Ending a nearly two-day standoff, Greenpeace activists who had successfully blocked passage of a Shell Oil drilling vessel were dramatically removed from their positions on the St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon on Thurdsay evening as a special team of law enforcement officers cut them away to allow passage of the ship.

the local KOIN TV reported the events:

Hours after anti-Arctic drilling activists successfully stopped Shell's icebreaker Fennica from leaving a Portland drydock, the ship slowly but effectively passed safely underneath the St. Johns Bridge.

After turning back around 7:45 a.m. on its first attempt to leave Portland, local, state and federal agencies took steps to ensure the ship could leave the dock on its way to the Arctic.

The efforts began around 2:20 p.m. when the St. Johns Bridge was closed. A PF&R High Angle Rope Rescue team was sent to the bridge to prepare. A Portland police officer began rappelling down the bridge around 3:45 p.m.