Category: Wilderness Defence

Wilderness defence

ESB powerline work stopped at Clonmore

“I’ll never purge my contempt, and I want the ESB stopped. I most certainly do!” – message from Teresa Treacy, 65 years old, in Mountjoy Womens’ Prison.

“I’ll never purge my contempt, and I want the ESB stopped. I most certainly do!” – message from Teresa Treacy, 65 years old, in Mountjoy Womens’ Prison.

On Wednesday the 14th of September, concerned individuals wishing to support Teresa Treacy arrived at Clonmore, Tullamore. The following morning the supporters learned that no tree felling would be carried out that week and ESB workers had been instructed to leave the site.

On the morning of Saturday the 17th of September, Teresa rang from the prison to say that her spirits had been lifted by the news. She has her own cell in the prison thanks to the good graces of the prison staff. After her initial shock she is settling in. She said she has no intention of ‘purging her contempt’ and is calling out for support.

It is the ESB’s intent to fell trees covering a total 12 acres of land and amounting to 12,000 trees in all, many of which are native species and were hand planted and maintained by Teresa over the years. The end result being a 50m wide corridor permanently severing her woodlands in two for well over one kilometer. It is the intention of the ESB to fill the felling zone with one 20 metre high metal tower, five double wooden poles, a 110Kv single transmission line, and five continuous wires.

Teresa has been attempting to negotiate with the ESB since 2006. She has reluctantly offered a compromise of siting the line underground to no avail. Having spent her entire life as a law-abiding citizen, she has taken the path of peaceful direct resistance as a course of last resort.

In a call from the prison, Teresa has asked for supporters to become actively involved in her struggle to protect her land and trees. Teresa is committed and remains defiant. She has no intention of ‘purging her contempt’.

Letters of support can be sent to: Teresa Treacy/ Dochas/ Monthjoy Womens’ Prison/ North Circular RD/ Dublin 7/ Eire

To become involved, call Niall on 086 8444966.

For MEDIA, email Sean Ryan at: 2seanryan2@gmail.com
__________________________________________________________

Notes to Editors

1. Both magnetic fields and electrical fields are separate entities with regard to the health question, even though they often may well work together to cause the risks.

2. A lot of arguments associated with magnetic field exposure are
contradicted by the fact that people who work in this particular area don’t seem to suffer from many of the illnesses associated with these fields. The counter argument advances that this is because the brain secretes particular secretions when a person is asleep that are not secreted when one is awake. Most folks who work in this area are assumed not to be asleep on the job!

3. Magnetic fields can strip radioactive particles from the atmosphere and concentrate them in the areas around overhead lines.

4. Electrical fields associated with high voltage create a corona that can ionise a very large area (measured in kilometres) around the conductors. The body is a conductor and radioactive particles can actually stick to the body due to this effect.

The following are associated with high voltage overhead lines:
Depression/suicide, childhood leukaemia, skin cancer, lung cancer,
miscarriages and many more.

More information here
http://www.feb.se/emfguru/Elf/calif-power.html
http://www.feb.se/emfguru/Elf/elf-contents.html

—

Teresa Treacy Ordered to Jail over ESB Powerlines

“You picked the wrong place here” – Teresa Treacy to ESB consultant Shane McLoughney, April 2007.

eresa Treacy, a 65 year old woman from Tullamore, Co Offaly has been ordered to jail by High Court Judge Daniel Herbert at the request of the ESB.

Ms Treacy, who shares the family farm with her sister Mary at Woodfield House, Clonmore, Tullamore, Co Offaly has refused the ESB access to her lands in order to protect the natural environment and the native trees that she has managed there for many years.

In February 2006 the ESB began plans to construct a 110kV transmission powerline from Cushaling to Thornsbury. The plans specify that double woodpole structures and steel towers accommodating overhead powerlines be built at 200 metre intervals over a total distance of 32 kilometres through the lands of local landowners.

Ms Treacy outlined her objections in a number of letters to the ESB and arranged a number of meetings with them to request that the powerlines be constructed underground for the following reasons.

