Belfast Shell Picket

by Seán Mitchell - sap Mon Sep 26, 2005 15:39 students_against_poverty at hotmail dot com

Students Against Poverty are calling a picket of the shell Garage on the Falls road in solidarity with the Rossport 5 this saturday.
SAP, which recently sent 30 people down to the shannon peace festival, is a broad allinace of school and university students.

On sat 10th of september we held a picket of the Andersontown Shell Garage whyich was well attended and supported. It was covered by the The Andersontown News.

This saturday a national rally to demand the release of the Rossport Five and the relocation of a potentially dangerous gas refinery will be held in dublin.

In solidarity with this action and with the Rosspport 5 we are calling on organisations to support(press release etc) and attend tthe picket.

The picket will begin at 12.30 this Saturday at the Shell, garage on the Falls road

by Michael R. Mon Sep 26, 2005 16:21

Excellent Sean.

I'd like to learn more about your group. Any chance you could post up an article on site here?

I don't know if anything like this is done down South.

I think it is vital that school & university students get involved in things. It is the youth who can change the world and they have so much energy, freedom and idealism.

by bill Mon Sep 26, 2005 17:02

good to see actions north of the border on this issue

by Michael - SEA Mon Sep 26, 2005 17:38 Derry

There have been quite a few actions in solidarity with the Rossport 5 North of the border. In Derry, the Socialist Environmental Alliance [S.E.A] and FEIC organised a public meeting on the issue. Several blockades of the Shell depot have been held and Shell or Statoil stations on the Donegal side of the border picketed [there are very few petrol stations in Derry due to it being so much cheaper two miles away in Donegal].

The SEA has organised several fundraisers for the Rossport 5 and handed over a few hundred pounds at the public meeting to the Shell to Sea campaign. The last four Wednesday nights in Sandinos have been fundraisers for the campaign, organised by Joe Mulhern.

This weekend, a bus is leaving Derry at 9am at bus stop beside Guildhall Square, to bring people to Dublin for the national demo.... maybe Belfast should think of doing something similar? The bus plans on
returning from Dublin at about 5pm to get back to Derry for 9.30 or so. The cost is about £15 for waged and £5 for unwaged. Anyone wanting to book a seat on the bus, phone or text Goretti Horgan on 07973528772

by sean - sap Mon Sep 26, 2005 17:47

Michael

It would be better if we could get down to the demo however all the activists who are involved in this have just come back from shannon and had spent weeks building and fundraising to send 60 people (SAP&BAWM)
to Shannon. There simply isnt the time or money for such an action,though it was discussed . However i am aware that a few people from the are putting there cars available in belfast for the Dublin demo.

Anyway hope the bus goes well.

by C Ó Brolcháin Mon Sep 26, 2005 21:12

This will be the third protest held in West Belfast against Shell and in soldiarity with the Rossport 5. SAP had one at Andersonstown 2 weeks ago and there was one outside the Falls Road station in July. It's good to see that there's more being organised. Maybe we should try to get a campaign up and running in Belfast that can do things like this on a regular basis.

by C Ó Brolcháin Mon Sep 26, 2005 21:34

I forgot to add originally, that Ógra Shinn Féin also held a protest outside Belfast City Hall at the start of September.

by red Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:06

C ó B- good idea why not start one then. get a speaker from shell to sea contact groups publicise it and there you go

by Sean. Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:21

Ogra held several in Belfast, Street Seen held one and I think Organise held one as did another group. There was probably more.

by - Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:24

The point i think of this picket though is to call all these organisations together for a larger picket

by - Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:36

Not very inviting to all, held in the middle of the Falls road. Only Westie taigs need apply?

by - Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:41

there is a shell garage in the town centre but as far as im aware its shut down at the mo

by - Tue Sep 27, 2005 17:57

It is opened.

by Sean - sap Wed Sep 28, 2005 17:49

This picket so far has been supported by, Sinn Fein, Street Seen, SWP, SP.

by Sean Wed Sep 28, 2005 18:10

Who is involved in SAP, where did it spring from. Are you with MPH.

by b Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:16

as far as i know they are not in mph

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Thu Sep 29, 2005 21:30

The People want the release of the Rossport 5.

The Arms are decommissioned and let us Embrace Peace but never forget Justice.

Ireland, the Island, has resources at the sea bed.

Ireland of the 26 counties, in the 1980's made available attractive tax incentive packages to entice Speculators. Royalties exist and no tax on product.

