On Episode 14 of Deprogram, Unicorn Riot spoke with Elizabeth Mount about her experience in Portland during the #ShellNo protest. Elizabeth tells about what it was like and what motivated her to be one of the few who hung suspended from St John’s Bridge over the Williamette River, a direct action which physically blocked the Fennica support ship from leaving the Portland port. Without the Fennica, Shell Oil Company is unable to proceed with exploratory oil drilling missions on the Polar Pioneer rig in the Arctic Ocean.

“We really need to be on the frontlines to stop as many of these operations as possible and if that means putting our bodies on the line directly, then we’re ready to do that.”

Interview:

“Everybody has some skill that can be put into use in a direct action. If you can’t put your body on the line, you can still give something.”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m in prison, or if I’m free, or if I have a nice middle class well-paying job… if we destroy the planet, nobody can live on it.”