1) The Health & Safety risks, including cancer risks which are increasingly associated with overhead powerlines as a result of Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF).

2) The fact that she has always maintained and improved her land as a natural habitat which includes native trees, old and new, cared for and/or planted by herself for future generations as a sustainable natural resource, through which the ESB want to smash.

3) The fact that the undergrounding of powerlines is now considered to be best practice across Europe. Ireland and the ESB are at the bottom of the league in terms of catching up with international standards and the progress which has been made to ensure that underground powerlines are the progressive way forward.

The ESB were also pointed to a recent decision in 2006 to underground the Bantry (Colomane – Ballylickey) 38kV powerline, which arose out of intense local protest opposing the overgrounding of that line. The ESB were contracted to that project by a private windfarm developer who succeeded in getting injunctions against local farmers but decided not to enforce them. He abandoned overgrounding in favour of undergrounding the powerline. See here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77007

When the Cushaling – Thornsbury project was proposed for Tullamore in early 2006 it appeared that there was stiff opposition to the project among the affected 90 landowners in Offaly. Undergrounding options were discussed as technical possibilities and European best practice had come to the attention of the public.

It’s one thing to have a private developer opt for undergrounding but the ESB, fearing that a precedent may be set, were clever enough to use the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) to negotiate a compensation package with the landowners, most of them farmers.

Teresa Treacy stood to gain up to approximately 150,000 euro in 3 staged payments if she agreed to the project and on condition that no legal costs were incurred by the ESB if they had to go to court, in which case the last 2 payments would be ‘forfeited’.

This deal, negotiated by the IFA over the course of 2 years, seemed to appease most of the landowners so by the time a public meeting was called to organise the landowners, by Ms Treacy in March 2009, less than a dozen people showed up.

By the summer of 2011 Teresa Treacy was the only one refusing access to the ESB.

The ESB has made a number of applications to the High Court over the summer, including orders for Ms Treacy to unlock her gates and let them in and subsequently an order empowering the ESB to break the locks after Ms Treacy refused to obey the first order. The ESB told the court that Ms Treacy “has an emotional attachment to her trees”. When Ms Treacy obstructed them from breaking the locks the ESB decided to go back to court to issue contempt proceedings against Ms Treacy.

Today, Monday 12th September 2011, Judge Daniel Herbert told Ms Treacy that he had no choice but to uphold the law and ordered that she be jailed for contempt of the court orders.

“I’m begging them for years” said Ms Treacy today. “5½ years, what a waste of time it was trying to talk to them”. Facing jail she said “I feel good, I really do. I just couldn’t let them in to do that. It’s just not right”.

“The route is cutting through our forest and the old Whitethorn hedgerows. For over 25 years I have used all my time and energy getting our lands into a place of natural beauty and overnight it can be destroyed with high powered lines going through forests beside the old bridge, the old laneway and through the new Oak and Ash woods I planted over 20 years ago. I have spent many years replacing dead trees and cutting gorse with my hands. I filled containers with water from the river so that my forest is a model. All my trees have been pruned individually by me to promote their growth”

“My heart is broken by the thought that they may be uprooted and thrown away. I know I will never see them in their full glory but was satisfied knowing that others would enjoy them long into the future”

“We already have 10 ESB poles on our land and feel that we have already done enough for the common good. Our farm is our life’s blood, its scenic beauty from the untouched fields to the river and through the bog, all of it natural flora and fauna”.

Earlier court proceedings were heard by Judge Mary Laffoy who granted orders to the ESB. I’m wondering did Judge Laffoy decide not to be available to the ESB to hear contempt proceedings. Who would want to send an elderly woman to jail in these circumstances? When judgements are made in the High Court they are usually presented as ‘ … the High Court has ruled such a way …’, and the name of the judge is understood to be irrelevant for the purposes of law. A judge is simply an instrument of the law and the law must be applied regardless of the personality or opinion of the judge. It is legally correct for a judge to take responsibility for ‘difficult cases’ because that’s their job, and regardless of good reason, and the 3 reasons outlined above, the law must be applied, mustn’t it?!