I wonder does this apply to the Westminster approach or for that matter what happened in Scotland.

Prospecting and Speculation are great motivators but then if power is abused.....like say the problems in Nigeria....who takes responsibility?


Michelle Clarke

by W'll Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:24

Sean are you in the SWP? The SWP are pushing for this picket and experience shows they only do that if they had control of the group that were organising it. If you do not respond I take it that you are.
It is just I have no time for the SWP and their methods.

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:34

as far as I know he is in the SWP.

by sean Fri Sep 30, 2005 15:46

I am indeed

by - Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:31

Rossport 5 freed. Is there any point going ahead with this picket

by asp Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:47

this new SAP group is controlled and fronted by the SWP so no change there.
first time I have heard a SWP member admitting a front. Sometimes honesty is not always the best policcy. I supoose the protest in Belfast and the Dublin march is of now they are free.

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:48

This picket is asking for the Rossport 5 to be released and they are out now. Will it go ahead

by free Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:51

There is no point they are free victory

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:54

it would be pointless to go ahead with this picket

by me Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:58

Because the men are free or because it is called by an SWP front .

by me Fri Sep 30, 2005 16:58

Because the men are free or because it is called by an SWP front .

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 17:00

because the men are free. I dont know wether its a front anyway

by sap Fri Sep 30, 2005 17:09

the dublin demo is still going ahead, so should the picket

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 17:10

they are free but the fight goes on

by s Fri Sep 30, 2005 17:33

from what ihave read and seen this is not an swper front. wheres the evdence

by b Fri Sep 30, 2005 18:02

Someone from the students should comment on whether this is going ahead

by o Fri Sep 30, 2005 18:08

Then you have not read it well enough

by C Ó Brolcháin Fri Sep 30, 2005 20:43

Regardless of whether or not Students Against Poverty is an SWP front, the picket should go ahead.

Yes, the Rossport Five have been freed - but the issue is far from resolved. Shell still have their pipeline in the works at Erris. It's still a threat to the people living in the area. Multinationals corporations still plan on stealing Ireland's natural resources.

However, I acknowledge that this picket was originally called by the SAP, so whatever decision they make will likely affect what happens (or doesn't happen) tomorrow.

by westie taigs? Sat Oct 01, 2005 22:29

the most obvious reason why it was going to be held at the falls road is why the hell would protestants care about 5 farmers in mayo. I don't think the ulster farmers union would hold a rally on their behalf

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Sun Oct 02, 2005 01:31

However, they are due to return to court ..... The Separation of Powers, the Rule of Law, Democratic principles hang in the balance. Corporatism and Governmental policies and decisions are another part of the equation.

Well done to those in Belfast who came forward with support. This is about people standing up for their rights and being supported by fellow citizens.


They say: 'Justice Delayed is Justice Denied'.

The Irish Constitution protects the rights of Irish citizens and their property. This is about basic rights. Yet, can somebody explain why the President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Finnegan was so reluctant to release these men?

It was only when Mr. John Rogers SC, defense counsel for these men, pointed out the withdrawal of the Shell legal complaint in relation to the Contempt was presented. His point was that once Shell dropped the charge, there was no legal right to hold these men in prison.

What alarms me is that Mr. Justice Finnegan speaks of 'Punishment' of these men when they return to court. Is this not extreme?

Ray Burke left prison some months ago. He spent about the same time as these men incarcerated but his charges are of more sinister and serious elements. But, Burke comes out to a pension of Euros 90,000 per annum (Justice???). These men are protecting their livlihood and their land. Mr. Finnegan, President of the High Court wants to Punish these men, more seriously. I, for one, question this.

The Rossport 5 men ought not have to return to the Court and possibly face further sentences.


Michelle Clarke

by belfast keano Sun Oct 02, 2005 01:47

it may be the irish constitution to protect the rights of irish citizens and their property. but how come they don't give those same rights to irish citizens in the north of ireland?..i'ts because once the irish free state was set up the natives of the north were cast aside into the abyss of having no right to be either irish or living in a protestant statelet. the powers that be in the dail are cowards and always will be... they would as easy sell out their own for a quick dollar as they would for a british pound note...

by sean Mon Oct 03, 2005 14:54

The Shell picket on the Falls road did go ahead. There were around 25 people there and the garage was blocked for about an hour and a half. Good turnout all things considering.

by D Mon Oct 03, 2005 15:08

Yep worth doing. SAP, the SWP leading cadre from Belfast, - and Street Seen in attendance.