Mon. 8th Sept. - Solitaire Boarded in Daring Shell to Sea Fleet Action!

by FSB! (pers. cap.) - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 30, 2008 17:51

In a previous comment on this indymedia story, I had made some rather intemperate remarks about their purpose in visiting Glengad during a time of extreme stress, a situation that the Green party had helped to bring about by virtue of their party being in government. I had assumed that the Mayo GP delegation were loyal to their leadership and would be reporting to Gormley, Ryan, etc.

More recent news that I’ve received would indicate that the people involved were trying to get their party to live up to their election campaign promises, to spike the enthusiasm of their TDs/senators for doing Shell’s will and to move against the pro-government clique in the party. The people involved meant well, and I do apologise to them as they were really an undeserving target for vituperation.

The decent membership of the Green party has been betrayed by their Oireachtas representatives as much as the people who voted for them in their mistaken hopes for change. Arguably even more so, for it is the general membership that does the vote-getting for the €100,000pa prima donnas and then has to cop the abuse from the general public such as myself without having secretaries to deflect it. So again I apologise to those Mayo Greens who were endeavouring to be constructive in difficult times.

by S2S proxy - Cork - Shell to Sea Tue Sep 09, 2008 22:33

Below is the link to the RTE coverage on their website of the current story. No mention of Maura's hunger strike, curious enough, nor the extra cops nor the weird cops neither. RTE radio as of 9pm had only the Solitaire story.

Recent stuff from local contacts: the Chief and Jonathan were arrested under Section 8 of the Public Order Act (as per usual), and some people up there have seen other weirdly-dressed cops on the beach in Glengad at the same time. The account I heard described a female Garda in uniform with something like a nylon stocking or a mosquito net over her head! This smacks of psychological warfare! Also the Aisling is deployed for Shell, so that makes three Shell gunboats now!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0909/corrib.html

by cassius Tue Sep 09, 2008 19:48

I, and an increasing number of people in this country are no longer shocked at the corruption here. The pity of it all is that we cannot even blame the politicians too much anymore.....they're as human as the rest of us; so when they exhibited blatant corruption in the past....you (the idiot/corrupt electorate) voted for them again... and again....and again!
One must assume therefore, that over the years......the message was getting through to the politicians that... "we're on a winner here lads....we can promise them the stars....and sure....when we don't deliver and tell 'em we'll try to lasso the moon...sure they'll believe us yet again.....the bunch of fools!"
Don't blame the corrupt politicians unless you.......the corrupt electorate, take most of the blame. Politics in Ireland has always been 'local'.....just ask certain people who voted for their local politicians....knowing that they wouldn't even be going near the Dail. We all know the parts of Ireland that I'm talking about.....that did deals with Fianna Fail over the years !
Corruption has been rife in Irish politics for years......and the people who are to blame are the electorate for putting up with it.....in any other sane country the guillotine would have been re-instated....but not in this retrograde/backward island.

by big_ron Tue Sep 09, 2008 14:05

Have spent the last two weekends down there myself and want to agree with everything said by justsomeguy. Particularly for anybody who still believes that we live in a liberal ,free, western democracy .. go down there and see for yourself the behavior of the police and now the navy service brought in to quell the desent of the local population. For anyone who is interested in our enviroment, go down and see the destruction of the views across Broadhaven Bay and the site where the refinery is, the pics on here don't do it justice. For anyone who believes this project will some how benifit the Irish population at large, check out what the CEO of Shell Ireland said himself, ie that any gas brought ashore will be sold to whoever wants it at the going market rate. The only people who will or have benifited from this project are the currupt politicians (Ray Burke and Bertie) who recieved brown envelopes full of cash to sign away YOUR natural resourses and the large multinationals whos' record as regards caring for the local community and enviroment speaks for itself.

I've absolutely no doubt that at some stage in the future, there will be some kind of public enquiry into this whole project, how the currupt deal was done, and how the local (and not so local) opposition was bulldozed out of the way by a police force who have no idea what the concept of law and justice actually means.

