(Iran's Environment News Agency) Eight Greenpeace activists have been taken into custody by police after they staged an elaborate protest at the Global Energy conference in Geneva.
The eight activists were dressed up as polar bears wading in oil-soaked snow.
Greenpeace said Tuesday's protest was in response to Gazprom drilling in the arctic in mid-December, despite the fact it had no comprehensive oil spill response plan.
According to AFP, the eight activists were taken into custody for questioning.
Geneva police spokesman Jean-Philippe Brandt reportedly told AFP it was unclear how long they would be held.
A spokeswoman for Greenpeace could not confirm if the activists were taken into custody.
Greenpeace Switzerland arctic campaigner Asti Roesle said the drilling in the Arctic was one of the biggest concerns for Greenpeace.
“Gazprom’s efforts to drill in the Arctic so far have been characterised by delays, safety concerns, expired oil spill response plans and a complete inability to deal with any accidents,” he said.
“Foreseeable as it may be, Gazprom is incapable of cleaning up an oil spill in this freezing region and should back out now, before it’s too late.”
Gazprom was a major sponsor of the Global Energy Geneva summit and was recently the target of another protest organised by Greenpeace.
In early October, two Greenpeace activists tried to scale the Prirazlomnaya oil platform, operated by a subsidiary of Gazprom, in the Pechora Sea.
All 30 protestors on board the Arctic Sunrise vessel used in the protest were detained and held in Russia.
At the time, Greenpeace said the protest was peaceful and posed no threat.

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