Ms Treacy will remain in jail until she ‘purges her contempt’ by agreeing to comply with the court orders. The ESB, however, are in a position to make an application to the court for her release, but this is unlikely, at least until they’ve smashed the trees and constructed their outdated powerlines. Her incarceration is in their hands.

Bury the powerlines, not the people!

Rossport roundup

Gardaí look on as Shell security continue to use unlawful force on peaceful protestors

Gardaí look on as Shell security continue to use unlawful force on peaceful protestors

On Thursday last, the 15th September, Shell’s private security force, IRMS continued their practice of using force on the public road as they see fit. Once again the Gardaí sat close by and witnessed this unlawful use of force by IRMS and allowed it to continue unimpeded.

At approximately 2:30pm last Thursday, a small number of campaigners from the Rossport Solidarity Camp went down to the entrance of the Shell compound in Aughoose to peacefully protest. Workers at the compound were attempting to lay tarmac at the entrace to the compound, so the campaigners attempted to sit down on the edge of the road. However the campaigners were prevented from sitting down at the edge of the road by IRMS and were pushed, kicked, punched, pulled and carried away from sitting down at the edge of the road. This continued for over 45 minutes during which Gardaí watched the whole situation from Garda vans parked no more than 50 metres away.

Commenting on the latest incident Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway stated “Let’s be clear about this: Shell’s private security – IRMS – have absolutely no right to use any force on campaigners who are peacefully protesting on a public road. The fact that Gardaí would watch IRMS assault campaigners for nearly an hour on a public road is another clear example of the total suspension of the rule of law in relation to protesting against Shell.”

“In October in Geneva, the UN Universal Periodic Review will review Ireland’s human rights record, and while the Irish Government give great lip-service to human rights abuses in far-away places, they are letting Shell and the Gardaí here in Mayo do whatever they wish to peaceful protestors”. [1][2]

NOTES

[1] UN urged to examine Irish human rights lapses – Irish Times – 13th August 2011
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0813/1224302379794.html

[2] Shell to Sea highlights human rights abuses to UN
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/shell-sea-highlights-human-rights-abuses-un

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Fence climbing, trespassing, tractor climbing and more disruption of work in Aughoose, Co. Mayo

Tuesday 13th September six people from the Rossport Solidarity Camp went down to Shell’s tunnelling compound in Aughoose, Co. Mayo to disrupt work. Work was slowed from three separate actions spread over 2 hours as people interfered with fencing work and then two people got up on a tractor making a delivery to the compound.

Over the past couple days Shell’s compound in Aughoose has seen some major damage to the perimeter fencing. The heavy duty palisade fencing (the green spiky one) is still in place, but a lot of the flimsy silver harris fencing is down, concrete bollards holding other fencing was smashed, and the green fencing panels (which is in piles along the road in the photos) came down. As a result of this destruction, Shell has all but stopped making deliveries to the compound.

On Tuesday afternoon as Shell workers were trying to repair some of the damage done, six people went down to disrupt them. Green fencing panels were in piles along the roadside of the compound, and people sat on the piles to prevent the workers from putting them back up. A digger on the inside of the compound was waiting to re-erect the panels, but the protesters made this difficult and the digger driver gave up.

Shell’s security (IRMS) eventually came over and dragged people off of the panels. This was not on Shell’s property but the road verge, so the private security had no right to use force on the public road. Gardai were present but didn’t seem to mind private security assaulting people on the public road and at one point even did some labour for Shell, moving fencing panels back into place.

After awhile people went around the side of the compound and trespassed onto Shell’s land where workers were trying to finish the last bit of the heavy duty palisade fencing. As soon as people showed up the workers gave up and packed away their tools, the drivers got out of the diggers and walked away. This lasted for about an hour until Shell security dragged and carried people off the land.

One protester was sexually assaulted as they were being carried by IRMS. Their pants were falling down and they asked security to put them down so they could pull their clothes back on, but IRMS refused. The security member (pictured below) who was carrying the person’s legs shoved both of his hands up into the person’s crotch. He refused to show his identification badge following the assault.

