Bellanaboy; blockades continue in the face of heavy police presence.
mayo |
environment |
news report
Monday October 09, 2006 17:16
by Bob and Eve - Rossport Solidarity Camp/ Shell to Sea
rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com
Another Monday morning but no business as usual for Shell, although the state repression of dissent in Mayo shows no sign of stopping.
Much to chagrin of the Gardaí, a crowd of around two hundred people turned out to stop the movement of workers and materials to the Bellanaboy site this morning. A series of sit down protests were staged along the “Shell highway” (the haulage route for the site), which saw police reaction get progressively rougher as the day went on.
Protesters gathered from half six at the junction of the “Shell highway” and the Bellanaboy road with the intention of stopping work. As eight am approached the word went out that the convoy of workers was making its way up the Shell highway. Campaigners marched up the Shell highway, where a bus of Gardaí was waiting. As the convoy approached Gardaí formed a line in front of and behind the crowd. Campaigners sat on the road and began to loudly chant “shell to sea” before reciting a decade of the rosary. There was a mood of defiance amongst the crowd as attempts by Sgt. Gannon to berate them were drowned out by louder shouts of “Shell to Sea”. After it became apparent that campaigners were determined to hold their ground Gardaí began to forcibly drag people out of the way of the vehicles. Gardai lifted some people from the left hand side of the road and deposited them on top of those still sitting, causing a dangerous pile up. After clearing one side of the road Gardaí formed a cordon pushing the remaining seated protesters back and allowing the convoy of half full minibuses ferrying Shell’s hired labour past.
After the Shell’s workers had been allowed past and police lines relaxed, protesters reformed and marched further down the Shell highway with the aim of blocking trucks carrying materials, accompanied as always by an escort of Gardaí. As the crowd approached the Bellanaboy bridge Gardaí made a dash to hold the bridge forming a cordon across the road. Several protesters succeeded in getting past the line and continued up the road. As materials trucks approached the break away protesters unaccompanied by Gardaí sat on the road blocking trucks several hundred meters away. Gardaí on the bridge, quickly realising what was happening, boarded a Garda minibus forcibly moving protesters on the bridge out of the way. The resistance shown to police attempts to herd the blockaders was met by rough handling from the Gardaí.
After Gardaí had removed the first sit down blockade, trucks approached the protesters on the bridge. A series of scuffles emerged as Gardaí moved protesters back in a very rough manner. During the scuffles at least two Shell to Sea campaigners were punched by police. A member of Rossport solidarity Camp was punched in the face by Sgt. Connor O’ Reilly and Maireád Corduff was punched in the chest by an unidentified garda. Once the trucks had been let past and Gardaí lines had again relaxed protesters simply moved down the road to meet the next truck and sat down again. At one point there were as many as three separate groups at various different points with blockades bypassing lines of guards by running out over the bog. At one point Shell to Sea activist Maura Harrington parked her car on the road to block trucks. After refusing to move, a garda broke off the key in the ignition and towed away on behalf of Shell and the Gardaí by local businessman T.J. Carey, who remained stony faced to shouts of “shame!” and “traitor”.
At around 10am it became apparent that the last of the trucks had passed as Gardaí left the scene. Shell to Sea campaigners returned to the trailer for a cup of tea and a chat, where they plan to maintain a presence throughout the day. The resolve of protestors is only strengthening in the face of garda abuse. If Shell think they will succeed in forcing this project through, to endanger lives and plunder our resources then they have reckoned without the commitment of the Shell to Sea campaign to stop it. Pickets and blockades have been organised by regional Shell to Sea groups in Dublin, Cork, Derry, Limerick and Galway all last week and more are planned for the week to come. Despite the efforts of Shell to pose this as being solely a regional issue, the facilitation of oil multinationals by the Irish state is something that affects more than just residents of Mayo. The mismanagement of natural resources by successive governments has resulted in a situation where the oil companies are selling back to people what is theirs. Instead of the Corrib gas being used to benefit Irish residents by funding healthcare or education, or helping to wean the country off fossil fuels, it will only be used to make profit for the “Corrib partners” and their government stooges.
The first sit down blockade of many.
Protesters regroup and walk down towards the Bellanaboy Bridge.
A truck carrying materials is blocked by a small group (background).
A Garda minibus is forced through the crowd of protesters.
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Sgt. Connor O'Reilly noted for his heavy handedness.
Police allow trucks through the blockade.
