The actress Lucy Lawless has been arrested along with five other Greenpeace activists in New Zealand. The Xena: Princess Warrior actress was a member of a group of activists protesting aboard an oil-drilling ship that was docked in Port Taranaki. According to the Daily Mail, they had been perched on top of a 174ft drilling tower on the Noble Discoverer for four days.
The environmental activists climbed aboard the tower on Friday morning (February 24, 2012) in an attempt to raise awareness about oil drilling activity in the Arctic. They were hoping that their activities would prevent the ship from leaving the dock. One activist, who left the ship over the weekend, was charged with unlawfully boarding the ship, which is chartered by the Shell oil company. A statement on Lawless' website states that the remaining protesters were released from police custody, having been charged with burglary. They are due to appear in court on Thursday. Speaking to the Associated Press on Friday, whilst she was perched on the tower with her fellow activists, she told reporters that she "felt compelled to take a stand against oil-drilling in the Arctic and against global-warming."
Lucy Lawless is a New Zealander, perhaps best known for playing the title role in Xena: Princess Warrior, but has traded that title for 'eco-warrior.' She has been posting messages on her Twitter page throughout the protest, including one message which reads "Hey guys, What if the Hippies are Right?!"