After this a tractor carrying some sort of bog-drainage equipment was coming down the road towards the compound. People ran towards it and despite attempts by Gardai to keep them off the tractor two people climbed up on top of it. One person was dragged down from a considerable height, and the other came down after being given a warning under the Public Order Act. Neither person was arrested.

Actions against Shell are pretty much constant at the moment, with sometimes 3 or 4 separate actions in a day. Morale is high, and anytime is a good time to visit if you’d like to see the area and find out more about what is happening. There is a weekly protest outside Shell’s Bellanaboy refinery, with lots of locals and people from the Rossport Solidarity Camp. And there’s plenty to do aside from protesting, including cooking, tending to the three gardens, meeting locals and loads of building/site maintenance!

The Rossport Solidarity Camp is located in a field in Aughoose, between Ballinaboy and Pullathomas. To contact the camp, rossportsolidaritycamp[at]gmail[dot]com or 085 114 1170

More photos – http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100512

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY VAN TORCHED, SPAIN

13.9.11

anonymous communique, translation from This Is Our Job:

13.9.11

anonymous communique, translation from This Is Our Job:

"This morning, a van belonging to the multinational 'construction company' PERI was torched. PERI is one of the most powerful companies in the construction industry, which is dedicated to destroying the Earth through the building of highways, power stations, etc.

We no longer recognize life, colonized as it is by science and technology. Nor can we talk about life skills, as the dead have replaced the living. In this tomb of cement and sugar, we are surrounded by millions of dead objects. The nanotechnology and biotechnology industries are the new dictatorships to be toppled. They are the new masters of the world, patenting life and imposing a form of nonlife devoid of any kind of autonomy. In the war against them, we must arm ourselves with every possible method and attack incessantly. We recognize a part of nature in ourselves, and we fight against whomever would take away and destroy that nature. There is no time to lose. Our desire and passion will put an end to everything that dominates us.

Civilization (not anarchy!!!!) is the highest expression of order. Therefore, instead of the order and control that drive us to madness, we embrace chaos, individuality, and the uniqueness of every living thing.

Whoever talks about revolution and class struggle without critiquing science and technology has a corpse in their mouth.

For Billy, Silvia, Costa, Marco, and our insurgent brothers and sisters in Chile, Greece, Mexico, etc.

'And if your heart isn't broken by the knowledge of what they are doing to the world we love, then I feel sorry for you. Maybe you're no longer alive. But if the death of the planet we love makes you cry, then take those tears and turn them into action.'
—Rod Coronado"

Spanish:
"Esta madrugada fue incendiada una furgoneta de la multinacional 'constructora' PERI, una de la empresas más fuertes en el sector de la construcción, que se dedica a destruir la tierra mediante obras de autopistas, centrales elelctricas…..

Ya no reconocemos la vida, colonizada por la ciencia y la tecnologia, más bien podriamos hablar de la tecnica de la vida, donde lo muerto ha sustituido a lo vivo, rodeados de millones de objetos muertos, en esta tumba de cemento y azucar. Las empresas de nano y biotecnologia son las nuevas dictaduras a las que derribar, son ellas las nuevas amas del mundo, quienes patentan la vida y quienes nos imponen una forma de no-vida en la que desaparece cualquier forma de autonomía, es en la guerra contra ellas en la que debemos armarnos de todos los medios posibles y atacar sin cesar, reconocernos una parte de la naturaleza y luchar contra quién nos aleja de ella y la destruye. No hay tiempo que esperar es nuestro deseo y pasión acabar contra todo lo que nos domina.

La civilización (y no la anarquia!!!!) es la máxima expresión del orden, por eso abrazamos el caos, la individualidad y la peculiaridad de cada ser vivo, contra el orden y el control que nos llevan a la locura.

