Rossport Still Resists Overweening Corporate & State Power (photos/report of today's protest)

"We aim to please"

Today's, Shell to Sea well humoured protest outside Shell's Bellanaboy proposed gas refinery site was marred by heavy-handed policing; sit down protesters blockading the Rossport bridge dragged by the hair, one activist, at least, having vivid red throttling finger marks around his throat and concerted harassment of attending photographers - including myself.

O'Reilly, the uber-meister of "crowd control," it was quickly noted was back, looking composed and in control of his customary aggression, however, this was not put to the litmus test as he remained in his grey 4-wheel drive throughout the duration of the protest, patrolling and monitoring the situation.

But it wasn't all aggression in Bellanaboy -one guard earned oodles of brownie points when he, with panache and chutzpah, graciously slid open the sliding door of a McGrath coach that some of us were about to embark on, with a "We aim to please".

What's needed in Bellanaboy is less of O'Reilly, his aggro ways and fellow travellers and more good humoured policing?.