Willcox, Arctic 30, Granted Amnesty

On Wednesday Russia's parliament granted amnesty to the 30 members of the "Arctic 30," according to a report from the Courant. 

September 19, the Arctic 30 were in international waters protesting Russia's Arctic oil drilling when their Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise, was boarded by helicopter by Russian Coast Guard and seized. All 30 were arrested and imprisoned, including the ship's captain, Norwalk's Peter Willcox.

Willcox, who was released from prison on bail last month, contacted Patch by email on Saturday, Nov. 23 to thank members of the community for their support during his ordeal. On  Saturday, Nov. 2, a flotilla of sailboats with painted sails and banners set sail for the UN Building in New York to protest the imprisonment of the Arctic 30.

Willcox's friend, Martin van Breems, founder and owner of Sound Sailing Center in Norwalk where Willcox works part time as an instructor, organized the Nov. 2 protest. 

"The Russian oil industry already spills about five million tons of oil into the environment every year, due to old or poorly maintained equipment, combined with human error," van Breems said in a statement in November. "...Working on oil rig machinery in one of the numerous winter storms, with sub zero temperatures in the darkness, accidents leading to major spills are inevitable.”

According to the Courant report, granting amnesty to the Arctic 30, would "remove two of many irritants in ties with the West before Russia hosts the Winter Olympics in February. Concern over Russia's treatment of gays is already threatening to cloud the atmosphere at the Sochi Games."

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