"I'll tell you this, I may be dead but my ideas will not die". Ken Saro-Wiwa 1995
international |
environment |
news report 
Friday May 22, 2009 14:46
by remember Ken Saro-Wiwa
An International Week of Action against Shell, calling for an end to gas flaring in the Niger Delta, got off to a firey start on Tuesday as Activists from ShellGuilty took their campaign to the company's London AGM with a spectacular fire-juggling performance.
You can see photos and read about the action here: http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/shellagm2009.htm
In Dublin, activists had a busy afternoon yesterday distributing hundreds of glossy leaflets around Grafton Street and Stephen's Green, alerting the shopping crowds to the details Shell's record in Nigeria and the upcoming court case in New York. People were very receptive and glad of the information, with a few people wondering why the Shell logo had disappeared from the retail landscape in Ireland. Of course, as many people knew, Topaz is selling Shell petrol.
There will be more leafleting sessions in Dublin and Cork the coming days.
Next Wednesday, 27th May the court-case against Shell for its role in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists begins in New York . The case in New York offers an opportunity for individuals who were tortured, and family members of those who were killed in Nigeria to finally seek justice in a court of law.
As Shell go on trial for complicity in the brutal crackdowns of the 1990s the Nigerian military has launched a new offensive against the people of the Delta, in an attempt to crush armed insurgent groups. Hundreds of civilians have been killed since last Wednesday (13th May), prompting accusations of a genocide against the mostly Ijaw communities.
You can see the conditions in the Delta in the accompanying video made by Milieu Defensie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp5n2MA_JPM
Soon perhaps, Friends of the Earth will making videos like this about Ireland.
Keep up to date with the news at www.shellguilty.com and www.remembersarowiwa.com