earthfirst – Page 183

Activists strike at Chorlton Tesco, Manchester

4.7.2009
Manchester residents concerned about the presence of a Tesco store in Chorlton covered the shop in a hard hitting message to locals and the company late last night. They sprayed “Tesco is a virus” and “Tesco destroys places” in large letters across the front of the business.

Those who graffitied the supermarket say they did so because they are concerned about the effect of stores such as this on the local area. They are also angry about Tesco’s record on workers rights, both abroad and at home, and their massive contribution to climate change.

The new Tesco is proving damaging to small local businesses, many of which have been around for many decades. Far from increasing choice, the introduction of Tesco has just added to Tesco’s stranglehold and is pushing out all of the area’s variety and vitality.

Dan, one of those involved in last night’s activity said, “It’s pretty horrifying that 1 out of every 3 pounds spent on groceries in Britain is spent in Tesco. This kind of uniformity is not what we want, it’s destroying the vibrancy of local communities.”

The planned opening of the Tesco was the subject of much anger in the local area and kick-started a campaign against its construction called Keep Chorlton Interesting (It should be stressed that none of those involved in this campaign were responsible for this action). Despite opposition from hundreds of local residents, independent retailers, councillors and the local MP, the national planning inspectorate overturned the decision by the Manchester City Council Planning Committee to refuse the application.

Tesco’s record on workers rights is shocking. War on Want, the anti-poverty charity, showed last year that workers in one of Tesco’s factories in India were being payed £1.50 a day and forced to work 60 hour weeks.

Barak Obama recently weighed into the debate and attacked Tesco for refusing to allow workers to unionise in its stores in a letter to its boss Terry Leahy.

On top of all this Tesco is a major contributor to climate change: its shops are energy-intensive, food is flown in from thousands of miles away, and the company’s demand for products like palm oil is destroying vast tracts of the rainforest.

“Tesco will trample on anyone or anything for a quick buck. All they care about is their profit margins. Well, we say, it’s time we fought back and that’s just what we’ve started to do here,” said activist, Dan.

The group say they will be willing to act in a similar way in the future if it helps to highlight the true nature of Tesco. Manchester residents concerned about the presence of a Tesco store in Chorlton covered the shop in a hard hitting message to locals and the company late last night. They sprayed “Tesco is a virus” and “Tesco destroys places” in large letters across the front of the business.

Barak Obama recently weighed into the debate and attacked Tesco for refusing to allow workers to unionise in its stores in a letter to its boss Terry Leahy.

The group say they will be willing to act in a similar way in the future if it helps to highlight the true nature of Tesco.

Rossport solidarity demo at Irish Embassy

2nd July 2009

2nd July 2009
People gathered in London outside the Irish Embassy at 1pm yesterday to protest at the draconian jailing of 7 Shell to Sea protestors in Co. Mayo, Ireland. The 4 women and 2 men were arrested on Sunday June 28th for their part in the ongoing campaign against the construction of the Shell Corrib gas pipeline in Erris, Mayo. They were remanded on Mon June 29th to appear at court this Friday, 3rd July at 10.30am. Those being held on remand were all charged with minor public order offences (section 6: breach of the peace, section 8: refusing instructions of a guard and section 9: willful obstruction of a highway – 3 of them were arrested for simply walking across the road). None of these offences would usually result in someone being put on remand. We are concerned that the treatment of the protestors has been unjust for the following reasons;

– None of the protestors had previous convictions, yet they were refused normal bail conditions
– Judge Devins denied and/or deferred decisions on their kegal aid, although it was evident that some of the protestors are not able to afford their legal representation.
– Judge Devins has shown her disdain and bias against Shell to Sea protestors. Sending people to jail whose first offence is to be arrested for not obeying the directions of a guard is ridiculous and unprecedented.

