The Other 98%...the amazing People Power displayed at the paddle inSeattle

Hey y’all - I’m still lit up from the amazing People Power that was on display at the “Paddle in Seattle” this weekend. I’m also bursting with pride at how Team O98 represented. On Saturday, over 500 kayaks took to the waters of Elliott Bay to say “ShellNo” to the massive Polar Pioneer, one of Shell’s Arctic oil exploration platforms. Other98’s “Mosquito Fleet” was out in force to keep folks safe and out of harm’s way. In the center of this massive “kayak-tivist” armada was the People’s Platform, a 4,000 square foot solar powered barge that Other98 built (with the help of dozens of friends) to help lift up the voices of folks from all over the world who have a beef with Shell’s Arctic drilling. We now have a crack team of media-makers living aboard the People’s Platform (anchored just 1000 yards away from Shell’s drill rig). Our stated objective is to light up the night and give Shell hell until they attempt to leave the Puget Sound. If you haven’t already, please check out our Indiegogo and help us go BIG with the barge. Every little bit helps, and we have awesome perks at every donation level. Other98 worked with a coalition that included Coast Salish canoe families, Greenpeace, 350Seattle, RisingTide, Bayan, and the Raging Grannies to pull off an epic day in the fight for Climate Justice. Our action is now reverberating across the planet and still spawning media stories in outlets of all sizes, from personal blogs to the world’s biggest newspapers. Here are a few highlights: •  This piece from the Associated Press was picked up by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, and many more major newspapers •  Grist.org assembled a collection of incredible images that you should definitely see •  The Guardian, a UK outlet, wrote a truly excellent piece with some great interviews, including a profile of yours truly. If you only read one piece, make it this one. •  Seattle’s Pulitzer Prize-winning alt weekly, The Stranger, wrote a piece highlighting the leadership of indigenous people throughout #ShellNo: Why Descendants of Chief Seattle Led the Protest Against Shell on Saturday. We also published our own roundup of favorite moments at other98.com. We were stoked to see so many stories mention the People’s Platform. It really does take a spectacle to get the eyes of the world on you. If you donate, you’d be directly boosting the efficacy of this action, which is pretty cool! Just click here to chip in. After this weekend, more than a few kayak-tivists may consider paddling out to stop Shell from heading up to the Arctic. Stay tuned... Thanks again for everything you do. I hope you’re as proud of this action as we are, because you made this happen too. Thank you. In solidarity, John Sellers The Other 98%

The TRUTH will set you FREE.