Wellingtonians to give Anadarko their Trespass Notice Today!

March to Stop Deep Sea Drilling.

Press Release: Oil Free Wellington
For Immediate Release

Wellingtonians will be presenting the Texan oil giant Anadarko with a Trespass Notice today. The notice, which will be signed by those attending Oil Free Wellington’s March to Stop Deep Sea Drilling, will be presented when the march arrives at Anadarko’s offices on Customhouse Quay. The demonstration is beginning with speeches at Midland Park at 12:30pm.  

This happens after Oil Free Wellington members disrupted work on the MV Duke yesterday, and attached a banner reading “Oil Free Seas” to the side of the ship. The Duke, owned by the corporate alliance Gardline CGG, has been contracted to perform seismic surveying of the Pegasus Basin over the next month. This comes after Anadarko began drilling off the coast of Raglan last year, and announced their intent to begin drilling near Christchurch and Otago this February.
The Trespass Notice reads:

“To Anadarko,

You are hereby trespassed from our oceans and required to leave Aotearoa immediately.

You are trespassed because of the following offences:

- Atrocities to the environment and communities worldwide
-Contributing to catastrophic climate change 
-Corruption, buying of laws and suppressing of human rights

From All those committed to protecting our oceans, coastlines and climate.”

Oil Free Wellington Spokesperson Fi Gibson says, “Since the Government has made it clear that they are ignoring public outcry against deep sea drilling, and the expansion of other forms of fossil fuel exploration, we are taking our message directly to Anadarko. We do not want them to profit by putting the oceans, coasts, wildlife, and climate, of Aotearoa at risk.”

“We’re delivering an ultimatum today. We’re asking them to leave. But we’re also making it clear that if they intend to stay, and if they intend to seek profit from their cowboy style drilling, then they should expect resistance every step of the way.”

This message is being delivered as the staunch opposition to the expansion of fossil fuel exploration becomes increasingly obvious. Wellington’s iconic bucket fountain has been used to highlight the threat of an oil spill, Oil Free Otago has formed a ready response team of over two hundred people with the aim of actively resisting drilling, and other groups throughout Aotearoa are demonstrating their un-shaking opposition.

“It’s great to be part of a nation-wide movement consisting of people from all walks of life. It’s great to know that we’re right, that we’re here, and that we’re not going to stop.” – Fi Gibson.

ENDS

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