Shell's Posh Wine & Cheese Reception Disrupted by Protest

bristol | corporations | feature Sunday December 16, 2007 14:48 by Bristol Indymedia Editorial Group - Bristol Indymedia

A week of action against Greenwash

Josh Hart of Arctic Associates writes: It hasn’t been an easy week for the organisers of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award and the Bristol Museum, or their sponsor and proud wildlife destroyer— sugardaddy Shell Oil Company. All week, concerned individuals from around Bristol have been exposing the truth about Shell and the public institutions who are helping to greenwash them....On Friday evening, Bristol Museum hosted a private, posh wine and cheese reception to kick off their hosting of Shell’s exhibit, with attendees including Dawn Primarola, Labour MP from South Bristol and Helen Holland, leader of the Bristol City Council, who were all patting themselves on the back for caring about wildlife. Bristol Rising Tide activists, dressed up to the nines, were admitted to the event under fake names, with one activist gaining access to the mic, and posing as the Shell public relations director. He then launched into a two minute speech (in the style of the yes men) thanking the city council and museum for helping to allow Shell’s destruction of wildlife to continue and calling the melting of the Arctic ice cap a “tremendous business opportunity” by allowing access to millions of barrels of oil under the ice cap. Amazingly the mic was kept on through the entirety of the speech....Saturday saw a highly successful and well-attended protest, marking the opening of the SHELL sponsored Wildlife photographer of the year exhibition. Dozens of humans, about a dozen polar bears, a snow leopard, and a tiger gathered, complete with the Wild Lie counter-exhibit. Protesters gathered in front of the museum, handed out leaflets, creating quite a spectacle. Some eventually made their way into the exhibition hall, where Shell’s crimes were recounted, and a die-in took place to symbolize all the wildlife who have been killed because of oil greed, and who continue to suffer the effects of climate change. The protest, organized by Bristol Rising Tide, Friends of the Earth, and People and Planet, showed that Bristolians will not be quiet in the face of corporate greenwash in our public institutions. Full article.

| Shell Oil and the Institutions Greenwashing Them Feel the 'Heat' on Climate Change | Video of fake Shell "public relations director" at Bristol Museum reception (the video is a mobile phone video 3GP file; you can use Real Alternative or QuickTime to view it!) | Bristol Citizens Join ‘Wildlife’ To Protest Shell’s 'Wild Lie' | Polar Bear Disrupts National BBC Wildlife Magazine HQ | Related Links (not on Bristol Indymedia): Arctic Ice Free by 2013 | Tragic History Museum | Art Not Oil | Shell Wildlife Destroyer of the Year", Friends of the Earth, October 2006 (PDF) |

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