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All-Action Shell to Sea Super Sunday – A Tripod, A Lock-On And A Compound Infiltration![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Shell's Cops have their Sunday roasts burnt and pints knocked over by defiant campaigners! Sunday June 28th saw the most intense burst of direct action against Shell in Erris so far in this phase of the campaign to thwart the Great Gas Robbery and the destruction of Erris along with its community. A tripod on a road bridge near McGrath's Bar held up vital repair gear for the pipeline winching operation for over four hours. This was followed up by a five-person lock-on on the same road a bit nearer the Shell compound. Together, they delayed winching operations for twelve hours, and there were nine arrests in all. Meanwhile, three Solidarity Campers managed to sneak into the Shell compound at Glengad and get out without being arrested. At about two o'clock Sunday lunchtime a Rossport Solidarity Camp action team erected a tripod on the road to Shell's Glengad compound, upon a bridge near McGrath's Bar in Pullathomas. This action was executed on foot of information received that the winch gear in Shell's compound had broken down and needed replacement parts and extra gear, all of which was to arrive on a truck convoy travelling the Pullathomas road to Glengad. The first Garda car on the scene revved up attempted to ram the tripod, and this reckless endangerment of the tripod occupier was prevented only by a brave camper standing before the apparatus and compelling the Garda car to stop. The car touched against the shins of the camper as it stopped, once again illustrating the madness of a murder-minded police force drunk on impunity. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "It may some as a surprise to you, Jack, but the police are not ordinarily entitled to walk into a farmer's field without permission" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() hi to all at shell 2 sea keep up d great work fuck d gaurds shell n all d corperate bastards they may of put me out of action wd there unprevoked violence have 2 hairline fractures 2 my rbs n badly cut up arm n hand from sundays action they may have me as out now but ll b back soon guys n im wid u all d way ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Fair play, sorry to hear about the consequences though. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks, Damien. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Text is online at http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/protester-consider....html ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The first two shots are from Friday the 26th, and the other three are of the tripod action on Sunday afternoon. [Text by FSB!]
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It's quite an unnerving feeling to encounter Shell's Cops who cover their faces and wear no numbers. It leaves you wondering whether it's safe to wander about on your own in Co. Shell. There are compensations for this low-level terrorism though - you can always check out the breath-taking sunsets that happen so regularly over Broadhaven Bay. It's just a pity there's so much ugliness and pollution about.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm MEN IN MASKS ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Shell To Sea activist blocks the main road to shell's compound stopping a transpord of heavy equipment for over 4 hours. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks very much. You are a brave bunch of youngsters and I really appreciate your actions against shell and their robbery of irish natural resources. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The high security operation that took place in Glengad at the weekend was well worth it. There were only a handful of protesters in the Solidarity camp, yet the Gardaí felt the need to have over fifty of their finest patrolling the beach. They are being paid treble time and also get a lodging allowance to stay in a local hotel whilst in the area. This picture, sums up what the Gardaí were doing that weekend. It's easy to see how protesters managed to stage two roadblocks on the same road one after another.
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() As far as I am aware the laws on trespass are as follows: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I would just like to offer my thanks for all the support given to my daughter Danni when she and 3 of her friends were sent to mountjoy this week because of their pariticipation in the Tripod protest. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "mainland Uk" - brilliant isn't it? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Good luck to Dannii. Hope that she is ok after her treatment whilst here in Ireland. Wish there were some more Irish people who were like her. Only thing is that you seem somewhat confused as to what and where Ireland is. It's not part of the UK. It is a republic all of it's own. Also, people in England don't really care because it has nothing directly to do with them. I wish the people of Ireland would care and realise what is happening to their country and it's economy because of the disgraceful carry on in County Mayo. Your support is always welcome as is the support of everyone around the globe but I just thought I'd clarify those points. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The same garda photographed arresting the tripod protester can be seen in this video from 2007 assaulting a pedestrian by throwing him into a deep drain.
