Update: Shell Truck Blockade Continues

mayo | environment | feature

Saturday June 25, 2005 14:22

by redjade

Report at 80 hours vigil and counting...

UPDATE: (June 25th)
'Translated into English this means this multi-national corporation is seeking the imprisonment of these five men for defending their homes, families, livelihoods, land and very lives from an unprecedented high pressure upstream untreated gas pipeline....'
Read More...

(June 26)
Corrib Gas Pipeline Development - in a nut shell

As a result of the actions of local residents and their supporters most transport to the Shell compound at Rossport has ceased.

At mid-day today (June 24th) some Shell and associates top brass started poking around, and seeing that the numbers of residents and their supporters had thinned they attempted to make their move. By 2pm today, Friday, a flurry of Shell henchmen was at the scene waving the High Court Injunction order they had got in Dublin that morning. This named Willie Corduff, Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath and enjoined them, and anyone acting in concert with them, from “interfering” with traffic. However the only obstruction to traffic is from the contractors hired by Shell, normal traffic can transit the road with little difficulty. At the moment any obstruction is from the now very stationary lorry which was bringing pipes to the Shell compound.

At around 3.30pm Garda were called and served the injunction, reading it out to the assembled crowd of around 30 people, who were unimpressed at the law not being applied to the developers, while local residents are tried in absentia in Dublin.

The police were told straight out they would have to cart people off the road in wagons, that they would have to arrest everyone in sight. The legal situation with lorry, which is unlicensed to carry materials, was pointed out to them, but they said that it could be driven off and that the new driver had ten days to produce the necessary documentation. Mostly the Garda just pleaded that they had orders from the High Court, the highest court in the land and so on…

Negotiations began, the three-way debate ended inconclusively as Coffey, on behalf of Shell and co., didn’t have the power to organise a full scale public meeting open to all the people who use the road, rather his brief was, he claimed, only to organise a meeting of 3 Shell reps and 3 local residents, moreover he aimed to restrict participation to the owners of the land where the pipeline is planned to go.

Frustrated the Garda left, and, according to what is by now legend, worked out their stress issues by pulling over some Eastern European migrants for having no tax and insurance.

Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim then attempted an abortive move of the lorry, unsuccessful in this, they then tried parking it further off the road, in order that the road be passable for their other lorries. Not the smartest of moves as this then got the truck bogged down. So the main-contractor successfully sabotaged the sub-contractors machinery, one would say – only in Ireland, but as there are Italians, Germans, Englishmen, Norwegians, Americans etc… with a slice of the development cake here perhaps such happens everywhere, but it is sure a new one on me.

The mood here is very positive and has been the last few days, there was a bit of a party last night with the bonfire for St.John’s Eve, with the Wolfe Tones making a change from some radio station that only seems to play country.

Volunteers are needed and welcome to travel up and join the struggle, see the Shell To Sea contacts page here:

The Shell To Sea Protesters are asking people to come out!

Call-in Report from the frontlines....

[ please excuse the brevity and quick writing - I hope I got this all correct, hard to hear on the phone ]

About 30 protestors are still on the same road ( read: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70411 )

An injunction was served on:

william Corduff
vincent McGrath
Philip McGrath
and 'all agents and any acting in concert'

3 Gards are now at the scene.

Gardai have been told the shell vehicle is illegally parked.

And trying to get everyone to move their vehicles from left side of road.

--

Yesterday a bus of 'important people' was blockaded 15-20 mins

They left and got on other bus

It is now thought that those VIPs were shareholders

There will be a Shell COrp AGM next week next Monday or Tuesday in Holland. There will be protests held there.

--

The crew in Mayo is asking for people to come out to support and be involved.

click on 'contact us' at http://ShellToSea.com for more info

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Comments (8 of 8)

BLOOD ON SHELL'S HANDS

by comment & GP repost

Wed Jun 29, 2005 09:38

g-day. got third or fourth shell credit card application a few weeks back. had to tear it up, put it in it's pre paid postage envelope and send it back. haven't forgotten about ken saro wiwa and nigeria. shame on shell....

KEN SARO WIWA AND 8 OGONI PEOPLE EXECUTED: BLOOD ON SHELL'S HANDS

London--10 November 1995--The blood of Ken Saro-Wiwa will permanently stain the name of Shell, Greenpeace said today in response to the news that Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni were, according to widespread rumours, hanged this morning in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

"Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged today for speaking out against the environmental damage to the Niger Delta caused by Shell Oil through its 37 years of drilling in the region. Ken Saro Wiwa was campaigning for what Greenpeace considers the most basic of human rights: the right for clean air, land and water. His only crime was his success in bringing his cause to international attention," said Thilo Bode, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

Greenpeace warned that any protest in the Niger Delta today, non violent or otherwise, would likely be met with military force and further massacres. Bode appealed to General Sani Abacha to let the Ogoni people voice their grief without fear of violence and further deaths.

Shell's call for "quiet diplomacy" in the 11th hour following the confirmation of the death sentence by the Nigerian Ruling Council has a hollow ring. Shell had ample opportunity to demonstrate concern over the 17 months of Ken's incarceration and trial. They chose to maintain their cosy relationship with the military dictatorship to secure oil profits rather than condemn, the brutal and unjust arrest and later sentencing of non-violent environmental campaigners.

"If Shell and the Nigerian military think that the hanging of Saro-Wiwa has removed national and international outrage, they're wrong. Greenpeace today reaffirms its dedication to continue the campaign against environmental destruction by the oil industry," said Mr Bode.