We delivered a letter to the Irish Ambassador calling for him to ensure that the protestors are treated fairly, released from remand, and are allowed access to the legal aid to which they are entitled. It also expresses general concerns regarding the recent treatment of protestors by the Gardai and by the security that Shell have employed have employed to protect their gas project – Integrated Risk Management Services. I-RMS have been continually accused of using excessive force against the protestors. The letter also calls for a fair and thorough investigation into the recent allegations and for assurances that campaigners who are carrying out their democratic right to protest are treated fairly and their human rights upheld.

* The protest also hoped to raise awareness of events in Co. Mayo by holding banners and giving out leaflets asking people to support the seven on remand, and to make their protest against the actions of Shell and the Irish Government.

For further infomationa and updates: www.indymedia.ie and www.corribos.com
Email: info@corribos.com

Shell to Sea spokespersons: Ms Maura Harrington (T.087 9591474) an Mr Terrence Conway (T.086 0866264). Rossport Solidarity Camp media co-ordinator: Mr Niall Harnett (T. 086 8444966)

Palm Oil Gala Dinner & Dance pictures

The Climate Rush held a Gala Dinner and Dance outside the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London last night (1 July 2009) as a protest against the deforestation of tropical forests to grow biofuel crops.

A jazz band played, and suffragettes and orang-utans danced in the street outside the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair as profiteers from global despoliation were having their own party inside.

Tropical forests are being felled, releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide, to grow biofuel crops such as palm oil. Global corporations are making huge profits, indigenous peoples are illegally forced off their land and wildlife in these areas is largely eliminated.

As the Climate Rush flyer states, “90% of orangutans have disappeared since the Suffragettes first appeared 100 years ago.

The event started with a picnic in the park, the garden of Grosvenor Square opposite the hotel. Then the jazz band began to play and people moved out onto half of the street, rejecting the pen police had created “for your safety”. Many demonstrators waved and posed and shouted greetings to Neil, the police photographer who was photographing and filming the event.

After dancing on the street for around half an hour there was a “rush” across the street to the hotel doorway, which made little impression on the row of police across its front. Many of the police seemed rather amused throughout the event, although there were one or two who slightly lost their temper in the rush itself, and at one point two people were rather roughly thrown to the ground by a small police charge. Neither seemed badly injured.

Following this, a number of the demonstrators sat down on the road for a while. Half of the police then withdrew and watched from around 100 yards down the road. Eventually people got up and briefly danced a conga, then decided to go back into the park to continue their picnic, and I went home for dinner.

Palo Gordo does not want trash from San Marcos, Guatemala

Neighbours of Pajopom Village from Esquipulas Palo Gordo don´t want trash from San Marcos anymore. From June 15th 2009 they have prevent the discharge of garbage in an illegal garbage dump in their community by having a pacific protest in front of the community saloon. Adults, young people and even children had been rotating since early in the morning until the sunset, in order to fight for their lives and a safe environment.

In the afternoon on Friday, June 5, a group of neighbours representing Pojopom Village from Esquipulas Palo Gordo filed a complaint against the municipal governments of San Marcos and Esquipulas Palo Gordo, because of the illegal dump in their community, in the assistance office of the Public Ministry in the municipal head, San Marcos.
The neighbours decided to use said means alter having exhausted three years of dialoguing with the mayor of San Marcos, Mr. Carlos Enrique Barrios Sacher and the mayor of Esquipulas Palo Gordo, Mr. Francisco Rogelio Sandoval. The talks, since December 2008, were mediated by the San Marcos’ Human Rights Ombudsman office. Thanks to the mediation process an agreement had been reached, but which was not acted upon by the mayors, even though they were given an extension.

The community spokesman declared, “We are not in agreement that the trash of another municipality continues contaminating our land. We will defend the earth that belongs to everyone. We do not want to be accomplices in the irresponsibility of our ignorant, lying and negligent officials, who are paid with our tax money.”
Gracias al pronto actuar de los funcionarios del Ministerio Publico se elevo la denuncia a la Fiscalía de Delitos contra el Ambiente en la ciudad de Guatemala.