Caption: Video Id: a6N5Fk6xaKo Type: Youtube Video ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Question need to be asked of the Garda Commissioner and Justice minister to find out why a Garda wearing his number MY 129 in 2007 who blatantly assaults a protester on camera and come 2009 he is allowed to operate without numbers visible, in the same area? They operate outside of the law when they can be clearly identified, so what is to stop them doing much worse when they are not required to show identification? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "People in England would seem to care more than those in Ireland ,Where are all the Irish activists?.From my observations there are more English involved in direct action in Mayo than Irish . ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Having watched the above video of the young teenager being thrown into the drain [and those drains are rough and stoney] by garda MY 129 I can only say sorry to the young man.you were committed enough to exercise your democratic right to protest and long may you continue to do that ,.this world needs people like you. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() There have been well over one hundred complaints to the Garda ombudsman lodged relating to the SHell project. Not even one has been upheld. When it comes to SHell, the Garda Ombudsman has no power. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Many of these cases have yet to be heard. Even if all of complaints are rejected its important to have a record of them to be presented to international bodies. It would show that people had no adequate legal remedy to garda abuse at a national levl. |
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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 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45All from the tripod action.
what are the cops doing? Tripod occupier tries to have a look
Shell's cops like to operate in secret!
Shell's Scaffolders from Sgt. Gill's brother's company AGS Ltd.
Climbing to the apex of the tripod
Trespassing cops - soon evicted by an irate landowner
These photos are from the lock-on action, and slightly before it on Glengad beach
This shabby makeshift raincoat is all Shell will afford its minions
Lock-on, shot one
Cops begin to surround lock-on team
Supporters gather at the lock-on
Cops begin to cover up
More to come from Madam K and the Revolt video crew later today!
A sneaked shot of the lock-on before it became impossible to see them
Co. Shell is copped out!
The courage of the protestors is amazing & humbling.
As for the idea of Maura going on hunger strike - she's 7 stone, & had health problems, so it should be someone else's turn!
Jack asked an important question:
"Why are you doing this?"
At least three good reasons:
1. They are doing it to protect people from being killed by an unprecedented high-pressure pipeline that could explode or set fire to houses near the route that is currently being proposed.
2. Also because of pollution hazards to a nearby lake and to fishing grounds.
3. And because one of the government politicians who abolished royalties on gas that belongs to the Irish people, Ray Burke, later served a prison sentence for corruption.
A hearing about the on-shore part of pipeline has only just finished last week - which is odd, because Shell/Statoil have already constructed a landfall site and the Solitaire is laying the off-shore part as if they already had permission to build the on-shore part starting from this landfall site. The Shell/StatoilHydro/Marathon consortium have been building their refinery and pipeline for several years without first going through transparent procedures, i.e. without first consulting the community, to gain planning permission to start construction at a sensible site.
Please read some articles about the hazards of the proposed on-shore pipeline that emerged in the hearing:
"Gas explosion fears raised at hearing
LORNA SIGGINS in Belmullet, Co Mayo
SHELL EP Ireland consultants have conceded that safe shelter in the event of a rupture and explosion has not yet been identified for residents living close to the proposed Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
The consultants also told the An Bord Pleanála oral hearing in north Mayo yesterday that houses within 230 metres of the pipeline could “burn spontaneously” from heat radiation if gas in the pipe was at full pressure."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0604/1....html
"Expert warns on risks of explosion
...
Comdt Boyle said that many recent pipeline accidents had occurred with pressure loads of 70 bar – half that proposed for the Corrib gas onshore pipeline.
He cited as an example the July 2004 explosion in Ghislenghien, Belgium, in which 24 people died and more than 120 people were injured. Most of those killed were police and firefighters responding to reports of a gas leak, operated by Fkuxys, a pipeline operator owned by Royal Dutch Shell."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0528/1....html
well done, and thanks!!!
Jack asked:
"Cops are threspassing?"
It may some as a surprise to you, Jack, but the police are not ordinarily entitled to walk into a farmer's field without permission. As they did yesterday.