Quien habla de revolución y de lucha de clases sin criticar la ciencia y la tecnologia tiene un cadaver en la boca.
A Billy, Silvia, Costa, Marco, a nuestras hermanxs insurrectxs en Chile, Grecia, Mexico……

'Y si no se te parte el corazón al saber lo que le están haciendo al mundo que amamos, siento lástima por ti, quizás ya no estés vivx. Pero si la muerte del planeta que amamos te hace llorar, entonces toma esas lágrimas y conviértelas en acción.'
Rod Coronado."

ELF ACTIONS IN RUSSIA APRIL/MAY 2011

received anonymously:

received anonymously:

“During the night of may 4th we sneaked upon another tree harvester and torched it, using the heavy rain as cover. 15 minutes later it exploded (we suspect fire in hydraulics to be the cause). Police and city officials confirmed the successful torching and evac of the destroyed vehicle (link to the eco-campaign site with citations: http://ecmo.ru/news/n-1778/).

This spring saw works to clearcut a huge Khimki forest continue unabated. In spite of numerous and massive people protests, all the legal and liberal stuff (polls, petitions, law suits, concerts, demos, vigils, etc.), authorities, law enforcement, and their fascists and mafia lackeys (forever together in Russia) push for the completion of clear-cuts so that they may get on to the actual road-building. And in one part of the forest they’ve already redirected a flow of a river (a single and major body of water and site of significant avian population in the area) to facilitate construction of a road junction link: (in russian, but has photos http://ecmo.ru/news/n-1772/).

We ask of all whom it may concern to consider actions against Vinci, France (the international consortium financing this deforestation project), as it seems the only viable target outside Russia. Appreciation for your solidarity out there, people, and our solidarity with your local fights of our global resistance!

– ELF-Russia, International Network of Action and Solidarity/ Informal Anarchist Federation”

—–

reported by activists in Russia:

“An ELF group claims responsibility for torching of a workers’ shed (the building was checked to ensure it was unoccupied prior to the attack) at a treecut site in southern Moscow (Bitcevski forest) on the night of april the 11th. An 5 litres of gasoline and incendiary device for time delay were used because of close proximity to guardhouse and serious sentry presence in the region. The forest has seen numerous ecotage actions (spiking, torchings of vehicles and storage sheds, etc), hence intense police attention. No photos or videos were released. The shed and its contents exploded 5 minutes later for unknown reasons.
– ELF-Russia, International Network of Action and Solidarity – Informal Anarchist Federation”

—–
Bitcevski

“Urban guerillas” in Moscow have claimed responsibility for the torching of a large excavator at a condominium construction site near the Bitcevski forest on April 9. The condominium is being built in part by the Russian Military Intelligence Service. Military personnel are supposed to be stationed in the building. Video from the action and the Russian communique available here: http://blackblocg.info/index.php/protestnye-dejstviya/93-gorodskie-partizany-atakovali-tochechnuyu-zastrojku-v-yasenevo

—–

anonymous report:
“On the night of april the 5th, 2011, an excavator was set aflame and exploded 10 minutes later at the highway construction site that cuts through forests of Moscow region.

– ELF-Russia”

VILLAGERS RESIST POWER PLANT, DRILLING VEHICLE BURNED, TURKEY

reported by activists in Turkey:

reported by activists in Turkey:

“On 5th of September, drilling vehicles of Anadolu Group (this group is the biggest partner of McDonalds Turkey, Coca Cola Turkey) which tries to build a thermic power plant to Gerze-Sinop tried to enter Yaykil village. Local people and eco-activists barricaded the roads to village for defending their land, but police and gendarme attacked people with tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons and batons. Activists answered this attack with stones and slogans. During the police attack some buildings, barns, farms and bushes caught fire; 25 activists and 4 policemen injured.

Because of their resistance, drilling vehicles left the village. At night police took 6 activists in custody from their homes.

At night of September 6, a drilling vehicle which was waiting in a gas station near the village was burned by unknown people. The vehicle is totally destroyed. Gendarme and local police is still searching for the arsonists in Gerze.

