, so she latches on to some radical environmental group so she can feel like she is saving the planet. Shell wouldn't be drilling up there if the greenies would allow them to drill off the coast of FL or CA. They are up there because that's the only place where the US sold them a permit to drill. (most likely because it is so difficult as to prevent heavy drilling or make it cost ineffective) But Greenpeace won't be satisified until we halt ALL oil drilling and move back to a horse and buggy society. While I still love Xena, she is just wrong on this issue.
Seems reasonable to think about the planet her children -- and my grandchildren -- will have to live on. The oil companies are making big money so they'll continue as long as permitted, and apparently governments need to be pushed to act. So I say, good for her.
Absolutely! MY husband and I aren't going to have any children, but it seems we are more concerned about the environmental hazards that everybody else's progeny will be facing, than most of those who are having them. Sad that people don't understand that most of the stuff we use now, will still be here, and pollute the earth when we are gone.
"Actions such as this jeopardize the safety of everyone involved,"
I'd say Shell is an expert in that area! BP's still cranking out profits, do you think SOC has anything but "profits now at whatever cost" on their minds.
"Lucy Lawless" Sounds more like a stripper then an actress. No judgement though.
"Lawless", that explains her actions.
Go get 'em Xena! Shell says it doesn't drill through the ice - but I bet they pump oil through it after it's drilled. There is no responsible level of safety when that occurs.
I applaud her bravery and convictions along with all the other Greenpeace activists. The high risk of an oil spill is just devastating to justify 3 years worth of oil. Apparently those against Greenpeace and what they are tying to do have not seen the devastation that the Gulf oil spill caused and continuing to cause to this day and beyond. It's sickening to think of the power these oil giants have in our government.
I'm sure it was a sailboat used to get them there...
Welcome2cocstco - you said it all in just so very few word. Hypocrite one percenter celebrity - right there.
Lucy Lawless - be gone!
So Lucy, you've got plenty of money to buy gas for your SUV at whatever price. Let everyone else eat cake.
Best known as Xena, Warrior Princess. That says it all. Extremist arrogant, one percenter celebrity - party on, hon. I bet you feel so fine about yourself, don't you. Doing all of this for sport. Illegally doing whatever it that "pleases" you hypocritical, arrogant, one percenter privileged celebrity sensibilities.
Ho hum, Xena. Get back to the real world and sling some fries of (hah) pump some gas for a living. You fool.
I have to applaud on one hand, and on the other that no matter who complains, Exxon will have their way.
Gina - I know the story is confusing, but its Shell Oil, not Exxon...
I LOVE LUCY!..............but...........stick to just being a hot babe. You're way out of your league, and you don't know what you're talking about.
Just another dopy actress.
There are better ways to obtain oil . . . . we do it every day in my state. If this nation would make a concerted effort along the lines of the Manhattan Project we could tell the Middle East, Mexico and Venezuela we don't need them and sell the excess to China and India! Wouldn't that be a revelation?! As an alternative to energy development . . have you ever heard of Thorium Liquid Salt Reactor? Go look it up.
I'm sure LL drives a solar powered car and heats her home with wind generated electricity, oh, wait...she uses gasoline and diesel...my bad...
Zena? Nahhh...! I like Lucy Lawless even better as crazy, scheming, tuff-girl whore Lucretia in the "Spartacus" Roman gladiator series on Starz CATV.
And just for the turds who disparage Obama in these comments...Obama/Biden will win big in 2012! No doubt!!
Another has been, desperate for attention.
Add her and the other 6 to earths natural "biomass" process. She can be re-pumped in a million years and do some good.
I'm sure greenpeace uses solar powered boats to travel to this ship, and surely Lawless flew in a windmill powered airplane to meet up with greenpeace. These idiots don't even realize their lifestyle depends on fossil fuels.
Washed up Bi t ch must be trying to get another job
She's already got one, you moron. She's worked pretty steadily since her Xena days. And tell us, what is it you do for a living?
It is getting her publicity. As they say in Hollywood, any mention is a good mention.
She DOES seem to be attempting to call attention to herself... I know that she drives some very large -- gas guzzling -- automobiles.
How do you people know what this woman drives? Just curious because it's been mentioned. a few times. Was it in the article? Did I miss it...Don't think so
Mockingbird, apparently he get paid to make lame comments on MSNBC.