"trespass
n. entering another person's property without permission of the owner or his/her agent and without lawful authority ... "
http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=2160
It may be difficult to get used to the idea, but members of the Irish police have been known to commit serious crimes involving trespass. For example, the Morris tribunal revealed that a Garda Sergeant planted a fake bomb at a telecommunications mast in Donegal so as to have a pretext to arrest local protesters. The same policeman planted a sawn-off shotgun elsewhere for similar reasons. Read more:
Afraid of Gardai
Written by Vincent Browne and Frank Connolly
Thursday, 24 August 2006
http://www.village.ie/Society/Garda/Afraid_of_Gardai/
Note that the Garda trespassed on other people's property so as to plant the bomb and the shotgun. So it is only wise for ordinary, law-abiding citizens to regard members of the Garda as potential criminals of a very dangerous kind, who may later abuse their authority to avoid prosecution for their crimes. Sorry to have to dispel your innocence like this.
The best members of the Garda need to have the courage to intervene to stop their colleagues committing crimes, and to speak out about the crimes they have previously commited.
Given Shell's record on human rights and environment, the Erris resistance is wise to be wary. The pollution of Carrowmor Lake has not yet been properly addressed. Do you think that Shell gave away £9 million Sterling to the Ogoni 9 plaintiffs in order to create goodwill? Their history of gas flaring, spills, accidents, fatalities, environmental devastation, spin and downright lying speaks for itself. The proposed pressure of 140 bar is a reduction from their original bid for >345 bar; who will be policing the pressure, as Shell is supported by the Irish Government and Gardaí in all its doings, legal and illegal?
The gardai have been witnesses to inumerable crimes by their coleagues and not one have had the courage to do their job and report if not arrest the criminal. The outcome of this cowardice is the complete mistrust of the people for the Gardai and the whole judicial system in Ireland.
THEY HAVE MADE THEMSELVES ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE THEY ARE EMPLOYED TO PROTECT.
Some ideas for consideration = They will not be able to deploy their forces if their vehicles are compromised.
Their use of dangerous violence could be countered with a shower of feasces from the people, to show the contempt in which they are held.
Combined actions like this are a good idea but they run the risk of serious injury to the brave protesters, some means of opening the garda cordon around the protestors needs to be employed . a few obnoxious concoctions could be placed earlier at the scene of the action
and be used by the bystanders in the event of Garda violence.
WE ARE PROUD OF YOU BRAVE PEOPLE WHO PUT YOUR SELVES AT RISK FOR JUSTICE IN OUR COUNTRY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE.
Any chance when ye are speaking for the people of erris are ye sure ye have got their permission to do so???
Because I am from erris and ye havent got mine.
I dont think its right that ye are writing as though everyone in erris agree's with ye because they dont....LETS SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THIS TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE I DONT AGREE WITH YOUR VIEWS..........so you could say ye are doing exactly what the guards are doing if this comment is removed
Has anyone thought of abusing the Irish companies providing support to Shell etc? AGS Ltd etc etc
in response to comment by erris above - This continuing resistance to the Corrib project - that both the people of Erris and those whose political and environmental conscience has compelled them to travel to North Mayo and take action in solidarity with the local community - is widely supported on a local, national and international level.
Opinion polls
"Is Shell's Corrib Gas project good for the local community?" ... The Irish Times on-line poll on Corrib gas project - Oct 2007 ... 16% YES 84% NO
RTE News poll September 2008 “Are the gardai protecting Shell’s interests over the public by arresting the two fishermen?” 74% Yes 26% No
Support
The Shell to Sea campaign is supported by national figures such as Nobel prizewinner Seamus Heaney who wrote "It's not the most distressful country after all when five 'green' men stand their own ground'" in response to the direct action taken by the Rossport 5.
Fair play to Newstalk they did a comedy radio sketch covering the gas giveaway to Shell by Fianna Fail. Available on youtube (link below)
Caption: Video Id: Wq0ccdacGMw Type: Youtube Video
Newstalk on Shell giveaway (images added separately)
This is a 10 minute interview with Fin conducted as the lock on was in progress on the road yesterday. Towards the end the news comes through of the car being driven through the gates of the compound. It was windy and rainy so there is a bit of noise in the recording now and then.