The officials of the Public Ministry brought the complaint to the District Attorney of Crimes against the Environment in Guatemala City. An ocular inspection was requested to the Ministry of Environment and Natural resources, on Monday June 15th.
On Tuesday June 23 members of the National Civil Police, specifically the Division for Environment Protection got to the place to investigate about damaged houses, contaminated rivers and bad odours in the place, caused by the illegal dump.

Meanwhile, the neighbors from Palo Gordo had been preventing more trash discharges in the mentioned area.

Drax29 – climate activists on trial

Last June, 29 people stopped a train loaded with coal that was heading for Drax power station. Today their trial began at Leeds Crown Court.

Drax power station is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions in the British Isles. There is overwhelming evidence that carbon dioxide emissions are the cause of climate change which is already causing environmental devastation across the globe [0]. Unless carbon dioxide emissions are massively and urgently reduced, climate chaos is likely to lead to an irreversible collapse of the Earth’s ecosystem.

Today emergency health warnings were being broadcast about the latest potentially fatal heatwave to hit the UK [1].

The UK government and power industry have dragged their feet throughout efforts to bring emissions down to safe levels, or even to reduce their rate of growth. Despite decades of reassurances from government and industry, the UK is producing more emissions now than ever. In the face of this global emergency, it’s a source of great hope (perhaps our only hope) that a small but growing number of people are willing to take matters into their own hands at great personal risk.

The “Drax 29” are twenty-nine ordinary people who took direct action against the fossil fuel madness last summer. As was widely-reported at the time [2] [3] [4] [5], they stopped a train-load of coal on its way to the power station.

The defendants are unable to discuss the bizarre strictures imposed on their defense until after the trial. They arrived by bicycle at Leeds Crown Court today. A large crowd gathered outside to show their support, with banners saying, “Burning coal is killing us,” “Stopping climate change is not a crime,” and “Drax power station kills 180 people per year.”

One of the people who came to show their support said, “Direct action is the only option left, everything else has been tried and failed. What people need to understand is that this is an emergency.”

The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.

[0] United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/

[1] NHS: Heatwave amber alert
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwaveamberalert.aspx

[2] Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2008/06/401022.html

[3] Pictures from Drax train action
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2008/06/401011.html

[4] Guardian: Climate change protesters hijack coal train
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/13/activists.climatechange

[5] BBC: Climate protest halts coal train
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7452395.stm

Call-out for support: Mainshill Solidarity Camp eviction granted!

Come resist Scottish Coal and Lord Home, and defend communities and the climate!

In a farcical court hearing this morning in Lanark Sheriff Court the eviction order brought by Lord Home, the landowner (and chief exec of RBS private banking firm) and Scottish Coal, the UK’s largest open cast producer against the occupiers at Mainshill Wood was granted. Despite having just two working days to seek legal advice and work on a defence the Sheriff refused to allow the occupiers more time.

The eviction order comes into effect immediately owing to the “vast costs being incurred” by the contract drilling work being prevented at the site by campers, according to Lord Home’s solicitors.

The Chairperson of Douglas and Glespin Community Council had prepared a statement to present to the court in support of the occupiers and raising serious concerns about the timescale of the eviction order. The Sheriff, however, would not even allow the statement to be heard, saying only: “Given that you’re a lay person, I’ll cast my eyes over it”.

Tracey Mitchell from Douglas said of the proceedings: “It was damned ridiculous and money talks”. John Brozy, a former miner and former justice of the peace also from Douglas said: “the occupiers have given us new heart and made locals understand that they’re not alone”.

The Mainshill Solidarity Camp is determined to stop this coal mine from going ahead. We knew all along that this would be Lord Home’s response – not engaging with us or the community, but using his money and court bailiffs to remove us without getting his hands dirty. We will not go until we are forcefully removed or until we have won.

