Shell halted as Shell to Sea '8' are illegally detained.
mayo |
environment |
feature
Friday August 22, 2008 10:21
by Rudiger - Shell to Sea
rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com
085 1141170
Shell digger used disgracefully to assist Gardaí in endangering the lives of protesters in the water.
Shell Proving They Care About Safety
This morning at 10am, 15 Shell to Sea activists entered the water at Glengad Beach to stop Shell pipeline excavation work. Dinghies, surfers and swimmers surrounded the machine and stopped the work by their presence in the water.
3 members of the Garda water unit then began picking people out of the boats and the water and bringing the protestors into the Shell compound where other Gardaí conveyed them then to Belmullet Garda station. Gardaí were questioned by activists, asked to identify themselves, and give reasons why they were pulling people from the water. Gardaí were questioned as to what authority they had to give directions or use force against protesters in the water. They refused to account for themselves. “Public Order Act” shouted one very aggressive Garda.
Related Links: Shell to Sea Coverage on Indymedia.ie | Glengad, Mayo - July 29th | Shell & Gardaí Force Community from Glengad Beach
8 people in all were brought to Belmullet Station, however, it is wrong to state that these people were arrested. The Gardaí never formally arrested the protestors and didn’t state under which section they were detained by the Gardaí. So it is more accurate to say that 8 protestors were “illegally detained” rather than arrested (all protestors were also unnecessarily handcuffed). All 8 were released without charge, with the last being released around 6pm.
With no regard for health and safety protocols, the Gardai entered the sea to wrestle with protesters in the water. On at least one occasion they worked together with the Shell security team who grabbed one protester and held him until the Gardai reached them. Initially the water Gardaí stayed in the boat, however, eventually two Gardaí entered the water to catch the swimmers.
Three protesters moved onto a rock in the sea near the dredging operation. Intermittently the dredger tried to begin work again even with people very close. In one instance, the dredging machine picked up large amounts of debris from the sea bed and dumped it within inches of the protesters. The final three protestors were carried away at around 1pm.
Mary Campbell who witnessed the events on the water said, "It was so dangerous. The huge dredging machine continued working right over those lads' heads and then the Gardai half drowned them. It's amazing no one was killed. It's a crime that the Gardai can work for Shell like that."
Shell have today issued a statement about how “Safety, including safety of workers on the site, members of the local community and any other members of the public, is the first priority of the company at all times”. However, the pictures below give the total lie to Shell's words and also illustrates that all the safety signs dotted around the compound are only for show as basic safety procedures are routinely breached.
While the protestors were held in Belmullet Garda Station they were made to stay in their wetsuits even though dry clothes had been brought into the station for them by friends ‘with an interest in their welfare’. Some of the detainees were held for over 4 hours and so it is totally unacceptable that they had to stay in wet clothes for all that time in the cells.
Today's action was part of a Shell to Sea week of action against the pipeline. Protesters have vowed to continue tomorrow and the following days until pipeline work stops.
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Comments (20 of 20)
Jump To Comment: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1I wish there was a thousand more stout hearts in the whole country like these activists.We could bring down this corrupt and self serving government. Well done lads-never falter.!
Video brilliant it was marvellous and the Music was fantastic you should do some irish music tho seeing as your in the last area that pop music hit the country. Shame that the digger threw all that spoil so close to the individual standing in the way, you would think he could have gotten out of the way.
Great action from some very brave committed people, with great photos and video. Shell, go refine the raw gas at sea!
This video demonstrates the extraordinary courage of ordinary people against overwhelming odds .I am disgusted by the politicians of this country who are facilitating the rape of the land ,endangering citizens. Shame on Eamon Ryan, remember this is an area of conservation .Now the Sandmartins have all gone their nests destroyed ,these birds are protected under EU law like that means a dam thing in this country . Shell kill with ease.
Corrupt corporate killers,.Who will be next? Keep safe shell to seafarers .
More videos please, God knows we`ll never see it on the RTE.
Great video !
This video should be featured .Amazing footage of a very brave action.
Well done to all involved .
Solidarity
All I could see was decoys playing water bumpers, allowing the swimmers to reach the objective. There is no music in the second half.
The music is very annoying on that video- it sounds like something from a really old computer game and trivialises the action. News videos don't need music.
.
Caption: Embedded video Politube
Solidarity from Derry and congratulations on a powerful action that reveals 'The Machine'.
I am struck by the similarity between the photograph of the activist in the sea literally being ‘dumped on’ and the few photographs that documented the brutal killing of Rachel Corrie in 2003 by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). She was trying to use her status as a US citizen to stop the IDF demolish a Palestinian home. So the machine will kill, lets be very clear about it, and local operators of the machine (be they digger drivers or politicians who sign authorisation decrees) will find ways to live with their conscience afterwards. If they don't, they’ll just be additional casualties of the machine and meanwhile the machine will keep on going. And it will keep on until ‘solidarity’ rather than ‘ego’ is its operator.