This is a big one folks, a huge issue facing this country .. get down there and see for yourself and then make up your own mind.

by Mary Maloney Tue Sep 09, 2008 13:47

Labi Siffre ? 'So Strong'

The higher you build your barriers
The taller I become
The further you take my rights away
The faster I will run
You can deny me, you can decide
To turn your face away
No matter 'cause there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone, oh no
There's something inside so strong
Oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, something inside so strong

The more you refuse to hear my voice
The louder I will sing
You hide behind walls of Jericho.
Your lies will come tumbling

Deny my place in time, you squander wealth that's mine
My light will shine so brightly it will blind you
Because there's

Something inside so strong
I know that I can make it
Though you're doing me wrong, so wrong
You thought that my pride was gone, oh no
There's something inside so strong
Oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, something inside so strong

and

Bob Marley 'Small Axe'

Why boasteth thyself
Oh, evil men
Playing smart
And not being clever?
I said, youre working iniquity
To achieve vanity (if a-so a-so)
But the goodness of jah, jah
I-dureth for-i-ver

So if you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you down

These are the words
Of my master, keep on tellin me
No weak heart
Shall prosper
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, fall in it
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it (... fall in it)

If you are the big tree, let me tell you that
We are the small axe, sharp and ready
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you down

These are the words
Of my master, tellin me that
No weak heart
Shall prosper
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall fall in it, uh, bury in it
And whosoever diggeth a pit
Shall bury in it, uh (... bury in it)

If you are the big, big tree
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you down
If you are the big, big tree, let me tell you that
We are the small axe
Ready to cut you down (well sharp)
To cut you down
Sharpened ...

by C - RSC Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:34

.

The Mellina taking the letter

Shell on high shout down orders to gardaí

Back on dry land

Devil in disguise

by C - RSC Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:26

.

Paddling back

Paddling to the Solitaire supply vessels

Sending a letter up to the Mellina (Tideway ship)

by m.m.mccarron Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:26

That wonderful picture of the Solitatire and the S2S kayak approaching in Killybegs deserves to go down in history. If ever there was an illustration of the strrong and the weak that is it! But then the African proverb asks if one has ever been in bed with a mosquito. The power of the weak can be phenomenal. S2S is that lesson for the history of this Irish generation.

by C - RSC Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:10

.

Infront of the Solitaire

At the end of the gangway

Easy access boarding platform

Crew looking on

Handing over the letters

by Local living abroad Tue Sep 09, 2008 09:47

The state of our country could not have been described more eloquently. Our "island of saints
and scholars" is sinking fast. But when you see the courage and integrity displayed by the
people at Glengad Beach (both local and otherwise) not to mention the Chief Pat O'Donnell whose name will hopefully go down in history, there is a ray of light and hope for the future.
This is a true battle between good and evil. We all have a duty to expose lies and corruption wherever we come accross it and these brave people are putting this into action.
I have no doubt that the light will shine through in the end.
Here's to all you brave people who will lead Ireland to a better place. We are indebted to you.

by JustSomeGuy Tue Sep 09, 2008 07:22

(this is just a personal opinion. I am not affiliated with or speaking on behalf of shell to sea.)

I visited Rossport over the weekend. Just to see what was going on for myself. I'm glad I did. It's really a beautiful place. The people there were very warm and friendly and inclusive. I felt very welcome. They make a lovely wholesome meal too (thanks T.!) It's heartening to see a group of young people (and some older ones!) who are willing to give so much of themselves to stand up to the greed driven corporate machinations and the collusion of amoral politicians.

Shameful to think that many brave Irishmen died for this country only to have it overrun and sold off by a bunch of spineless crooked political weasels. Using the taxpayers own money to put down peaceful valid protest which is actually in the taxpayers own interest, and in a manner that is at best heavy handed and legally dubious. Such is the current state of "democracy" in Ireland today.

Any Gardai doing overtime in Rossport for money should be ashamed of themselves. You're selling out your own people. Its your country and your gas too. Refuse to go!

Surely the fact that two politicial figures who had a major hand in eviscerating our terms for exploitation of our precious natural resources (and hence the pollution of surrounding areas as an "externality") have both subsequently been shown to have been seriously corrupt, is grounds in itself for re-negotiation of this deal. Never mind the changed circumstances regarding supply and cost of gas and oil on the world market

Keep up the fight folks. And I strongly urge any young people who care about the Ireland they will inherit, to get up there and take a stand for it. You'll be most welcome. They're a great bunch of people! And there's an authentic atmosphere there that you only get when a bunch of like minded people who genuinely care about something get together to do something about it.

I recommend you take the coast road and stop by the cliffs, look out over the wild water and reflect that this is your country and it is a magnificent place. And no corporations or spineless politicians should be allowed to exploit it and pollute it without at least giving its true worth to the irish people in compensation. And if they won't, well perhaps we should leave the damn gas in the ground and instead learn to appreciate the priceless resources we already have, instead of letting them be destroyed for the sake of a quick sociopathic corporate profit and a brown envelope or two for some crooked politicians.

Kudos to the shell to sea camp. And respect to the members of the long suffering local community who have stood together all this time.

by FSB! (pers cap for the second par.) - Rossport Solidarity Camp Tue Sep 09, 2008 00:13

PV Countess Markiewicz is a Shell to Sea Fleet vessel and she paddles with the Shamrock Squadron of the Irish Flotilla, as far as I know.

