Last Sunday 15th of July, Galway's Food Not Bombs collective got into trouble with local community warden T.J. for the second time. The first occasion was on the 13th of May in Eyre square, when warden T.J. came up and insisted on seeing a permit (which we didn't have). After a short discussion the event was wrapped up.

Next day we went to the city council to ask for official permission to hand out free food once a week. We were told that even if the council were to approve the setting up of a table every Sunday we would have to have public liability insurance for 6.4 million euro. As one of our principles is to accept only food donations, not money, this is of course impossible.

Killaan
Woodlawn
Ballinasloe
Co Galway

Dear Trevor

As you know members of the Local Community have several concerns about the Greenstar proposed landfill site in Killconnell. The situation came to a head over 2 weeks ago when I was forced to exercise my rights under Local Agenda 21 to stop Greenstar destroying a public Right of Way used by many members of our Local Community for generations. A stand-off developed and this was defused when the local Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton arranged a meeting of all concerned people and Greenstar. The result of this meeting was that Greenstar would supply proof that they were entitled by law to dig up a Public Right of Way and they would not disturb the surface of the Public Right of Way until the matter was resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

A stand-off has been arranged in the saga at Killaghmore, Killconnell. Greenstar has agreed to stop work on the road used by bog owners, land owners and members of the Local Community and are going to meet with concerned community members and their representatives on Friday (tomorrow) at 2 pm.

The saga so far is that Greenstar attempted to cut off part of a road and divert the people with rights on this road through land LEASED by Greenstar without even consulting with the local community. Last Tuesday week Brendan Kelly, a local man who uses the right of way to access his organic farmland, found his way blocked by a digger and dumper. He objected and his way was cleared. This Local Man had several such experiences until last Friday when he mounted a permanent vigil and blocked all machines belonging to Greenstar from interfering with his rights. He was threatened with jail and the guards were present several times. On Monday in the presence of the guards and other concerned members of the Local Community he stood in front of a digger and stopped it. His actions were carried out using his rights under Agenda 21 and the Aarhus Convention.

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Comment from Áine Ní Sheighin Friday, Aug 12 2005, 12:27am on this story:

Micheál Ó Seighin is my father, so there is no doubt about where I am from.

These men did not go to jail so that people could "get the jist" of what was happening to Erris, and more specifically, to Rossport. These men went to jail, at the behest of Shell, because they could not give their word not to protect their lives, communities and way of life by obstructing Shell at any stage, in any way in the future.

These men still can not give that commitment. They have no problem in apologising to the court IF the injunction is lifted. If Shell are at all honourable then they have no need to have this injunction. Have they not given a commitment to halt proceedings on the offshore pipe for a year and on the Rossport pipe until the safety review?

Then an injunction preventing anyone from obstructing them - in doing works they had NO RIGHT to do - is useless.

But Shell have never shown themselves to be honourable. If you doubt me, you should look up what happened to Ken Sara Wiwa and his 8 comrades who were murdered by their corrupt government for protesting peacefully against Shells abuse of his people - the Ogoni Tribe. The only difference here is that it is 5 people incarcerated and even here executions would not be accepted.

I don't know of anyone who would go to jail for an indefinite period just for a P.R. stunt. This is about justice, about true democracy.

I am very proud of my father and the other 4 men now over 6 weeks in prison. I am very proud of their wives who are keeping things going at home while regularly making the VERY long round trip to see their husbands, behind perspex glass and speak to them through a grid on the bench. And while I know they are being very well treated, they are still in jail. It is horrible.

But while this unlawful injunction stands, these men can not purge their contempt.

Details: Upcoming Rossport Solidarity Camp
Recent Blockades: Cork | Dublin | Belfast | Cork | D4 | Galway | Booterstown
Indymedia: Mayo

It would be fair to say that left libertarian politics has experienced something of a renaissance in Ireland in recent years. However there are many arenas of struggle where its theory and practise is relatively undeveloped. This conference focuses on two such areas: the environment and women.

Ideas for Change is being organised by the NUI Galway Ecology Society. Taking place on Saturday January 29th it will feature discussions, both practical and theoretical, on the environment and popular ecological struggles, and on feminism and the struggle for reproductive rights.

The Sixth Grassroots Gathering was an earlier and more ambitious conference which the Ecology Society was involved in organising. This is our 'end of year report' for 2002/2003.