North Sound News

‘Kayaktivists' train for weekend of protests

ANACORTES, Wash. — They pulled their kayaks into picturesque Fidalgo Bay in the shadow of the oil refineries that dot the landscape in Anacortes. These self-titled "kayaktivists" were practicing for a protest.

"It's big and bold and visual," said Margo Polley, a city of Seattle employee acting on this day as kayak trainer and guide.

Polley says they are taking a page from history, planning nonviolent civil disobedience.

"To get the laser-like focus right now on the fossil fuel industry," said Polley. "Because we have to get them to shift to renewable and sustainable energy."

But so many people descending on so small a city is posing unique challenges for local law enforcement agencies.

"We have our officers in place," said Skagit County Sheriff Will Reichardt. "We have our logistics in place.  We have our command center up and operational."

Reichardt said federal, state and local agencies are working together to keep the peace.

"We're ready to take on whatever comes our way," he predicted.

But a local resident asked a question KIRO 7 posed to a “kayaktivist”: What about the hypocrisy of it?

"There is some hypocrisy because a lot of us did a lot of driving to get here," conceded activist David Richey of Olympia. "But some people pointed out if a gallon of gas that we spend helps us save millions of gallons by turning the public awareness tied to it, it's maybe a gallon well spent."

Two U.S. Coast Guard cutters sat in Fidalgo Bay in anticipation of this weekend's protests.

A spokesman for Shell, which has a refinery in Anacortes, said they expect to remain fully staffed and operational.