S2S Oct 12 - 3 arrested in Mayo, Dempsey cornered in Galway

mayo | miscellaneous | news report Thursday October 12, 2006 23:15 by Terry, Eve, Bob, Shane, TD

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Attempts were again made this morning, to prevent vehicles carrying Shell workers and materials from entering the Bellanaboy site. Almost one hundred and fifty protesters stood across the road blocking Shell traffic, engaging in a brief sit down before police forcibly began to move them. Gardaí formed a line and began to barge the crowd across the road to allow traffic past. Scuffles erupted as campaigners resisted Garda force. Once the protesters had been shoved aside they were held behind lines of Gardaí linking arms until the convoy of workers had passed. When the Shell convoy had passed campaigners continued walking towards the gates of the proposed refinery site. Further scuffles broke out near the gates of the refinery resulting in the arrest of three young men from the area. The arrests occurred when Gardaí attempted to push protesters from the front of the refinery site resulting in a scrum. The men were taken to Belmullet Garda station; the Garda press office claimed today that two have been charged with public order offences and one with assault of a Garda. RTE's one o'clock news reported that all three men had been charged with public order offences. Eyewitnesses report that at least one of the men was punched by a guard in the scrum while another was arrested arbitrarily.

The father of one of the young men arrested was subsequently arrested as he waited outside the Garda station in Belmullet. Gardaí reportedly arrested the man after reviewing film footage from this morning’s events, which they deemed to be incriminating.

Incidents such as this morning’s arrests are sure to do a lot of mileage in the mainstream media, with police claiming it as a justification for their heavy-handedness. The reality is that the protestors at Bellnaboy have been subject to two weeks of abuse and provocation by Gardaí, with many having been injured and having lodged formal complaints. Those turning out to protest at the construction of this discredited project have shown admirable restraint despite deliberate attempts by police to incite members of the crowd to react violently. Belmullet Garda station is now refusing to take complaints against Gardaí.

In another incident this morning an independent filmmaker who has been recording the protests at Bellnaboy over the past week had tapes confiscated by Gardaí this morning. They claimed they required them for “evidence”- quite strange considering the fact that the Guards have been taking an inordinate amount of footage themselves.