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Prison van carrying Maura into Montjoy blockaded for 20 minutes by Dublin S2S![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Struggle in Rossport offers the 'threat of a good example' to all of us
The long running struggle in Erris (Rossport) against Shell's attempt to impose an experimental gas pipeline on the local community has erupted in recent days with repeated local direct actions against the compound Shell are trying to construct. Meanwhile the state, at the behest of Shell, continues to press vindictive prosecutions against local activists. Back in March retired school teacher Maura Harrington for jailed for 30 days, today the state returned for another pound of flesh and she was sentenced to another 7-10 days in Mountjoy prison. At very short notice over 20 activists from Dublin Shell to Sea gathered at the prison gates and showed their outrage by blocking the entrance of the prison van containing Maura in to Mountjoy for about twenty minutes.
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The vendictive decision to jail Maura comes at a very significant time when there are growing attacks on Irish workers coming out of the crisis in capitalism. We are told that the billions being spent bailing out the banks has to come out if our pockets and from our health and education services yet the state is giving Shell & Statoil hundreds of billions worth of gas and oil deposits off the west coast without a cent in royalties. (Click here for more details)
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Big Ron wrote: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I don't think anybody thought that blockading the gates for 20 minutes would end the Corrib Gas rippoff. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() AR I don't think the issue here is that anyone thinks this symbolic action is any more than that. Your silly 'escape plan' orientated opening remarks reduce your argument as we both know this was not what the protest was about. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Andrew, ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Democracy is only a pretence in Ireland we are governed by a junta of crooks who are still in power and have full controll over all aspects of our society. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A.R. I suggest you re-read your second to fifth paragraph and in particular focus in on the sentences "But, you don’t build mass popular support by fighting with cops outside Mountjoy. It just reinforces the popular perception that the campaign is controlled by a group of thugs (which it is not)." ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() shell / topaz are in charge of the main stage in Galway for the coming ocean race they have donated there murderous money all of 100,000 to it as a good will PR stunt showing how they really care and understand SORT OUT A PROTEST ASAP to show the powers that be!!!! keep the fight going the light will shine through ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() AR asks "But, does this type of direct action have to be used for every dimension of the campaign? " ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Alan, ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() There's more about this on the éirígí site, as well as a piece about Maura speaking at their Ard Fheis. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Hey Queenie and all those concerned about the Topaz main stage for the Galway Volvo Ocean Races- if you are in galway, get in contact with galwayshell2sea@gmail.com ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A.R. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A.R., your comment "using the apparatus of the state (whether legal or industrial) will this campaign be won." I will accept your argument if you could suggest concrete examples of state apparatus which would be useful and how? State apparatus is "apparatus" for a reason, "to protect the individual and his/her property" , sadly enough "property" not the individual is the foundation of "justice" apparatus. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Sevinch Karaca wrote ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() A.R. we have a saying in our movement - that has been on the roll for over 70 years with nvda and with grassroots direct solidarity with the poor...."If they come for the innocent without stepping over your body, cursed be your religion (or social theory or ideological brand) and your life!" many thanx to those who made the state step a little higher at Mountjoy as it was imprisoning Maura. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "Surely ownership is a minor point in THIS campaign whose focus is the threat to a particular community" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Ciaron - Catholic Worker, ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() An uplifting action by comrades at the joy on behalf of Maura. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "they have beaten them ,they have jailed them" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Please publish the name of the judge and the court where he or she sits. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Well done Maura caught them again,regards to Naoisie and all in Erris,and all at S2S. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I dedicate this song to Maura Harrington . |
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37Shell and the state team up once again
Solidarity demo tonight outside Mountjoy from 9.30pm
Information has just arrived in that Maura Harrington is being taken to Mountjoy prison tonight.
Should be arriving around 9.30
Several other court cases were up in court today also.
Gardai are saying Maura is going to be brought directly to prison for not paying the fines from her last case (€3000)
from Meath to Mayo we will join you in defending our right to dissent.
Maura best wishes.
Dublin activists block the car carrying Maura Harrington into Mountjoy where she is starting a 14 day sentence for opposing shell ..
It was great to see such a committed group turning out on such a miserable evening and at such short notice. I was there - the atmosphere was great. A passing-by woman of between 60 and 70 stopped for a moment and told two of us she was from near Rossport. She said, the people around there fought for their land in the time of Michael Davitt and the Land League and their rights to the land are being taken away again. The chant ran "Whose cops? Shell's cops", sad but true. Jinx Lennon played at the gig last night organised by AFrI (w Christy Moore and many others) - he has written a song about it called the Conquistadors of Mayo, it is bleedin brilliant!
Maura Harrington saw us and recognised individual faces - some people were even communicating with her in sign language - I overheard people saying she was telling them, I am in for 14 days. She looked delighted with the solidarity. Don't know who organised this but you did a brilliant job.
This sequence of stills taken from the video shows the Gardai using force to clear the road
It was organised by Dublin Shell to Sea with support on the ground from éirígí , WSM and non alligned supporters
A final 5 stills from the video of the road being cleared
The woman whose throat is being grabbed on the right complained of pain afterwards
Inspiring stuff....she's in there for us, we're out here for her!
Will spread the word down here.
Keep on keeping on.
"The vendictive decision to jail Maura comes at a very significant time when there are growing attacks on Irish workers coming out of the crisis in capitalism"
Do you think there is a link between the evils of capitalism and my back pain? Seriously, get a grip.
"Tonight's blockade was symbolic of the power of resistance that we can stand together and choose to resist”
It was the same group of people you stood outside Mountjoy with the last time, and the time before that; in fact, it is the same group of people you drink with, hang out with and protest with on a weekly basis. Power of resistance my eye. It is a group of mates out socialising. An anarchist - republican get together.
It is depressing to see the campaign disintegrate into a pantomime.
A great job to all those involved in showing that yes, we won't take this sitting down, and letting Maura know once more that there is solidarity with her arrest. Keeping up the pressure and the fighting spirit!
Interesting to see the same old trolling that emerges each time the Erris struggle springs to life, its quite well targeted, designed to demoralise and disempower those who might be inclined to get involved / re-involved. I'm rather amused by the attempt to make me the story but eeek is wrong, only one of my regular drinking buddies was present and I'm pretty sure that was one of his first Shell to Sea protests. I do know a good percentage of the rest all right but that is what you'd expect from something advertised with a few hours notice which was bound to reach (never mind mobilise) those who have had previous and prolonged involvement in the struggle and hence the motivation to get down there on a wet and windy night while others stayed at home.
If there is a serious point here it is a recognition of what I refer to in the report, the success that Shell has had in wearing the campaign down over a decade. The millions spent in PR sowing confusion and suspicion have of course had an impact even if so many of the stories are bizarre and contradictory. But as I suggest things have changed and the struggle has a much greater relevance outside of Erris then it did this time last year, or five years ago. It's a context in which you can nurse old gripes or choose to put them aside and get back on your feet. In fact its a context in which we have to do just that, and not just in relation to Shell to Sea, or get rolled over.
http://www.indymedia.ie/openwire?search_text=eeekkk&x=0&y=0
This is the video shot last night the sound file is the soundtrack I made for it
Direct link so that people can rate the video is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uJJ1sd7wtI
Caption: Video Id: 0uJJ1sd7wtI Type: Youtube Video
Video of protests at Mountjoy jail as Maura harrington is jailed