Scottish Coal and Lord Home are on the back foot – the Solidarity Camp has brought a huge amount of attention to what they’re doing in South Lanarkshire, and what they’ve been getting way with for years. The community is fired up and even more determined to stop this project. We can win this! The last thing Scottish Coal and Lord Home need is an expensive and drawn-out eviction – what we need is for as many people as possible to join us and come to the camp.

The site is beautiful, full of wildlife and well defended, with unprecedented levels of community support. This is the front line in the struggle against new coal and for community self-determination over the interests of big business and wealthy land owners.

Join us! See http://mainshill.noflag.org.uk for information about the camp and how to get here, and http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/ for regular updates.

Climate campaigners target coal power construction firm – again!

For the second time this month, protesters have focused on major building contractor BAM Nuttall due to its potential role in building the controversial Kingsnorth coal power station. Protesters have climbed the company’s flagpole and raised a flag reading “no new coal”. People have attempted to enter the building, asking to speak to Chief Executive Martin J.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 June 2009, 11:30

For more information, interviews and photographs [1] contact Thames Valley Climate Action on 07912 614 541 or oxford@climatecamp.org.uk

CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS TARGET COAL POWER CONSTRUCTION FIRM

Protesters focus on major building contractor BAM Nuttall due to potential role in controversial Kingsnorth coal power station

[Photo and filming opportunity at: BAM Nuttall Head Office, St. James House, Knoll Road, Camberly, Surrey, GU15 3XW]

For the second time this month, campaigners have targeted offices of Surrey-based building firm BAM Nuttall. Protesters have climbed the company’s flagpole and raised a flag reading “no new coal”. Seven people attempted to enter the building, asking to speak to Chief Executive Martin J. Rogers in order to give him a letter about the disastrous implications of building more coal-fired power stations.

The campaigners from Thames Valley Climate Action [2], are targeting BAM because the company is bidding for the contract to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, for the energy giant E.ON [3]. This would be the first new UK coal power station for 30 years, and would produce about 7 millions tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the entire emissions of a country like Ghana [4]. According to a new report from Kofi Annan’s Global Humanitarian Forum, climate change is already killing 300,000 people per year, and will get much worse unless we urgently reduce our CO2 emissions [5].

One of the protesters, Mike Holdman, said: “We are here for the second time this month to demand that BAM Nuttall pulls out of building coal power stations. While we praise BAM’s introduction of low energy lighting and improved heating controls, these initiatives are a drop in the ocean compared with the emissions the firm will cause by building new coal power stations.”

The Government and E.ON are claiming that a new Kingsnorth power station would eventually include “carbon capture and storage” (CCS) technology, to catch 25% of its emissions and store them underground [6]. However, the campaigners inside BAM Nuttall point out that this is unproven technology that is still being tested, and won’t be available until at least 2020 [7]. Climate scientists say we need to make sharp carbon cuts long before that date [8]. Even if CCS is one day installed, and works as planned, the plant would still produce more CO2 than a gas power station [9].

The Government’s other favoured justification for building new coal power stations—that the emissions would be included in the EU’s “carbon trading” scheme—has been widely and heavily criticized. Critics say that this scheme is a complex and unworkable distraction from the real climate change solutions, that it isn’t reducing emissions, and it essentially hands control of the climate over to the same bankers, brokers and private traders responsible for the global financial crash [11].

Last week NASA’s top climate scientist, James Hansen, was arrested for taking action against new coal. Hansen said, “It seems to me that young people, especially, should be doing whatever is necessary to block construction of dirty coal-fired power plants.” Even Al Gore said in 2007, “I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power stations.” One of today’s protesters, Anna Samuels, said: “You have a top politician and a top scientist calling for direct action on coal, as we are doing here today. Gore and Hansen must recognise that non-violent direct action has been an important catalyst in nearly every major social change movement in history, from woman’s suffrage to civil rights. We are here today to help catalyze the much-needed shift from coal to a low-carbon economy.”

