Some Expert Lorry Climbing Stops Shell

mayo | environment | news report Thursday August 11, 2011 23:36 by j debender - Rossport Solidarity Camp Augghoose, between Ballinaboy and Pullathomas 0851141170

Between a mass trespass in the morning, someone blocking the road for 2 and ½ hours by climbing on top of a lorry, and a protest outside Shell's Ballinaboy refinery, Thursday 11th August was a day full of blocking Shell.

Work stopped

Thursday 11th August at 10:30am about 20 people entered the compound in Aughoose which Shell is expanding in order to build the tunnel for the onshore pipeline. The diggers which are laying bogmats and erecting fencing retreated into the centre of the compound which is heavily guarded by IRMS, Shell's private security force. Work was slowed for an hour and a half while people were on the site.

At 11:30am someone managed to climb on top of a lorry which was about to deliver fencing and girders to the compound. The halted lorry blocked the road so they were not able to bring anything else into the compound. Shell estimated they would be making 75 deliveries per day, today they managed about 10.

Just before 2pm the Garda public order unit showed up with their new toy, a cherrypicker. Sergeant Butler was driving it, and three public order Gardaí went up in the cage and pulled the person off of the steel girder he was sat on.

Once the road was cleared a few people went back down onto the compound and once again the diggers retreated and stopped working for about an hour.

To finish up the day, a group of people cycled to Shell's Ballinaboy refinery for 6pm and stopped the last few tractors of the day from coming out, simply by sitting outside the gates and making tea. Then on the way home the cyclists delayed the IRMS shift change for almost an hour, until the Gardaí arrived and the cyclists went home for dinner.

Venturing into the compound

The diggers back inside

Our climber meets a girder

The gardaí were pretty foxed