SF Take Boycott Shell Campaign to Dublin City Council
dublin |
anti-capitalism |
press release 
Monday July 04, 2005 14:34
by Sinn Féin
Following the discovery at the weekend of Dublin City Council's refueling contract with Shell Oil, Sinn Féin aim to maximise pressure by terminating the Council's contract.
Sinn Féin on Dublin City Council will tonight call on other parties to support an emergency motion demanding that the Council terminate its contract with Shell Oil with immediate effect. The motion is in response to the imprisonment of five Mayo men last week by the High Court.
Deputy Group Leader and South East Inner City councillor Daithí Doolan said: “These men are in prison for standing up for their community in resisting efforts to bring a potentially lethal high-pressure gas pipeline through their lands. The support for their actions throughout Ireland has been incredible. Ógra Shinn Féin pickets on Statoil stations last week reported an unprecedented groundswell of support for this small community standing up to a massive corporation with an atrocious human rights record.
“Sinn Féin, along with other parties and individuals, has called for the immediate release of the Rossport Five but the reality is that it is only when political and economic pressure is brought to bear on corporations like this that anything can be achieved. As a result we are demanding that the Council stand with these five men and the Rossport community by terminating its contract with Shell Oil and we look forward to cross-party support on the issue.” ENDS
Text of motion:
This City Council supports the people of Rossport, Co. Mayo in their campaign against Shell Oil & Statoil's laying of a dangerous pipe line in such close proximity to their homes. In light of the court action taken by the these companies and the resulting imprisonment of the 5 land owners, we are calling on this City Council to terminate the City's contract with Shell Oil with immediate effect
Comments (18 of 18)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18Quick SF, jump on the bandwagon and chair a ridiculous motion
Of course if SF said or did nothing (like yourself) then you would have something else to whinge about. The effective thing about this protest is that it is an alliance of all sorts of groups and people in the interests of one common objective. The men in prison couldn't give a somersaulting fart whether it is SF, SP, SWP, anarchists, or the moonies who are fighting for them.
.... I cant help noticing that the politics seems to be left V right a lot of the time. Personally i think it should be right versus wrong but which side is right and which is wrong?? How come anytime any of the leftist parties do anything the rest of the lefties cry foul?? Would a coalition of lefties not be better?
Get it together or I'll send the elves down to sort things out for you lot!
Tut Tut Tut!!
Mr.Claus!
>>How come anytime any of the leftist parties do anything the rest of the lefties cry foul??
simple answer:
jealousy
they fecked off to scottland to smash capitalism and realsed it needed smashing hear first
Typical Sinn Fein action- come out with an absolutlely useless statement just to win brownie points in advance of an election.
Creating a political football of this issue is of help to no one, but that's exactly what Messr Adams aim is.
Come up with some real world solutions Sinn Fein then people might listen.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70593
Sinn Féin TDs lobby Norwegian Embassy on behalf of Rossport 5
http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/10318
Norwegians are very nice. They're very rich, and they give more of their money to poor people than any other European country, and just to make it fair, they export poor peoples' oil and gas, and sell them guns and explosives too.
Just to report back on this motion.
Council Management vehemently objected to the section of the motion referring to Shell's existing contract with the City Council and also claimed to be unsure that such a contract existed and in such circumstances could not allow it to go forward. And even if such a contract existed, which they were not willing to either confirm or deny, they were oposed to anything that might lead to breach of contract. (FYI a senior Council official confirmed this morning that Shell had the contract for the vehicles in his department)
Cllr Gerry Breen of Fine Gael objected to the inclusion of Statoil in the motion, arguing somewhat bizarrely that there was no proof Statoil was involved in the pipelaying project as he had read no such claim in 'the weekend papers'.
Becoming clear that the motion was not going to receive the required two thirds majority to be discussed the last sentence was amended on the floor of the Council with everything from 'we are calling on...' deleted and replaced with 'City Council calls for their immediate release'. This compromise motion was passed by the Council.
It was not the success we wanted, but getting cross-party support for their release and support for the position of the people of Rossport are smaller, but still useful, victories.
.
What utter hypocrisy on the part of Ogra Sinn Fein. As the Kinsale Gas field is rapidly running out of gas, unless the Corrib field is developed, Ireland will be 100 per cent reliant for its natural gas on supplies from Britain. So that's what Ogra SF wants, to put Ireland completely at the mercy of Britain for this vital energy resource. Who knows but that some years down the line a right-wing Conservative Government in Britain, dependent on the DUP for support, might threaten to turn off Ireland's natural gas supplies unless it does what its told. I bet Ogra Sinn Fein never thought of that. But then, Ogra Sinn Fein never thinks. That's their problem.
How much of this gas being piped out of our seas are we going to get? how many bottles will be delivered to my door in return for my compliance with their trashing our coastline? We get nothing. We should not be allowing them to take the gas at all, on or off-shore.
"Sinn Feins moronic statements again
by Chu Chulainn Monday, Jul 4 2005, 2:48pm
Typical Sinn Fein action- come out with an absolutlely useless statement just to win brownie points in advance of an election.
"
What election would that be?
I think it is important to clarify that it makes no difference whether the gas we buy comes from Venezuela, from Britain, from Azerbaijan or from the Corrib Gas Field. As consumers, we have to pay the full market price for all gas we buy. One of the (many) shocking elements in this particular case, is that we are receiving no royalties from this project, although the resources under the Irish sea bed are rightfully ours. Shell E&P Ireland will pay a rate of 25% tax (compare with Norway, where tax on oil profits is set at 78%), which can be offset against any expenses they incur, Bord Gáis are paying to build the pipeline which will deliver Shell's gas to their markets, Mayo County Council (Irish taxpayers again) are subsidising the upgrading of the roads from the terminal site in Ballinaboy to just outside Bangor where the peat removed from Ballinaboy is to be deposited and of course, there will be no gas provided in Mayo; we don't necessarily know what the state of the world's reserves in gas and oil are, as most available information comes directly from the oil and gas companies themselves. Furthermore, having those resources in our territory does not mean that we should extract them simply because we know they are there. They can be left where they are and used for future generations.
If there were to be gas / oil shortages, Shell are under no obligation whatsoever to prioritise the Irish consumer over anyone else. I encourage people to examine the facts of this case.
What about terminating Gama´s contract with the city council and also that of BRL tis front company. That would have a real solidarity effect with the Gama workers and others in a similar situation including the Irish workers in the construction industry. I am all in favour of the Shell boycott and am not counterposing them for one minute but there needs to be a more consistent line on this issue.
I was "asked" by a gang of heavies not to use the Shell Station on Collins Ave tonight. Intimidated, I duly obliged and drove to the Shell station in Ashbourne where I filled up with €35 worth of fuel. If these "protestors" are the type that Shell put behind bars they will have my loyal custom for life.
Who cares which party organised the action as long as it keeps the pressure up. I dont care if its SF, SWP or the Monster Raving Loony party, if it keeps Shell on the run and I dont really care why they are doing it if it has the right result.
As a irish man Embarassed . This makes me sick Mad . If this was any other country, eg France. The people would be burning shell petrol stations and Goverment Buildings
Again..... im ASHAMED to be irish Twisted Evil
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