Cairn occupation still going strong

Posted by jamie — 18 July 2011 at 1:27pm - Comments
Image removed by Cairn Energy
by. Credit: Greenpeace
Image removed

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We assembled at about 8am this morning near to Cairn Energy's offices in Edinburgh. It was a strange gaggle of people in suits and an army of polar bears. Such a gathering was going to attract attention so we couldn't hang about - we crossed Festival Square which was starting to get busy with people heading for work and straight through the doors of Cairn's office building. 

It was a slow climb up the stairs to the fourth and fifth floors where Cairn is based - the polars bears needed a helping hand and I was carrying one of the steel tubes which is part of our locking on kit, trying to take pictures at the same time.

Video:

There were already a large number of polar bears massing outside Cairn's reception on the fourth floor, and the wily security guard was alreadyblocking the doors. The plan had been to get inside to search for the oil spill response plan but when it became clear we couldn't get in, polar bears and suits alike sat down, got out the handcuffs and locked in for the duration.

We've been in the lobby for over three hours, and i'm writing this one-handed - my other is cuffed. We've called through the glass reception door to ask for the plans and for a meeting with Sir Bill, but the response was strangely negative. Is this because they know the plan isn't worth the paper it's written on?

 

Sitting still for three hours is a bit dull, it has to be said, although there has been some light relief. A delivery man was startled when the lift doors opened on a room full of prostrate polar bears - he couldn't complete his delivery, not because we were in the way (well, that didn't help) but because the security guard thought it was a ruse to get him to open the locked door. And the lobby is well supplied with toilets so we haven't had to use the wee bottles. Yet.

The team heading for the fifth floor have got in but, thanks to the rubbish phone signal in here, you probably know more about what they've been up to than I do. We're going to stay here until Cairn releases the details of its emergency plan, or until we're cut out. 

The polar bears occupying Cairn's HQ are writing out your messages for Cairn on Post It notes and posting them around the building. Help keep the bears occupied - send your message to Cairn (via a polar bear), by commenting on this post, Tweeting with the hashtag #Cairn or commenting on our Facebook or Google Plus posts.

About Jamie

I'm a forests campaigner working mainly on Indonesia. My personal mumblings can be found @shrinkydinky.

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