Louise Smith said: “We need to think about the long-term picture. The Stern Review has shown that coal is not a cost-effective energy source when you factor in the damages that it will cause through future climate change. Climate scientists around the world, from Oxford University’s Myles Allen to NASA’s James Hansen, are denouncing coal. We ask BAM Nuttall to do the same, and stop building new coal power stations.”

—ENDS—

Notes to Editors:

[1] Photographs of our protest at BAM earlier this month are available at http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2009/06/431779.html
[2] TVCA is part of the Camp for Climate Action network, which set up a week-long protest camp at Kingsnorth in August 2008—see www.climatecamp.org.uk. Today’s action is part of a national campaign, supported by the Camp for Climate Action, called the E.ON Face Off—see www.e-onf-off.org.uk. Previous actions have included the occupation of E.ON’s UK head office by protesters dressed as Santa Claus, and actions at E.ON stalls at University recruitment events, which led to the company abandoning its graduate recruitment drive.
[3] BAM Nuttall is a construction and civil engineering firm owned by the Royal BAM Group
[4] Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre: http://cdiac.ornl.gov/
[5] Global Humanitarian Forum: http://ghf-geneva.org/
[6] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8014295.stm
[7] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmental/georgemonbiot/2009/apr/23/carbon-capture-and-storage-coal
[8] http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/publications/briefing_notes/bn17.pdf
[9] Generating electricity from coal produces about twice as much CO2 per KWh than generation from gas. Therefore a 25%reduction would leave coal about 1.5 times as polluting as gas.
[10] See for example: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5257602.ece, http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227046.200-carbon-trading-wont-stop-climate-change.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/may/28/carbon-trading
[11] http://carbontradewatch.org

11:30
UPDATE: Five protesters entered the building and were later ejected. They are now being searched under Section 1 of the 2003 Criminal Justice Act. No arrests thus far.

Thames Valley Climate Action
oxford@climatecamp.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Rossport: A Tripod, A Lock-On And A Compound Infiltration

Sunday June 28th saw the most intense burst of direct action against Shell in Erris so far in this phase of the campaign to thwart the Great Gas Robbery and the destruction of Erris along with its community. A tripod on a road bridge near McGrath’s Bar held up vital repair gear for the pipeline winching operation for over four hours. This was followed up by a five-person lock-on on the same road a bit nearer the Shell compound. Together, they delayed winching operations for twelve hours, and there were nine arrests in all. Meanwhile, three Solidarity Campers managed to sneak into the Shell compound at Glengad and get out without being arrested.

At about two o’clock Sunday lunchtime a Rossport Solidarity Camp action team erected a tripod on the road to Shell’s Glengad compound, upon a bridge near McGrath’s Bar in Pullathomas. This action was executed on foot of information received that the winch gear in Shell’s compound had broken down and needed replacement parts and extra gear, all of which was to arrive on a truck convoy travelling the Pullathomas road to Glengad. The first Garda car on the scene revved up attempted to ram the tripod, and this reckless endangerment of the tripod occupier was prevented only by a brave camper standing before the apparatus and compelling the Garda car to stop. The car touched against the shins of the camper as it stopped, once again illustrating the madness of a murder-minded police force drunk on impunity.

Having cautioned the tripod occupier under the public order act, the Gardai then went on to declare an ‘exclusion zone’ and then roughly pushed out his companions off the road under threat of arrest. They found refuge from Garda harassment in an adjacent field, and from there kept vigil over their colleague, who was being continually endangered by ignorant meddling by the Gardai on the scene with the tripod apparatus. Local people and campers began to arrive to support the tripod occupier, getting as close to him as they could in the fields at either side of the road.

