Eight arrests at port protest

Police have arrested and removed eight of the 19 Greenpeace protesters who have occupied the offshore supply vessel Skandi Atlantic in Timaru’s port since Sunday morning.

Although police confirmed the eight arrests, they did not have details of the charges, but a Greenpeace spokesperson said they had all been charged with trespass.

The eight – five men, two women and one non-binary – were driven away in three police cars and an unmarked vehicle from about 2.10pm yesterday.

The women could be seen making peace signs to supporters as they were driven away.

The eight people were removed at the request of the captain because of their placement on the ship (on the captain’s deck), according to Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Amanda Larsson.

She said police used angle grinders to cut the railings the protesters had locked themselves to and there were no plans, at this stage, to remove the remaining protesters.

Police said: ‘‘For operational reasons we are unable to go into details or elaborate on staff deployment.

‘‘Police will continue to maintain a presence at the port [Monday]. Police’s role is to keep the peace and ensure the safety of all involved.’’

Larsson said the protesters had spent a peaceful Sunday night camping on the vessel’s deck, while eight people had removed themselves from the protest.

‘‘The trespass notices were issued yesterday [Sunday] and the protesters have stood strong.

‘‘They are willing to risk arrest to be able to stop this ship from going off and supporting more oil and gas exploration.’’

Protesters boarded the Skandi Atlantic, owned by Austrian company OMV, about 6am on Sunday to prevent it leaving for a drilling site off the Taranaki coast.

‘‘The whole point is to prevent this oil rig from being able to anchor and start drilling and it needs this support vessel to be able to do that so we’re here to stop them from doing that,’’ Larsson said.

‘‘It was a very quiet and peaceful night, everyone was just tucked away in their sleeping bags and in their tents.’’

She said police had been coming in and out throughout the protest to check on everyone and make sure they were safe

A police spokesperson said a number of protesters had voluntarily left the boat, and they were issued with trespass notices.

According to Primeport’s shipping schedule, the Skandi Atlantic is due to depart today but may be unable to leave as planned if protesters remain.

‘‘It’s not going to impact our activities at all,’’ Primeport chief executive Phil Melhopt said.

‘‘As it stands it is on a berth that’s not being used by anybody else.’’

He said they would have to wait and see what further action would be taken as ‘‘it’s a matter for the vessel owners’’.

An OMV spokesperson said the company respected people’s right to protest but ‘‘a blockade of this kind is a dangerous action that puts people at risk’’.

‘‘This is a trespass situation aboard a vessel that is engaged in legitimate business as part of OMV’s legal permit obligations,’’ they said.

‘‘A blockade of this kind is a dangerous action that puts people at risk.’’ OMV spokesperson