Friday Morning in Mayo

Details of action taken against Shell on the anniversary of Saro-Wiwa in Mayo

This morning a group of protestors successfully blocked two entrances to Lennons quarry from 6.30 onwards. There were a number of scuffles at the entrances with quarry workers. On member of staff punched a protestor in the head. At 8.30 the group moved to the third entrance of the quarry to join another group already gathered there. A group of about thirty held this entrance, which was manned by roughly fifteen cops. The cops soon outnumbered the protestors. The protestors sat on the bridge and linked arms to block the entrace. The cops advanced on the sitting protestors and proceeded to drag people away, push them around, throw people into ditches and barb wire fence. People were punched in the head. One protestor described what went on as 'indiscriminate violence', both men and women recieved blows. Five to eight people were in need of an ambulance. One man was given a bloody nose, a black eye and is suffereing from concussion. People have come away with barb wire cuts on their legs and bruises from the blows from the treatment they recieved. The entrance was held from between one to two hours. The cops penned the protestors into a field and told them that they were trespassing. The protestors did not allow temselves to be hemmed in and left of their own accord.

Also this morning two hundred people or so blockaded the Bellanaboy site.Two members of this blockade had to be hospitalised.The cops batoncharged the protestors. One protestors thumb was broken. TV3 have allegedly recorded a member of the gardai saying 'Lets have a baton party' in relation to the action in Mayo. Feel free to confirm this report.

More details will follow.