For pictures you can check out: http://www.gerzegundem.com/son-dakika/yaykilda-kan-akti-h545.html

For the video of police attack:
http://webtv.sabah.com.tr/webtv/videoizle/gerzede-polisten-cevrecilere-sert-mudahale

Animal and Earth Liberation Supporters from Turkey”

Red women on green rampage – Women’s wing of CPI(Maoist) tells Giridih to stop felling trees

Forests of Pirtand in Giridih district have new best friends in the form of CPI(Maoist) women’s wing, Nari Mukti Sangh.

Forests of Pirtand in Giridih district have new best friends in the form of CPI(Maoist) women’s wing, Nari Mukti Sangh.

Since one week, around 70 women of the rebel outfit are taking out hour-long roadshows in the afternoon across the block, exhorting people not to cut trees. If they do, they better pay up a fine of Rs 1,000 or face some unspecified punishment, which is likely to involve beatings. It is green activism that takes itself seriously.

“Jungle bachana hi hoga varna aane wale vinaash ke liye hum khud hi zimmewar honge (we have to save forests at any cost now, otherwise we will be responsible for natural calamities),” thundered Neela Devi, one of the leaders of the outfit.

The women, armed with axes, sticks and spades, move from village to village with grim determination, spreading the message of afforestation.

Not only are they sloganeering, they are also taking out rallies and staging nukkad (neighbourhood) meetings in different villages of the Maoist stronghold.

Sources said unlike their male counterparts, the women don’t believe in violence. But if anyone felling trees is caught red-handed, he might be roughed up, as the women members have “threatened dire consequences” if people damage the area’s green cover.
When the women rebels are not issuing threats, they are also informing people about the importance of trees.

“Forests are our real assets. Please realise their importance and save trees. They absorb poisonous gases and are the best friends of man and wildlife,” said Devi at a rally on Monday.

Villagers, slightly bemused, are however turning up in large numbers to hear the women speak.

“We have had good response. Villagers have promised not to fell trees indiscriminately. But the Sangh will keep its eyes open,” said Devi.

On Monday, the Sangh’s roadshow passed through different villages including Masnotand, Pandnatand, Chilga and Palgunj, with around 70-odd women armed with pickaxes, spades and bamboo sticks chanting pro-green slogans and holding impromptu meetings.

At every spot, tens of villagers listened in pin-drop silence that would have been the envy of any green NGO.

http://revolutionaryfrontlines.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/18848/

Rossport round-up

Shell Contractor Quarry Shut Down For Day
Barret’s Quarry in Bangor Erris shut down by protesters

Shell Contractor Quarry Shut Down For Day
Barret’s Quarry in Bangor Erris shut down by protesters

On Wednesday 31st August at 8am 15 people entered Barrett’s quarry, just outside Bangor Erris in Co. Mayo and stopped work for the whole day, leaving at 5:30pm. Barrett’s is a subcontractor on the Corrib Gas Project, currently bringing truckloads of gravel and hardcore to Shell’s site in Aughoose.

Entering the quarry site Wednesday morning was easy, as there were only a couple security guards and there is no fencing around the site aside from the front gate. Once people were on site work was halted pretty quickly as people climbed up onto diggers and other machinery.

No attempt to remove the protesters was made, and the day was pretty calm. Folks even got up to playing werewolves and charades while on the machinery in order to pass the time.

At 5:30 after all the workers had gone home and there was no chance of them resuming their deliveries to the Shell site, all the protesters left through the front gate.

Protesters have been targeting Barrett’s lorries on the public road over the last few weeks as they were trying to make their stone deliveries to the Shell compound, by stopping them and climbing on top of them. This occupation of the quarry itself is a message to all contractors working for Shell on this project.

Nearby Lennon’s Quarry also supply material to the site and have also had many of their vehicles occupied in recent weeks. Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway said today: “Both businesses will continue to be a target of the campaign until they end all work at Shell sites.”

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Corrib protests – if Tuesday was not mad enough try today
26.8.11
MEP assaulted, work halted for six hours, campaigners drive into refinery and bounced back out again four hours later

Local Shell to Sea campaigners and their supporters at Rossport Solidarity Camp are resting after another bizarre day of lows, highs and outright idiocy during their ongoing protest against Shell in co. Mayo.

