FROM: GREENPEACE CREW OCCUPYING THE SHELL BRENT SPAR OIL PLATFORM

DATE: 16 MAY, 1995 -- DAY 17

NEW GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS MOVE ONTO THE BRENT SPAR

Day 17 on the Spar - This morning a ship transferred a new group of people to the Brent Spar, the abandoned Shell Oil platform slated to be dumped into the sea with its 100 tonnes of toxic sludge.

54KB GIF or 16KB JPG. ©Greenpeace/Sims.

The new crew, in inflatables, waited for the waves to rise high enough for them to grab the one rusting metal ladder leading up to the top of the platform. They then scaled the steep ascent to the platform -- up the peeling, yellow, 17-metre diameter metering and pump room -- which leads to a trap door to the dilapidated accommodation room. While doing so, our inflatables were dangerously obstructed by a Norwegian rig support vessel, the Rembas. The Rembas nearly pushed one of our inflatables against the side of the Brent Spar. We on the Brent Spar, concerned by this irresponsible action, read the following message to the Rembas:

54KB GIF or 16KB JPG. ©Greenpeace/Sims.

"You are endangering life by manoeuvring in a life-threatening and unseamanlike manner. We request that you keep a safe distance from our inflatables."

The Rembas indicated that they understood this message but continued to be obstructive.

All of us are now wondering if this is the first attempt to remove us from the rig after the court issued an interim interdict on the 14 May. The Scottish Courts allowed Shell to stop the Greenpeace vessel, Moby Dick, from resupplying us with food and other essentials.....Shell want to starve us out and we want to stop Shell from destroying the North Sea with its toxic waste!

More as it happens.

The Greenpeace Brent Spar Crew