T.J. Carey local businessman
Police march back up the "Shell highway"
G;
There was a blockade at the bridge and there was a group of Gardaí and they were allowing a vehicle through. Willie Corduff’s wife Mary, she was being pushed against the concrete bridge and she was being crushed by Gardaí, and she was obviously distraught, she was trying to loosen her scarf and stuff. She was obviously in shock and I was trying to push Gardaí back, saying “can you give her space, she’s obviously panicking, obviously distresses.” When I was using my arm to ask them for space I was dragged into a circle of Gardaí and Sgt. Connor O’Reilly came up to me and we were blockaded fully by Gardaí so no one could see and he just came up to me and goes “I think you deserve this,” and he hit me straight into the face and then he goes “oh, sorry” as if it was an accident. So obviously fully intentionally he hit me straight into the face. He bust my lower lip and I thought my teeth were a bit loose, and I busted my nose as well which was bleeding. I was pushed aside and completely separated; I don’t know where she [Mary] is now. She was obviously upset.
Mairead;
I was standing protesting peacefully, then I was being moved away by Gardaí. Two male Gardaí caught me round the waist and another bangarda came, as the two men had caught me round the waist, the bangarda came and punched me right in the top of the chest. I had a chest infection and I was winded badly. Thankfully there was a [medic] there and he helped me get my breath back. A few minutes after that I was walking up the road again. I was pushed into the drain down on top of my back. Then I was with my mother trying to protect her against a bridge they pushed us into a bridge, and G was standing in front of us. The guard punched G in the mouth as he was protecting me and my mother.
Caoimhe;
Well basically it was the first sit down out of many that we had done, and we were all in a big group. I was linked onto one person; my left arm was linked onto somebody and my right arm was completely free. A guard dressed completely in black. Sgt. O’Reilly he said his name was, came over to me. He didn’t even bother trying to get my arm freed from the other person, he just grabbed my right arm which was free and just started twisting it round, and round and round and I was screaming in pain at him. There was absolutely no bother on him, he kept doing it until he got four more guards to haul me out of it.
-
Could u tell us the numbers involved? Thanks.
It strikes me that the protesters up there need to try step it up to make sure that Shall can't get through tomorrow. If this drags on with unsuccesful potests then people will get demoralised. I don't mean to be negative, im being realistic. I'm not sure precisely what they are doing, as unfortunately I am not allowed go up as my parents woun't let me skip school, but have ye tried to all link together and just not allow yourselves to be lifted? Or to even set up physical barriers? The car is a good idea. Take the wheels off? Judging by previous numbers (where the amount of cops is around the same as the number of protesters) it strikes me that the cops would be left with no choice other than full scale police brutality, if faced with full scale resistance from the protesters.
Alsp, i think it is scandalous that the Unions are doing nothing in response to this. this is another assault on the right to protest, never mind the corruption of politicians! Te union leaders are showing themselves for what they are - beaurocrats who seek to limit, not advance, struggles.
This struggle needs to be stepped up, dragged into the unions but also the issue of Public Ownership of the Gas needs to be raised. The demand that the vast gas wealth be used to fund education, housing and healthcare would insure the strong support of the vast majority of working class and young people.
Keep up the struggle!
Solidarity from Limerick,
Cian
PS The web link is to a leaflet by the Socialist Party. Check the SP archves as well to see old records of Joe Higins raising this issue long before the Rossport 5
http://www.corribsos.com/uploads/09oct06update.wav
ANother black day in Erris with numerious police assualts on peacefull protestors. Every scumbag garda in the country was up there today given that they've now resorted to punching women!!
Cian over 200 people were involved in todays protest and many got hurt so its not as if were sitting back or anything. But were does one seek reedress when faced with garda brutality - Still no independent garda inspectorate of anything approaching it!! - This is a fluid situation and different tactics are being employed as the situation arises by protestors. It is no we easy here to organise anything given the level of garda intimidation and surveliance - We are a small community doing the best we can against the masive resources of the state and the biggest oil company in the world - Despite this we will fight on!!!
I know Cian means well but ffs they really train them young with that gang don't they. Tell the protesters how to protest, apologise that the parent won't let him join in and then provide a link to the sect.
You're doing yourselves no favours by posting pics of local business people. Not everyone agrees with you. The publishing of a photo of a local individual accompanied by his name is intimidation.
Stick to your protest, play the ball not the player
What utter bull nerraw - And 200 garda laying into and punching people isn't intimidation - I personally and others continue to be followed by unmarked polica cars as i go about my business - The business man you mention has personally damaged a number of protestors cars over the last week using his own tractors and is nothing but scab labour for shell. He has himself slandered a number of named people over the last 2 weeks with false accusations in the mainstream media!!!
Why does this man continue to work for Shell does he not know that he and his family will have to live in the area long after this is over?
