Vigil at the Irish Embassy in the Netherlands

by MacE Wed Sep 17, 2008 14:05

Great work, beautiful to see! Thanks a million and fair play to ye!

by Hamish Arrowsmith - Amsterdam Shell to Sea Solidaity Campaign Wed Sep 17, 2008 07:55 hamishhappy at yahoo dot co dot uk

Ambassador Richard Ryan
Embassy of Ireland
Dr. Kuyperstraat 9
2514BA Den Haag
The Netherlands 16th September 2008

A chara,

Please consider this request as an urgent matter and please do what is in your power to intervene.

There was a candle light vigil tonight outside your embassy, in Den Haag. The Shell to Sea Campaign requests that a pipe laying ship, the Solitaire, leave Irish territorial waters, so that Maura Harrington , a frail 54 year old teacher and mother can end her 7 day hunger strike.

We are asking you to publicly call on Shell to remove the Solitaire from Irish waters without delay in order to secure Maura Harrington's health and to create "breathing space" at this tense moment. This ship owned by All Seas, which has a Dutch captain, has been contracted by Shell to lay underwater pipes. The ship's equipment, according to Shell, became damaged in heavy seas and the damage is being assessed while the ship stays in harbour.

Maura Harrington is refusing to end her hunger strike while the ship remains in the port of Killybegs in Co Donegal. It is widely believed that the ship will have to return to Rotterdam for repairs and the campaign requests that it immediately does this, as a humanitarian action, and communicates the departure in writing to Maura Harrington so that she can continue to live.

She has taken this courageous stand because Shell has no consent from the people of Erris to lay pipes in Broadhaven Bay. It is very clear to anyone who has visited Erris recently that Shell has never asked and does not have the consent of the local people for this pipeline. Local government planners have also advised against this pipeline going across the bogland and through an area of landslides. The local campaign against the pipeline wants the gas to be processed at sea.

It would be great if you would call on the Irish government to reopen talks with Shell to achieve a locally acceptable solution which would be of real benefit to the Irish state but that is not top priority really until Maura Harrington's action is ended.

Please use your voice, reputation, position and contacts to end this situation.

Yours sincerely
Amsterdam Shell to Sea Solidarity Campaign

by Starstruck - Shell to Sea Wed Sep 17, 2008 02:11

Every bit of solidarity makes us stronger!
Onwards!

by kazz eliot - Amsterdam Shell to Sea Solidarity Campaign Wed Sep 17, 2008 00:43

The was held as planned. A letter delivered in the letterbox and a message delivered under the door. Text of the letter coming soon..

in the letterbox

under the door

by mary and des w - london shell to sea Tue Sep 16, 2008 22:08

while you are there in Holland we'll do another all nighter here in london . solidarity

by Chrissie Tue Sep 16, 2008 17:18

Thank you for your support to get this news out as far as possible. Hope the Irish Ambassador there is more courteous and courageous than the one in London!