The day started unpromisingly with a 6am sortie against the compound at Aghoos seeking to exploit a couple of weak points in the fence. Shell’s contractors Roadbridge and Shevlins are racing to finish the first bit of work in constructing the fencing and new entrance way. Every moment is counting for them. This left a couple of promising gaps which people from the camp sought to exploit in their dawn raid.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Security from IRMS were aggressive from the beginning and were dragging people across hard-core and the road. Though the main target failed, a secondary one saw two people get in. As other weak points were probed, one protester who was on the road was deliberately charged from behind, tripping them face-first onto the road. This was all photographed; a complaint to a Sergeant imported from Galway was naturally treated with disdain, the gardaí happily taking their place as part of Shell’s private security. This has already been reported to the Amnesty/Frontline human rights observer in the area and will be pursued.

People returned to camp to get a bit of rest and recuperate. Just before midday, Dublin MEP Paul Murphy (of the Socialist Party) and a number of supporters turned up. They were shown the camp and given an update as to how the campaign has been going.

While this was happening a group of people waited near the junction near Glenamoy, a key turning point for the vehicles coming between the refinery at Bellinaboy and the Aghoos compound. Most trucks and tractors along this route are escorted by gardaí, who have placed officers along this route, and whose vans regularly follow people walking it.

Despite all this attention from gardaí, quick thinking meant that one person was able to jump on top of a Barretts Quarry truck – the firm providing much of the hard-core – at around 1pm. It was a beautiful moment. Campers, locals, Paul Murphy & co all converged on the site. A good natured protest ensued, with people laughing, joking, singing, children making water balloons and the person on top of the truck giving us a rendition of “Which Side Are You On”, re-worded to take in Shell.

In the refinery a backlog of trucks and other vehicles began to build up. The public order team turned up with their cherry picker to remove the person on top of the truck. Those in the road sat down and formed two lines wrapping arms and legs around each other with the aim of stopping the cherry-picker coming in. The thugs from the public order team waded in, as ever, dragging people out, ripping clothing and using pressure points on the ear. Paul Murphy, who was involved in the line was among those assaulted in this fashion. Naturally he was livid. Word is that the story is going ‘viral’.

Not to be deterred, after the person on the truck was removed and arrested, people decamped to the front of the refinery. Numbers grew to over 50 as more locals came to support. It was fantastic to see old faces again, something that really boosted the campers. It was clear there was a buzz despite the rain that came on. There was more playing in front of the gates, and a determination to resist in the air. For those who had been at the morning protest, it was such a lift. Gardaí and security stayed clear; the line of trucks backed up inside the refinery grew longer. The person who had been arrested was charged, released and came to join the protest.

Eventually Shell caved in. They parked up the trucks and shut up shop at Aghoos at 6.30pm. Though having pushed their workers to keep to the existing timetable, the day was lost to the campaigners. Fearing that they might try and take some of the vehicles out the back gate, people drove around, driving up close to the back gate. Two of these cars driven by locals (well known to security) and containing just as recognisable people were waved through the refinery gates by security. So, we suspect, heads are going to roll. One car drove around and back out again without security actually being aware of this. The other stayed in and drove around the refinery, two fingers up to all who think they can run rough-shod over the people of Erris. Naturally, the gardaí, late to the party this time, then began stopping workers going in. It was a great turn around to a long day. Now, for another planning meeting…

For Paul Murphy’s own account:
I was just about to finish this report when we heard… two IRMS (Shell’s private security) minibuses were blocked for an hour. And the car was still in the refinery as of 8pm. So down we head again, barely finishing inner. Security had surrounded the car at the inner perimeter fence as it was trying to leave. For some very bizarre reason they would not let the car leave by the gate directly in front of it, but wanted it to go all the way to the back gate.

The occupants refused that option as they were worried they would be ambushed. A tractor was brought and attached to the back of the car by a rope. For the next hour and a half the car was bounced backwards across the site. The idiocy of the people doing this meant that the car was constantly bouncing and knocking against the back of the tractor. Once occupant phoned the gardaí for help but the person answering the 999 call laughed. It is not hard to see why the gardaí in Erris are not trusted by the people who live there.