One Garda committed an unprovoked assault on a Solidarity Camper on the road about 100m away from the tripod, tripping him, gashing his hand badly and also leaving him with a bad chest injury. Gardai began attempting to arrest anyone who entered the road anywhere near the tripod, arresting three people without giving them any chance to leave voluntarily. One of the arrestees was acting as a recorder of incidents; his log book was seized by the cops in another act of cynical impunity. The arrests were conducted with no little violence on the part of the Gardai.

In a bizarre interlude during this action, a table and desk was produced from a horsebox-type trailer the Gardai brought to the scene, and four cops in blue hard-hats proceeded to fill in forms on the table. Screens were then erected around the tripod area in a futile attempt to prevent photographing or filming of Garda activity. The Gardai present attempted to question the tripod occupier as if he were already arrested and in custody in a Garda station, which struck many witnesses as an abuse of procedure.

An hour-and-a-half after the tripod was erected, a truck from AGS Scaffolding Ltd. from Crossmolina arrived at the McGrath’s Bar side of the tripod. Not coincidentally, the AGS stands for Anthony Gill Scaffolding, and Anthony Gill is the brother of Garda Sgt James Gill, an ever-present menace to the citizens of Erris. Furthermore, from the nature of the equipment the scaffolders brought with them and the manner in which the scaffolders worked with the cops, it can be reasonably suspected that this company’s personnel have trained alongside Gardai for this kind of ‘work’.

After two hours or so of platform building by the scaffolders two Garda detectives climbed up and began to remove the tripod occupier. The manner in which they effected the arrest was calculated to inflict injury and displayed a level of petulant spitefulness that the people of Kilcommon and surrounding parishes have endured for far too long. The tripod successfully blocked the road for nearly four hours and the dismantling of the scaffolding platform must have added another 90 minutes of road blockage to this.

Within an hour of the tripod being dismantled and before the truck convoy could get any farther, a lock-on team from the Solidarity Camp got into position on the road only 300m or so from the gates of the Shell compound. Even though it was raining steadily in the evening gloom, the Gardai supplied only an insufficient quantity of cover for the protestors, who were soaked to the skin within minutes of locking-on. Supporters from the camp and the local area began to gather at the site, and then about an hour into the action, the number of Gardai began increasing. The Gardai used their numbers to begin progressively pushing people back using threats of arrest under the public order act, and once again erected screens and tents to block the view of people supporting the lock-on team, and to frustrate filming and photographing of their actions.

The Gardai assented to allowing an observer to remain with the lock-on team, but then cynically removed her under the pretence of arresting her for the ‘crime’ of having a mobile phone passed to her from an outside supporter. She was searched (no doubt illegally), dragged out and put into a Garda van for almost a quarter of an hour, and was then released from Garda captivity. The cops then proceeded to begin cutting out the lock-on team.

The lock-on was disassembled finally only at around a quarter to two on Monday morning. By this time, the two actions on the road had delayed Shell by a full twelve hours. It had also spoiled the plans and pricked the arrogance of Shell’s cops, who were serially outwitted by brave and committed Shell to Sea campaigners. The tripod action arrestees and two of the five lock-on arrestees were brought to Ballina Garda station, and the other three lock-on arrestees were brought to Castlebar Garda station. At the time of writing the four tripod arrestees have been remanded in Garda custody and will be up in Westport district court later today. It is not yet known whether the other five have been remanded or released.

Meanwhile on Sunday evening as the lock-on action was happening, three Solidarity Campers drove into the Shell compound when the metal front gates were opened for other traffic, utilising the technique of ‘social camouflage’ to seize the opportunity presented. The campers got to the second internal set of gates and were about to have them opened for them when they were recognised. Gardai threatened to tow the car out, but eventually the campers were allowed to drive out and were not arrested. With the kayak team making the Solitaire run away on Thursday evening and now this penetration of the Glengad Shell compound, not only are the mercenary ‘security firm’ IRMS fascist scum, they are crap fascist scum too!

