Rossport Solidarity Day 15th September
mayo |
environment |
news report 
Monday September 15, 2008 22:57
by Sam (text), Simon (photo's) - Rossport Solidarity Camp - Shell to Sea
London protests in support of Maura Harrington's hunger strike
Today Maura Harrington marked her birthday with a seventh day on hunger strike, while supporters from the UK & Ireland demonstrated across London to bring attention to her protest. Maura, a teacher in NW Mayo, is part of the Shell To Sea Campaign which has been actively opposing Shell's latest attempts to lay an 80 km sea based stretch of gas pipeline.
Maura's hunger strike began on Tuesday in protest at the arrival of the Solitaire ship which was to lay the pipeline for Shell. Maura 's has declared that her protest will continue until the Solitaire agrees to leave Ireland without laying the pipeline.
Two Irish neighbours of Maura picketed the Shell HQ from midnight Sunday until 9am with a candle lit vigil for their friend. At 7am this morning Shell workers were greeted with leaflets & informed of Maura's plight.
Next was AllSeas UK Ltd who own the Solitaire pipe-laying ship. 30 people banged pans, blew whistles & handed out leaflets outside the registered office of AllSeas. A blank sticker had been placed over their company label & someone from inside the building claimed that no-one was home. Eventually a security guard took a letter from the protesters, addressed to the Chief Executive, demanding that the Solitaire is removed from Irish waters immediately.
After an hour at AllSeas the crowd processed to the Irish embassy shouting ''Irish woman on hunger strike. No new Shell pipeline''. The Irish embassy refused to take a letter from an elderly Mayo woman. The protesters were asking that the Irish embassy protect its citizens such as Maura who are attempting to protect their community from the health and safety and environmental nightmare that the pipeline poses, instead of supporting the Garda intimidation and brutality.
The Norwegian embassy was the last to be visited. Norway is profiteering from the oppression of people in Ireland. It's state oil company, Statoil is working in partnership with Shell. Here a member of staff did come out to meet us and accepted a burning candle as a symbol of our solidarity with Maura and the request of the campaign that the Norwegian Government send the Solitaire home.
As Maura's condition deteriorates, the Solitaire is yet to respond and leave Ireland. Daily protests continue with a international day of solidarity action planned for this coming Saturday.
Comments (9 of 9)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Thank you to everyone who turned out to support Maura & Shell to Sea, &, we hope, save Maura's life. If you couldn't be with us, please do all you can to persuade Allseas to take Solitaire away!
It was noted that the Norwegian Embassy had the grace to send someone to talk to our delegation & receive a vigil candle to represent Maura's life, a courtesy that we did not receive from the Irish Embassy.
Around 20 people took park in a solidarity vigil last night at Shell HQ in support of shell to sea hunger striker Maura Harrington.
Vigil continues this evening ...
Support Shell 2 Sea Hunger Striker ..!!
More from Monday's actions at Allseas office and the Irish embassy.
All(seas) is revealed!
Banner march to the Irish embassy
Irish embassy gathering
Leafleting action outside the Irish embassy
Many thanks to our London and UK Shell to Sea friends, who have proven over the last few years to be steadfast, brave and resourceful as they help us here in Ireland prosecute the struggle against Shell and the state. The international pressure on Shell, Allseas Group SA and the Irish government is particularly valuable since this circumvents the media control operation Shell and the government have going in Ireland. International pressure on these corporations and institutions may end the state of denial, and force the media here finally to have a half-way honest 'debate' on why Erris was singled out for destruction by Big Oil and the government, and how and why the Great Gas Robbery happened in the first place. We might even get so far as the naming of a few guilty men...
Once again, thanks!
The London cops have been genteel compared to the Garda Siochana!
This last set were taken outside the Norwegian embassy, where a member of staff agreed to meet the group, listened, and accepted a lighted candle and leaflet with good grace.
The fragile flame
Excavations. Wonder what they're for...
... ah, a gas pipe!
We had a great night and day of peaceful protest here on the streets of London. Ridiculous amounts of Shell security and Metropolitian police outside Shell hq. for our 9 hour candle lit vigil.
It started at 12 midnight at Shell hq by lighting a candle to mark Maura's 6th day of hunger strike and also her birthday.
Onto Allseas{ the cowards} and then the Irish Embassy who have been refusing to see us for days now but we showed them up yesterday.
The Norwegians {who are profiting from Mayo gas} opened the door and listened to us.
We handed the candle in and explained that the greatest gift we could to give Maura Harrington on this her birthday was the rest of her life back. We asked them to ask the Solitaire to pull out of Irish waters.
Thanks to the Met cop outside Irish Embassy on that tip about future protests / the events organiser at Charing Cross Police Station/ and dealing with the embassy. We'll be back.
Great day Sam all your hard work was appreciated.
Fair play to ye all, thanks a million!
Well done folks,keep the pressure on we need to make the bastards squirm!
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