As regards all that conservatism that is being counselled for me and for Shell to Sea - are we to make disingenuous appeals to a 'Middle Ireland' that is the fiction of the dominant section of our society? This fiction is used to make the ruling self-interest look like it has a popular mandate. Any thinking Irish person should recognise that the illusion of 'Middle Ireland' died for once and all on June 12th last. Continued belief in 'Middle Ireland' post-Lisbon is truly delusional.

by Coilín Mon Sep 08, 2008 23:24

Good to see that this non-violent action is being carried out by people who know how to proceed systematically, and how to give a good account of themselves.

I reckon nobody who knows anything about naming boats will bat an eyelid at the names you have given the vessels in your various flotillas. The names are not as silly as the criticism. I would only ask that you consider Countess Markievicz for any vessel that may join the fleet.

Best,
Coilín.

by s Mon Sep 08, 2008 21:28

It looks more like constructive criticism. You disagree, but we all have varying opinions.

In my opinion naming the boats after historical figures does come across as quite silly. It makes you seem like clowns.

So does the overblown language about people being horse whipped etc.

The calmer and more studied you are, the more seriously people will take you.

In my opinion.

Talking about "fleet actions" etc makes you seem like lunatics in a world of your own.

In my opinion.

And this is all about Public Relations.

So don't make it easier than it needs to be for your opponents to depict you as deluded or misguided. The more radical your message is, the more conservative your presentation should be.

In my opinion.

by FSB! (pers cap) - RSC - Shell to Sea Mon Sep 08, 2008 20:34

There are numerous points I could make about the necessity for the nomenclature for our vessels that the Shell to Sea Fleet has adopted, but for the sake of brevity I'll confine myself to a representative few:

1. The Shell to Sea campaign springs from and is a part of ages-old traditions of resistance to the will of empires, states, and capital; in so naming our Fleet vessels we wish to show fidelity to those traditions while spinning new yarns of defiance which future generations will weave whole.

2. Naming our boats is one of many safety decisions we have consciously made during this stage of the campaign of direct action against Shell. Naming our boats allows us to tell vessels apart during actions, count them out before action, count them back in afterwards, identify losses at a glance, and to identify those vessels in need of repair without mistake and to carry out repairs to the correct vessel in a timely manner. This is called organisation. Some arse-scratchers out there may think it's all a bit of a laugh, but being able to tell which craft is which can be the difference between life and death during marine actions.

3. Being able to identify boats by their name during actions removes the need to use participants' names or nicknames, especially when shouting over distances or when conversing over the radio. We don't need to make the cops' evidence-gathering more accurate or easier for them.

4. It'll be a grand wee buzz when all this gets to the District or Circuit Courts and we'll be treated to the spectacle of our 'learned friends' referring to the PV James Connolly etc. with a straight face. That said, you couldn't make any greater mockery of the courts system than it already is! It's worth a try though.

5. What about the mockery implicit in the official name of 'the Force'? Their behaviour up here for the last two years or more makes irony redundant.

That should be enough reasoned explanation for the trolls on this thread, that is if they are responsive to such things.

by FSB! (pers cap) - Shell to Sea Mon Sep 08, 2008 19:48

I wasn't in on the naming ceremonies for the Shell to Sea Fleet, but I think that the naming of one of the S2S Fleet vessels PV Michael Collins plays a kind of head-tennis with our blue-shirted friends in 'the Force' and with them Greena Fáil ghouls who want this Mayo resistance to their corrupt will disappear down the memory hole.

Oh, by the way, there's a Green party delegation slated to tour the conflict zone this Wednesday, just as Shell (Mayo) County Council are closing the road in Glengad. There'll be those who'll welcome them here, but for their treachery since last year regarding so many things (they're politicians after all and pretty reactionary ones at that - cf Mary White and her huntin' and shootin' friends as a particularly stark example!) they deserve to be run out of here naked and horsewhipped. Well, that's what they do to turncoats in other cultures when they fall into the hands of the betrayed.

I have only two words to say to them if they have the neck to come to Glengad - and the second one is off!

by Chrissie Mon Sep 08, 2008 19:13

Well done y'all! Great action.

by drayted Mon Sep 08, 2008 18:54

naming all the dinghies after various people from Irish history and listing them in every report comes across as a bit silly really.

by pat c Mon Sep 08, 2008 17:54

>PV Michael Collins (?!)

It could be named after the US Astronaut.

Or it could have been named after The Big Fella.

Don't forget:

Collins ordered the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson.

Supplied guns to the IRA in the North.

Carried out secret negotiations with the IRA in an attempt to secure a truce.

All of the above while he was CiC of the Free State Army.

I reckon DeValera was on the Grassy Knoll at Béal na Blath.