Greenpeace protesters who spent most of the day tied to a NIWA ship in Wellington have been arrested this evening.
The group of activists boarded the Tangaroa research vessel this morning because they claimed the ship was being used to help in deep-sea oil exploration.
Ten hours of protest came to an end this evening. The three activists were arrested and each charged with one count of being unlawfully on a ship – an outcome Greenpeace considers a success.
Greenpeace says it's taking the action because the Tangaroa is conducting oil research on behalf of oil giants Chevron and Statoil.
The protesters filmed themselves as they climbed the Tangaroa after breaking into a secure site on Wellington's waterfront just after 9am today.
Greenpeace says it targeted the government-owned NIWA ship to prevent it from conducting deep-sea oil research.
"Basically this vessel has been commandeered to conduct deep-sea oil exploration, as opposed to doing science in the public interest," says Greenpeace activist Siana Fitzjohn.
Police climbed up to the protesters, urging them to come down, but they refused.
"Our beef isn't really with NIWA; it's with the Government itself, which is of course promoting the oil exploration agenda," says executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa Dr Russel Norman.
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says NIWA has been conducting marine surveys, including petroleum research, for more than 30 years.
"Basically climate change is only getting more urgent," says Ms Fitzjohn. "So the imperative to stop the deep-sea oil agenda is only getting more urgent."
Ms Fitzjohn says she and her fellow protesters expect to be arrested but that it's worth it to get their message out.
3 News