Maya Villagers Burn Mine Equipment

A group of Mayan Mam villagers torched the equipment of a company attempting to set up a mine on their land without permission on June 12.

A group of Mayan Mam villagers torched the equipment of a company attempting to set up a mine on their land without permission on June 12. Exploradora de Guatemala, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Goldcorp, had been pressuring 20 families in the San Miguel Ixztahuacan municipality to sell their land, but the villagers had consistently refused. When the company began moving mining equipment onto their land anyway, the villagers demanded its removal.

The company promised to remove all equipment by June 10, then failed to do so. It promised again to remove the equipment by June 12, even as it requested police and army assistance — receiving 8 police units (2 of them anti-riot) and 4 vehicles full of soldiers.

On June 12, seeing that the company was not going to remove the equipment, villagers set fire to an exploration drill rig and pickup truck, while police and soldiers stood by and watched.

Unfortunately, due to company pressure, the police filed charges against 7 villagers for the action on June 19.

Mayo update – resisting Shell on Wednesday & Thursday

25.6.09
Solitaire on the horizon,more arrests – the resistance continues – Solidarity!

The Solitaire, the huge pipe laying ship, that will lay the pipeline in Broadhaven Bay has arrived. If you were thinking of coming to Rossport this summer now is the time. Resistance continues whilst 200 Gardai and the Irish Navy are drafted in to facilitate Shell’s project.

As the Solitaires arrival looms large, the state ups the pressure with more frivolous arrests.

At approximately 5.30pm on Wednesday, two swimmers were arrested in Broadhaven Bay by the joint Gardaí and Naval force, for opposing Shell’s Corrib Gas Project. Both were quite a distance outside of Shell’s so-called ‘exclusion zone’ in the Bay when they were arrested by Gardai jumping towards them from RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats). The protest was against preparatory cable work being done before the arrival of the Solitaire. Neither protester was close to any machinery, or stopping any work from taking place. This brings to 22 the number of people arrested this month for opposing Shell.

This forms part of a larger pattern of arbitrary arrest, through which Gardai are seeking to repress peaceful protest against Shell’s disastrous Corrib Gas Project. Recent weeks have seen draconian attempts to remand first-time offenders to custody for relatively minor offences, along with very high bail money being demanded for protesters. The attempted criminalisation of campaigners raises very serious questions about civil liberties and the infringing on the right to protest.

Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington said: “The hundreds of Gardai and Naval personnel drafted into the area in the last 48 hours shows just how far the government will go to facilitate Shell, despite the fact that this project is completely against the interests of the people of this country. These latest arrests are merely the Gardaí and Navy trying to justify the immense and totally disproportionate force that has been sent down by the State to force this project through”

LE Emer is currently stationed in Broadhaven Bay and Navy RIBs crewed by Gardaí and Navy personnel are currently being used against protestors.

….

The 24th of June began with an oppressive Garda presence in the Glengad area and ended with two swimmers from the camp being arrested in Broadhaven Bay this evening. Shell’s contracted pipe-laying ship the Solitaire began its journey to Glengad this afternoon and is expected to be in the bay by morning.

At lunchtime two squadrons of kayakers set out into Broadhaven bay as a practise run for actions when the Solitare arrives. Kayakers were confronted by a heavy Garda and navy presence supported by Shell security in rigid inflatable boats (ribs). Two kayakers were roughly handled, being dragged at speed by Garda ribs while Gardai hung on to their craft. All kayakers managed to return safely to the Solidarity Camp. At the same time the Irish naval vessel the LE Emer entered Broadhaven Bay, circled the bay and dropped anchor near Balyglass pier. This warship remains at anchor tonight in the bay.