Here we go with the intimidation. Just as well others don't follow your lead and wear masks otherwise you'd have no nice pics to publish. This is an old communist trick used regularly in the old eastern block.
Ernst
You should publish the picture & details of this man - just as after this demo ends you may well be required to stand up and acknowledge your actions so should he.
If you were suggesting that he is hurt then that would be unnacceptable, but you are not. You are identifying someone complicit in causing climate chaos, if no one helped shell or other petrochem' companies or bought their products then they would become extinct and we would not find ourselves getting attacked by the police for doing the right thing.
Communities become unstoppable when they act as one.
Love 'n' rage from Manchester
RTE TV Six One news have shown good footage tonight of some of what went on today. If they don't repeat it on the 9pm news you can see it here too : http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1009/6news.html and/or here http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/230-2180478.smil
And it's crystal clear now. An Garda Síochána are happy to be thugs for Shell and they look like they are starting to enjoy it. And the very people who come to Erris 'to protect and serve the community', are being attacked, like G and Caoimhe were today, and being told that 'they deserve it'. Mairead (local resident) got it from a bean-garda, Maura Harrington (local resident) got it from Sgt Dermot Butler, and G and Caoimhe (their supporters) got it from Sgt Conor O'Reilly, recorded in black as usual on the tv news along with Butler.
You, Conor O'Reilly and you Dermot Butler, have been stirring it for a week now and you are out of control, ye and your army of sellout lap-dogs for Shell. Is this how your wives and kids expect to to provide for them? And do they know about the pleasure you get from abusing women in the way you did today? Do you do it also it because you want people to react and give you what you deserve, you hounds for Shell. Because you want to provoke a violent response to justify a more violent repression. What a game ye play, you pigs ... How dare you? You are not men.
Cian, it looks to me as if the protesters are doing a pretty good job, the onus is on the rest of us to support them.
This thursday Minister for the Marine, Communications and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey will be in NUIG speaking to Cummann de Barra from 11.30 to 13.00. Although I realise this is a time that does npot suit everybody if you can make it along please do. We need to give him a nice big Galway welcome like Andy Pyle and the Israeli ambassador got last week. The venue is the Siobhain McKenna theatre in the Arts Millenium building. Come along and bring as many tricky questions as you can think of!
On another note in his above comment Cian means well. I am a member of the Socialist Party (as such I resent the reference to 'that lot' ) and have met him many times. Please don't interpret his eagnerness to contribute in the wrong way.
Why is there a need for rosary beads and prayers ..can somebody tell what has this got to do with anything you are protesting about .
I can only say as a catholic the use of religious objects as symbol at what is clearly a non religious event is offensive to me
If you were to carry copies of the KORAN.. would this not be seen as highly offensive to Muslims .
Watching the nine o'clock news, they showed alot of the protesters and gave them time to speak. (Which makes up for them only interviewing Shell people in a programme last week) And I did see lots of this Sargent O'Reilly chap. However they didn't report any of the allegations of police brutality.
Interesting that Bertie or Noel Dempsey haven't even been asked to comment yet.
As for the methods of protesting, Rossport solidarity people are the experts. I'm concerned about how the Gards are getting more and more violent. I wish everyone the best of luck, stay safe. I'll try and do what I can up here in the pale.
Hello to All,
Saw todays events on the RTE NEWS today and it infuriated me. Really wish we could be there with you. Why dont you call on the nation to come and support you on the roadway? Even for one day? If even 1% of the country downed tools on Friday to come out in support, then it would make a massive impact. It could be happening to any of us, and thats the message which should be going out to the country. Why dont you 'name and shame' local politicians, councillors, business people and police officers who are working against you on the shelltosea site, (if its legal to do that?)
Best of luck and very best wishes,
Pat Kavanagh,
Wicklow
Go néirí libh, trua nach féidri liom bheith thíos libh ach ta mo thacaíocht iomlán agaibh. Ba chóir rud a dheanach a cheanglaíonn daoine le chéile chun an agóid a coinnéail le chéíle.
Best of luck to all you at the protests, it is must be hard but know that the public support for you is huge, keep on fighting!!!!
Ag súil sibh a fheiscint ar ball Eoghan.
Pat in Wicklow - if, and its a big if, only 1% of people downed tools and blockaded a road as you are suggesting - should we be impressed? Doesnt this just really prove the point that its a small minority causing all the trouble. One minute its the pipeline and now its the terminal.
Why should 100 people or thereabouts block people going about their lawful work?
Paul
PM,
you essentially ask why a small group should be allowed to have an impact on public policy.
Well Paul, because that's the way the world works.