In his closing address to the tribunal, Saro-Wiwa stated "I repeat that we all stand before history. I and my colleagues are not the only ones on trial. Shell is here on trial and it is as well that it is represented by counsel said to be holding a watching brief. The Company has, indeed, ducked this particular trial, but its day will surely come and the lessons learnt here may prove useful to it for there is no doubt in my mind that the ecological war that the Company has waged in the Delta will be called to question sooner than later and the crimes of that war be duly punished. The crime of the Company's dirty wars against the Ogoni people will also be punished."

"In my innocence of the false charges I face here, in my utter conviction, I call upon the Ogoni people, the peoples of the Niger delta, and the oppressed ethnic minorities of Nigeria to stand up now and fight fearlessly and peacefully for their rights. History is on their side. God is on their side. For the Holy Quran says in Sura 42, verse 41:"All those that fight when oppressed incur no guilt, but Allah shall punish the oppressor. Come the day."

Good wishes to you all in Rossport

by Tony

Sat Jun 25, 2005 16:41

Best wishes to you Terry, to Shelltosea and to the community of Rossport and your friends all over Ireland.

Begone Shell and get thee hence.

How did these serpents get back in? GET OUT.

No not stopped!!! - report from the 'Independant'

by Terry - Shell to Sea

Sat Jun 25, 2005 16:17

Protests over gas pipeline halted by court

SHELL E and P Ireland Ltd was granted a temporary injunction by the High Court yesterday preventing named protesters from obstructing access to its compound at Rossport, Co Mayo.

The interim order continues until Wednesday, when the case will come back to court.

Paul Gallagher, pipeline engineer with the company, said in an affidavit the proceedings arose from the proposed development of the offshore Corrib Gas Field.

The company proposed to extract gas from the field by means of a pipeline that will come ashore at Dooncarton, Broadhaven Bay, and convey the gas to an onshore gas reception terminal near Bellanboy Bridge, in the townland of Bellgelly South.

In related proceedings, an order was made by the court last April restraining defendants from obstructing entry by the company's employees and agents onto the pipeline corridor through lands at Rossport.

In order to facilitate the laying of the pipeline and related works, the company and its subcontractor, Sicim-Roadbridge Ltd, has a compound at Rossport where vehicles, equipment and materials are stored and where the temporary offices of the pipeline construction project personnel are located.

Last Tuesday, about six protesters with cars blocked the access road to the compound and prevented entry by a truck containing plastic water pipe that was seeking to make a delivery. On Thursday, protesters stopped another truck from entering the compound.

Mr Gallagher said the effect of the protesters' action was to prevent the company from continuing its preparatory work and construction activities on the pipeline.

This would inevitably result in delaying the laying of the pipeline, which was scheduled to commence within the next two weeks, Mr Gallagher said.

John Maddock

Â© Irish Independent

As of 3pm today, Saturday, folk are still there on the road...... Terry

Sat Jun 25, 2005 00:00

info at shelltosea dot com

The scenario is this is a very narrow road, not passable by both village traffic and the 60 to 70 trucks the developers want to bring on it everyday. So there isn’t so much a blockade as there is parking. This has gone on since Tuesday at 3pm…over 72 hours and counting of continual vigil.
As a result of the actions of local residents and their supporters most transport to the Shell compound at Rossport has ceased.
At mid-day today some Shell and associates top brass started poking around, and seeing that the numbers of residents and their supporters had thinned they attempted to make their move. By 2pm today, Friday, a flurry of Shell henchmen was at the scene waving the High Court Injunction order they had got in Dublin that morning. This named Willie Corduff, Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath and enjoined them, and anyone acting in concert with them, from “interfering” with traffic. However the only obstruction to traffic is from the contractors hired by Shell, normal traffic can transit the road with little difficulty. At the moment any obstruction is from the now very stationary lorry which was bringing pipes to the Shell compound.
At around 3.30pm Garda were called and served the injunction, reading it out to the assembled crowd of around 30 people, who were unimpressed at the law not being applied to the developers, while local residents are tried in absentia in Dublin.
The police were told straight out they would have to cart people off the road in wagons, that they would have to arrest everyone in sight. The legal situation with lorry, which is unlicensed to carry materials, was pointed out to them, but they said that it could be driven off and that the new driver had ten days to produce the necessary documentation. Mostly the Garda just pleaded that they had orders from the High Court, the highest court in the land and so on…
Negotiations began, the three-way debate ended inconclusively as Coffey, on behalf of Shell and co., didn’t have the power to organise a full scale public meeting open to all the people who use the road, rather his brief was, he claimed, only to organise a meeting of 3 Shell reps and 3 local residents, moreover he aimed to restrict participation to the owners of the land where the pipeline is planned to go.
Frustrated the Garda left, and, according to what is by now legend, worked out their stress issues by pulling over some Eastern European migrants for having no tax and insurance.
Shell-Statoil-Roadbridge-Sicim then attempted an abortive move of the lorry, unsuccessful in this, they then tried parking it further off the road, in order that the road be passable for their other lorries. Not the smartest of moves as this then got the truck bogged down. So the main-contractor successfully sabotaged the sub-contractors machinery, one would say – only in Ireland, but as there are Italians, Germans, Englishmen, Norwegians, Americans etc… with a slice of the development cake here perhaps such happens everywhere, but it is sure a new one on me.
The mood here is very positive and has been the last few days, there was a bit of a party last night with the bonfire for St.John’s Eve, with the Wolfe Tones making a change from some radio station that only seems to play country.
Volunteers are needed and welcome to travel up and join the struggle, see the contacts page here: http://www.shelltosea.com

Thanks to indymedia volunteers Chekov, James R., and JD for putting up earlier updates.

..more photos...

Fri Jun 24, 2005 22:17

..more talks...