In preparation for attaching the pulling cable to the Solitare one of Shell’s tug boats drew a smaller cable from the Glengad compound to one of the dredging platforms in the bay at aproximately 5:30pm. Two swimmers set out to investigage what was happening, supported by two kayakers. They were immediately met by Gardai, navy personnel and Shell security in a total of 18 ribs. Even though the swimmers did not enter the exclusion area they were surrounded by ribs and arrested at about 6 pm. The swimmers were put at some danger during the arrests by Gardai because of the lack of propeller guards on the ribs while they surrounded the swimmers. They also denied the swimmers the possibility of swimming back to shore by surrounding them with ribs before they arrested them. They were then taken to the Shell Glengad compound where they were held by Gardai for over 2 hours before being taken to Ballina Garda station for processing. One of the arrestees has since returned to the Solidarity camp but the other person is being detained in a care home in Galway because they are 2 months short of their 18th birthday.

In a further incident later on Garda parking cones were removed by locals and campers after it was discovered that Gardai had no legal basis for putting them there. Soon after, two van loads of Gardai arrived at the road outside the Solidarity Camp, claiming that campers and locals were blocking the road. A stand-off developed which lasted for over a half an hour. During this incident several local people identified a man driving a four wheel drive jeep on the road as the driver of the digger involved in the incindent at Pullathomas pier on the 11th of June, 2007; this was when numerous people were injured after a digger was driven through a crowd of local protestors. This was brought to the attention of the Gardai present but they chose to ignore this complaint, instead claiming that the assembled locals and campers were blocking the road.

There has been a heavy Gardai presence in the area throughout the area, including a public order unit stationed inside the Shell Glengad compound. Gardai have also been stopping trafic on the roads around Glengad checking for insurance, tax, etc. A mysterious white van with Mayo plates has been parked on the roadside during the daytime, adjacent to the Rossport Solidarity camp with the side door open, with someone in there taking photographs or carrying out some other type of espionage activity. The occupants of this van are remarkably camera-shy. Garda numbers in ribs on the bay have also increased markedly in the last 24 hours. All in all, the state is making an extra-special effort on Shell’s behalf here in Co. Mayo.

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Pat & Jonathan O’Donnell Arrested and Boats Commandeered by Gardai As Solitaire’s Arrival Imminent

June 25 2009

Fishermen arrested for the crime of fishing in Broadhaven Bay

In a reprise of last year’s repeated arrests on the waters of Broadhaven Bay, Shell’s Gardai have arrested Pat ‘the Chief’ O’Donnell and his son Jonathan while they were fishing in Broadhaven Bay this morning. Their two boats were commandeered by Gardai and brought to Ballyglass pier under tow and naval escort. Gardai claim that the two boats were ‘loitering’, the new term for criminalising fishermen exercising their rights to fish in their native waters. Pat’s brother Martin is currently still on the water in the bay fishing in his boat. Meanwhile the Solitaire is less than an hour away from arriving off Glengad.

Earlier this morning Pat and Jonathan O’Donnell were arrested by Gardai while exercising their right to fish in Broadhaven Bay, waters that Pat and his family have fished for five generations. Gardai boarded the O’Donnells’ two vessels, arrested the men for ‘loitering’, and brought their vessels under tow and naval escort to the nearby pier at Ballyglass. All this happened while Pat and his boat was under Garda ‘protection’. Jonathan has been taken to Ballina Garda station, but there is no word as yet of where Pat is detained. Pat’s brother Martin is still fishing in the bay at the time of writing.

In another development, a mixed group of thirty-five regular and public order Gardai have taken up a position on the beach adjacent to the Rossport Solidarity Camp, presumably in an attempt to prevent actions happening on the water today. When the Gardai were asked by campers and locals what lawful authority they had to do this they were not answered by any Garda.

The pipe-laying ship the Solitaire is due to arrive in Broadhaven Bay in an hour or so, as of the time of writing. The arrest of the fishermen and their processing by Gardai in distant stations is a blatant attempt to facilitate Shell’s project works in the bay with every underhanded method at their disposal. If there ever was a time to get to Mayo to support this community fighting back against state corruption and corporate greed it is now!