An Taisce withdrawal sparks four protests in two days

mayo | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday November 02, 2011 22:27 by Frank - Rossport Solidarity Camp rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com

More protests expected this week

Last week, an Taisce pulled out of a judicial review challenging the granting of consents in Sruwaddacon Bay as part of the Bellinaboy gas refinery project. Already the subject of a ten year campaign, this was not going to be taken lightly. The local community have been left with very little options, but that had not stopped the determination to fight on.

On Tuesday morning, locals and members of Rossport Solidarity Camp joined together for the weekly protest at the refinery. Over the last few weeks trucks coming out of the refinery to go to the main building compound at Aghoos have been occupied for several hours during these demonstrations. Shell got the message and no trucks left while people were there - .other that the usual Walsh's Waste shit truck; which was 'detained'.

However, for five people it was only the start of the day, with them heading into Bangor where they occupied a bucket truck and conveyor at Barrett's Quarry, the business supplying most of the materials currently being used at the Aughoos site. It was successfully held from 12 noon to 2.30pm with no trucks going out, when there are normally up to five an hour.  Despite the quarry already  being targeted earlier in the summer, they had only two security guards (from IRMS) there to protect the place. Eventually more came, and with them the Garda, but the five simply got up and left, point well made.

Out of the anger over the withdrawal of an Taisce's case, local campaigners have asked that there is a week of morning protests at the refinery, to remind Shell that local resistance remains committed and strong. This morning (Wednesday) there were twelve people,and again security and Garda were caught on the hop. Trucks were blockaded yet again, at one point there being five vehicles held up on the road alone between 8.00 and 9.30am.

Later that day, two people blockaded a truck from Lennon's Quarries, another important supplier to the Aghoos site, by simply getting in front of it as it came along the road from Bangor. Another simple, but effective action – soon Shell will get the message that the roads of Erris belong to the people there, not their poodles at the Garda Siochana.

More actions to follow ;)