Most people will not take an active interest in events which do not directly impinge on their own lives. A great many of those won't even take an active interest in events which do directly affect them.
This like all the other controversies in public life revolves around minority interests and actions:
There's one ex-councillor in mayo who was on the radio this morning complaining about the protests;
There were two gov't ministers behind the legislation which gave away the gas/oil resources;
There were three individuals who were gifted the corrib field (corporations are considered as individuals from a legal perspective);
There were four businessmen who gifted (ie a lapsed interest free loan) £12,000 to Bertie in late 1994;
There were five men jailed last year for refusing to roll over to Shell in the courts...
Getting the idea?
There are some ten security guards (contractors hired by a kildare company) working for Shell in Mayo;
There are some twenty-five ministers who actually decide how this country will (or won't) be run;
There were some thirty construction workers (contractors hired by an italian company) working for Shell in Mayo during 2005;
There are some fifty construction workers (contractors hired by a Limerick company) working for Shell in Mayo this winter;
There are eighty-six TDs who bear the full responsibility for the current Irish government and all it's actions;
There were some hundred and twenty people dragged off the roads in Mayo on Monday to allow Shell workers into the refinery site.
There were some hundred and fifty gardai taken from duties in Cork to drag people off the roads in Mayo;
There are a hundred sixty-six TDs who have complete power to make or reverse any law in Ireland...
Small numbers, great power.
Its a clever response but for all the play on numbers you ignore the fact that people have the right to work, the terminal has full planning permission and a small rabble of people with blinkered views cant and wont intimidate ordinary, decent people in mayo or in ireland.
"the terminal has full planning permission and a small rabble of people with blinkered views cant and wont intimidate ordinary, decent people in mayo or in ireland."
The pipeline doesn't though.....
200 people prepared to come out and face very rough treatment from the cops in a highly underpopulated area light Eris indicate MASSIVE support for the campaign - as have repeated polls in Mayo and, of course, the plumeting in Fianna Fail support
Krossie
Hey,
It seems my comments were poorly written and (understandably) misunderstood. It seems in my haste I under emphasised my solidarity and over emphasised my questions. The main thing i was raising was a fear that the momentum would be lost. It wasn't a well thought out post, or a party-post, as Shane points out. I also think that I may have come across as trying to enforce my thoughts on others. What i was trying to do was spit out some gut reactions or ideas i had (human chain, physical barriers et), and also put forward some more ideas im more clear on (Trade Unions, Nationalise the gas, a mass mobilisation etc).
I do, however, think the debate over tactics should open up through indymedia, and hopefully through a Limerick Shell to Sea group, and national discussions/debates.
There is great work, (and most importantly, great enthusiasm) being done by the entire community of rossport, and it is good to see that it is a campaig not controlled by any group, either SF, SWP or others. What would peoples hopes be on how this campaign will be taken forward?
Finally, i wish to clarify my 'PS' i meant it to point to archive of where Joe Higgins raised the issue of the gas giveaway etc, before it became such a huge issue, when it was just the dedicated community of Rossport. I means to say 'before the rossport 5 got such fame'. Part of my point was to counter claims the SP are 'band waggoning' on this issue, not in anyway to take away from the courageous work of the Rossport 5.
Sorry for any offence or confusion caused by my inclarity,
Thanks,
Cian
Someone here oviously can't count. The cops and media say 100 protestors, you say 200. Big difference?
Ispy - It is a rule of thumb that when the State and its mouthpieces (corporate cops) don't like protests - and they never do - then the numbers said by the cops to be involved is always half of what's actually present; if they really don't like those involved, as is patently the case here the cops and compliant media will try to spin even less than half the real number.
Do those who so quaintly twaddle about the 'right to work' of all those scabs equally support the 'right to work' of those who operated and continue to operate killing plants all over the world - did the guy who pushed the release button in the Enola Gay have an unqualified right to work; did the hundreds of thousands who died and continue to die do so to support that 'right'???
Warren? - You consider naming local tractor driver T.J. Carey to be intimidation. Let's consider State intimidation in the dark hours of 3rd Oct - T.J. Carey's tractor was brought along by the Royal Dutch Shell Constabulary to haul away local peoples' cars with lengths of bloody chains clanking and clanging in the dark before dawn hours. That's intimidation sunshine ... and it's illegal.
PM - Full planning permission??? No EPA licence, defective EIS, ongoing High Court actions, 200 local people of all generations out every morning ... spin on!
150 poeple blocking bangor road again this morning,heavy handed tactics by the garda yet again.
Ballanaboy bridge blocked at the moment .
