Greenpeace activists arrested on oil rig off Greenland

Jun 2, 2011, 6:38 GMT

Copenhagen/Stockholm - Police have detained two activists from pressure group Greenpeace who scaled an exploration rig off western Greenland at the weekend, the group and local authorities said Thursday.

The activists scaled the Leiv Eiriksson rig early Sunday and had secured themselves in a survival capsule near the rig's big drill, Greenpeace said.

Greenpeace said the move was to protest against test drilling in environmentally sensitive Arctic waters.

In a tweet, Greenpeace said the two had been 'arrested and pod captured - but not the end of our campaign to keep risky oil drilling out of the Arctic.'

Police said the two had been taken to the Greenland capital Nuuk.

Authorities in Greenland have criticized the Greenpeace action. Ove Karl Berthelsen, minister for industry and mineral resources in Greenland, earlier said it was aimed at gaining media attention.

Berthelsen said Greenland, which in 2009 gained more autonomy from Denmark, had a right to exploit its natural resources for the benefit of its population, and said the drilling was conducted under strict environmental and safety requirements.

Several energy groups hope to be able to tap in to gas and oil finds believed to be off Greenland.

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