So what am I saying. We have many good people seduced by the machine to win over but in the meantime be careful. Being right doesn’t always keep you alive, Remember Bloody Sunday. Remember Rachel Corrie. Stay creative, lets try not to loose good people here. We’ll be thinking about you and what we can do to help.
Is all over this. Talk about selling out!, These guys make the PDs look reasonable!!
I've just received word from Maura, that the cops have declared an intention to evict the camp tomorrow (Sunday 24th).
I logged on here to read more, and found nothing.
I can only imagine that they are too busy organising themselves, but I'd expect something more detailed soon.
In the meantime, I just want to pass on what I received.
"Shell to Sea S.O.S.
Shell cops declare that they will evict solidarity camp from private land at Glengad this Sunday 24th.
We will hold them temporarily but help is needed for long term sustainability. Remember Davitt, no more evictions in Co. Mayo. Please come to Glengad."
Irish Times:
Eight Corrib gas protesters arrested over 'most dangerous' demonstration
...A SENIOR Garda officer has described a Corrib gas protest off the north Mayo coastline yesterday as "the most dangerous yet", and has issued an appeal to objectors to "take a step back from the water's edge"....
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0822/1....html
RTE:
Eight released after public order incident
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0821/mayo.html
The picture of the machine bucket so close to a very committed and conscientious protester proves that Shell/Statoil hire mindless thugs as machine operators.The right to protest is a very precious right which should be protected by our Government,the rights of fishermen to protect their livelihood must also be protected.How much closer does the NIGERIAN experience look now at the hands of Shell?.Will our GOVERNMENT wait until it has blood on it,s hands before it acts to deal with the situation in a fair and just way?.
This sequence of images shows a second instance of the dumping of excavated material almost on top of a protester in the water. The protester is standing in full view of the cab, it is difficult to see how the machine operator could have been unaware of his presence.
"The Department of Environment say they have no control over the current work going on at Glengad Beach even though it is a Special Area of Conservation. Consents for this work were received from Minister for Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, and Tánaiste Mary Coughlan when she was Minister for Agriculture. "
Abominable disgrace.
Ireland. Marine Notice: Safety Exclusion Zone of the Corrib Gasfield
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Notice to all shipowners, fishing vessel owners, agents, shipmasters, skippers, fishermen, yachtsmen and seafarers.
Corrib Gasfield development of West Coast of Co. Mayo- installation vessel Normand Progress
The Department of Transport would like to advise that works will be carried out within the Safety Exclusion Zone of the Corrib Gasfield. The works will include the Installation of Subsea Flexible Flowlines and Structures.
The work will be performed by the installation vessel “Normand Progress”, (Callsign MZXB5) operating in the Safety Exclusion Zone, which surrounds sub-sea facilities at the following co-ordinates:
54° 20’ 51.418” N / 11° 02’15.465” W
54° 20’ 20.170” N / 11° 03’26.819” W
54° 19’ 11.136” N / 11° 04’15.419” W
54° 19’ 09.119” N / 11° 02’54.963” W
All mariners are reminded of their responsibilities under the International Collision Regulations and are reminded of Marine Notice No. 17 of 2007, which gives general advice in relation to the activities of vessels engaged in survey work for hydrographic, seismic, fishing research and underwater operations.
The work will commence on approximately 26th, 27th August 2008, and will continue for approximately 10 days. The exact timing of works of this nature are subject to prevailing weather conditions at sea.
All vessels in the vicinity are requested to give the operations and the Safety Exclusion Zone a wide berth. All vessels involved in the operations will be listening on VHF CH. 16 throughout the project.
Director General,
Maritime Safety Directorate,
Department of Transport,
Leeson Lane,
Dublin 2.
Marine Notice No. 41 of 2008
Last Updated ( Thursday, 21 August 2008 )
Fair play to all those involved.......
Any updates from this morning?
... more like.
In all the eight years of this campaign it is the opinion of this writer that nothing epitomises the rotteness of the proposed Corrib 'Project' more than this photograph.
This is as close to death as anybody has come thus far. The abject subverted behaviour of what call themselves 'guardians of the peace' - per dictat of Royal Dutch Shell plc to a compromised shower of so-called 'mandated' politicians who are essentially a waste of time and space - is a sign of where we are in Ireland at the beginning of the 21st Century.
It will be acknowledged eventually that what is happening in nth Mayo is one of the first defining battles in Resource Wars that will determine what the planet will be like when we're long gone.
Hie yourselves to Erris and let's fight!
The pictures tell a story indeed: it was a skillful garda operation.
Pictures tell their own story.
Click on each one to enlarge individually.