Barry states (above), and I have no reason to doubt him:
"There are a hundred sixty-six TDs who have complete power to make or reverse any law in Ireland..."
What are these 166 TDs doing I wonder to ensure that all laws and Government activities in the Republic of Ireland are in keeping with Bunreacht na hEireann (The "Basic Law" of Ireland)?
How many of the 166 have ever even heard of Bunreacht na hEireann? - let alone read it?
Not many I suspect, when you see what is happening at Rossport?
Article 10.1 of Bunreacht na hEireann states:
"All natural resources, including the air and all forms of potential energy, within the jurisdiction of the Parliament and Government established by this Constitution and all royalties and franchises within that jurisdiction belong to the State subject to all estates and interests therein for the time being lawfully vested in any person or body."
"Why should 100 people or thereabouts block people going about their lawful work?"
PM,
Very simple answer.... THOSE PEOPLE LIVE THERE! THEIR LIVES ARE ENDANGERED!
Are you so naive as to think that there is anything remotely 'lawful' about about a corrupt govt selling out to an equally corrupt multinational company? Remember, the 1916 Uprising was also 'unlawful'
Apparently, as Irish Citizens, we still have the right to protest... 'tho from those images of police brutality, its pretty obvious that the law in this country is an ass, (no offence to donkeys)
And besides, how can any fellow citizen with a conscience pass those blockades? Shame on you if you do.
Pat
Wicklow
Pat
the terminal poses no danger to anyone - so why block people going to work. Shell have also said they will change the pipeline route and it has been through a safety review. You are talking rubbish
Just to add a quick note about police tactics in Mayo.
The last two weeks have seen a slow but steady increase in aggression by the Gardaí, starting off politely spoken but not so polite with their physical handling of protestors. This was followed by a stream of verbal abuse and goading and insulting comments, particulary by the Superintendent in charge, Joe Gannon. Comments like "get a job", "I'm only here for the money", "you need a few thumps" (which were subsequently delivered), "you had that coming" (following a punch in the mouth delivered by a plainclothes cop) are commonplace in close quarters.
The physical abuse has clearly stepped up, with men women and children now being pushed, punched, stamped, kicked, gouged and dragged (by various parts of their bodies) whilst being verbally abused. Pre-prepared statements by the Garda Press Office are then put out about an increase in aggressive behviour from protestors and intimidation of workers.
150 people of all ages and both genders, sitting on the road in the rain at 7.30 in the morning holding placards and reciting the rosary, are said to be intimidating a dozen or so 4x4 vehicles full of construction workers in sunglasses, follwed by 20 ton+ trucks of stone and gravel, backed up by the government AND the opposition and all state bodies, the billions of oil dollars at the disposal of Shell, Statoil and Marathon, and all accompanied by over 100 police officers hung over from the previous night's debauchery in Belmullet and Bangor.
Who is intimidating who?
"150 people of all ages and both genders, sitting on the road in the rain at 7.30 in the morning holding placards and reciting the rosary, are said to be intimidating a dozen or so 4x4 vehicles full of construction workers in sunglasses...."
why the fucking prayers ?????
somebody needs to get a life here ..we live in a democracy
protest all you want but do it with due respect to the rest of us as well
we live in a country that has 1 man 1 vote unlike alot of others we get what we elect
The rosary has been recited many times over the last year and a quarter of protests at Bellanaboy, not by everybody, but always with respect and genuine feeling.
To those who seem offended by this action, I ask for a little patience and understanding. When a battle is thrust upon you by a seemingly insurmountable force, a little help from a greater power does seem like a good idea.
Peace.
Ha Ha you people are such reactionaries that you're even protesting against each other. Imagine objecting to someone saying the rosary. You hard leftists have some serious issues you need to deal with.
Scanning through the comments above, it appears that the hard left are constantly making charges of "police brutality", "garda assaults" on "peaceful protesters", etc. The tenor of your complaints is that you are somehow the victims and the gardai are breaking the law in some way.
If there was any truth to what you are saying you could sue, or take out an injunction. But you are not doing that, and so you do not have the courage of your convictions.
The reality is that you are the ones who are blocking people from going about their lawful business. The guards are breaking no laws in moving you out of the way. In fact it is their duty to do so.
My prediction is that the guards are soon going to get tired of your messing around and will step things up a gear. There will be arrests, and you will be treated more forcefully. I look forward with amusement to reading the comments on this site when that happens.
To PM
Do you (or anyone) have details of the proposed change to the pipeline route? If so can you post them here?
Shell have said that they will change the route, but this will amount to superficial changes, a few metres here and a few centimetres there. It's enough to fool gobshites who believe anything, but I'm sure you are more discerning.