Denmark dispatched marines to intercept Greenpeace ship

17.08.2010 Denmark dispatched marines to intercept Greenpeace ship sailed off London to hold protest action against deepwater drilling, reported The Guardian.

The vessel named Esperanza left London port last week. As for plans of the environmental organization, the ship with the Greenpeace activists on board is supposed to reach one of the oil platforms and hold peaceful protest action against deepwater drilling. According to Greenpeace, this oil extraction method endangers environment and invites large-scale environmental disasters like recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

However, Greenpeace has not disclosed the ship's route and final destination either. By order of Danish government, a warship with marines will expect the Greenpeace activists off the Faeroes where one of deepwater drilling platforms is located, although it is uncertain whether the ecologists' vessel would arrive there or choose another platform.

Greenpeace has already expressed concern of the Denmark's decision and pointed out that the action was going to be absolutely peaceful.

According to The Guardian, there are 30 men aboard Esperanza which is former Russian Vikhr-type rescue tug; the Greenpeace activists have food supplies for several months, lifeboats and a helicopter. Greenpeace says Esperanza has been conducting environmental activities since 2002 and is a flagship of the Greenpeace fleet.

This action is not the first one undertaken by Greenpeace to draw public attention to danger of deepwater drilling in particular and to inexpedience of oil use in general. Late July the Greenpeace activists blocked all London's BP gas stations in protest against oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.