Shell to Sea Picket Resumes at Glengad.

mayo | environment | news report

Thursday August 28, 2008 21:55

by Niall & Tommy - Shell to Sea

rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail dot com

085 1141170

Shell to Sea protesters stepped up their campaign against Shell’s offshore pipe-laying operations by mounting a picket at the Shell compound, Glengad, Erris Co Mayo, Ireland. A daily picket was maintained at the Bellanaboy refinery site from the summer of 2005 till recently. This is the first time since 2005 that a picket has been staged at the Shell 'Security Zone' in Glengad. The picket started at 7am and lasted till 9am, during which time Shell security, who were ready to leave after their overnight shift, remained on site for the duration. Shell workers arriving for work at the site remained outside. The picket was stood down voluntarily at 9am and the workers left and entered the compound consequently.

The original Bellanaboy picket was effectively broken by the unlawful and violent behaviour of An Garda Síochána which began on October 3rd, 2006 and continued through 2007. The Bellanaboy picket diminished significantly during that whole period and into 2008, understandably, because of a sustained assault by the State against its own citizens, resulting in much physical, emotional and psychological injury to the community and its supporters.

Today’s picket saw the return of many on the receiving end of that attack and it has to be said that the women of Erris, many of whom have been brutalised by An Garda Síochána in the past, were the first to return to the camp and the refreshed picket.

Meanwhile, a Shell to Sea marine team took to the water from Inver pier to pay a visit to some Shell & Garda boats moored off Ballyglass pier on the opposite side of that stretch of water. Apologies, no pics in this report yet of that little expedition. Maybe later.

No sign of the Solitaire yet due to a combination of factors, in my own opinion.

1) Bad weather.

2) The Chief Pat O’Donnell’s successful defence of his pots from Shell thieves aboard the Highland Navigator. Pat’s gear remains in the path of the Solitaire and perhaps only the ruling of a judge can resolve that dispute, unless the Solitaire steams through regardless.

3) Stiff and growing resistance.

Shell security locked up for a little while in their enclosure.

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Comments (6 of 6)

fair play

by viewer

Sat Aug 30, 2008 16:35

Great pics fair play to you all.

Solitaire

by squirrel

Fri Aug 29, 2008 16:23

Latest update is that the Irish Navy have put a ship in Broadhaven bay. The winch required to pull the pipe onto land has arrived and the Solitaire itself will be in mayo Tomorrow.

Excellent work people

by billy idle

Fri Aug 29, 2008 15:00

And by the look of the weather forecast the solitare rust bucket won't be going anywhere anytime soon!!

Training

by C - Shell to Sea

Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:05

Shell to sea visit Shell at Ballyglass

Fri Aug 29, 2008 11:57

Yesterday, with work in Broadhaven Bay still delayed, a small Shell to Sea marine team paid a visit to the current Shell water nerve-centre based at Ballyglass pier. Currently moored off Ballyglass is a barge containing winching cable, the recently returned Vlaanderen VII which ran aground at Glengad two weeks ago and also the Zenne which is the backhoe dredger that last Friday dropped tonnes of debris within feet of protestors. Also around the area were a number of other smaller Shell boats.

The Shell to Sea paddlers were made up of members of the Shamrock squadron (the J. Connolly, J. Larkin, M. Collins) & Emerald squadron (the Grainne) along with 2 members of the international flotilla (the Guy Fawkes of Yorkshire squadron and the Robin Hood of Nottingham squadron).

The paddlers had made their way about the 1km out to the boats before the Shell safety and security boats reacted.
After about an hour paddling around the area the Shell to Sea team headed into Ballyglass Pier to greet the Garda boat which was just launching from the RNLI slipway. The gardaí politely refused the request of a race from the J. Connolly (Shamrock squadron) after which the team then made their way to the public slipway where they were met by shore support.

Meanwhile marine training continued for the activists preparing for the Solitaire and associated boats.