By 9pm a crowd of locals and people from the camp had assembled outside the back gate in support. Numbers swelled to forty by 10pm when the tractor finally brought the car out – gardaí and security filled out into the road – the security clearly acting like cops again – pushing concerned friends and family away. It was a relief to see our friends safe again.

A long, exhausting day, but amazing in so many unexpected ways. Welcome to Mayo.
http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org

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Mayo Road Blockaded in International Solidarity Protest
August 26 2011
From 6.00am to 9.30am this morning, three campaigners occupied Aghoos Road, as part of the ongoing protests against the controversial Shell refinery at Bellinaboy. They formed a triangle in the middle of the road using a set of especially made arm-tubes. This action follows on from yesterday, which saw the Gardai assault Dublin MEP Paul Murphy during a sit-down protest at the same part of the road. The protest stopped a number of Shell’s construction vehicles reaching their destination at Aghoos. All three have been arrested and taken to Belmullet.
From 6.00am to 9.30am this morning, three campaigners occupied Aghoos Road, as part of the ongoing protests against the controversial Shell refinery at Bellinaboy. They formed a triangle in the middle of the road using a set of especially made arm-tubes. This action follows on from yesterday, which saw the Gardai assault Dublin MEP Paul Murphy during a sit-down protest at the same part of the road. The protest stopped a number of Shell’s construction vehicles reaching their destination at Aghoos. All three have been arrested and taken to Belmullet.

One of those occupying the road said, “I’m doing this in support of a similar protest that took place in Broome Community, Australia last night. This is a powerful way to show that struggles from Ogoniland in Nigeria, to the Tar Sands in Canada, Australia, to Erris, Mayo and now to Australia are linked in common cause. Once we heard about the Broome Community actions we had to show solidarity. It feels really powerful to be part of this.”

The Broome Community are opposing a gas project that parallels the situation in north-west Mayo. Like Mayo, Shell is one of the companies being resisted by local communities. Links between the two communities are being established, and award winning film “The Pipe”, which documents the Mayo situation is being shown at events in Australia.

Yesterday saw a series of events targeting the Shell refinery in Aghoos and Bellinaboy. The Rossport Solidarity Camp was visited by Paul Murphy, MEP who came to learn more about local community resistance to the project. While taking part in a peaceful sit-down protest in front of a truck he was assaulted and had his clothes torn by gardai.

Con Coughlan, from the Camp said, “The determination we are feeling is incredible; knowing that people in Australia were doing their protests while we were doing ours was inspiring for us all. We send our best wishes out to them.”

ENDS

*FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:*
Rossport Solidarity Camp 085 1141170

Notes
1. For more information on the Broome Community protests see http://handsoffcountry.blogspot.com/

2. For reports of events on Thursday, 25th August, see
Related Link: http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org

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Daily Protests in Mayo, Numbers Building
Actions are constant, sometimes 3 or 4 in a day

Between lock-ons, mass trespasses, lorry climbing and a breach of security at Shell’s refinery, this week brought a lot of people out protesting. Locals who haven’t been out on the roads in years have come out this week, and momentum is building.

Here are some photos from Wednesday 24th August that haven’t been posted. Tuesday and Thursday were so full of events that these photos didn’t make it up. But things are happening every day, keep looking at the shelltosea.com website, twitter, and indymedia to stay posted.

Wednesday’s events began with a 6am trespass onto Shell’s compound in Aughoose. Soon after a few people went to join the locals who are at the refinery gates every morning, and 6 people sat down in the road wrapping arms and legs around each other to stop a tractor. Gardai dragged people out of the road for the tractor to pass. After this one person managed to climb on top of a truck delivering bogmats outside the refinery. The person stayed up for about 10 minutes but when a garda climbed onto the lorry and wrestled her D-lock away, preventing her from locking on, she came down and was not arrested.

Later that day Shell illegally extended their Aughoose compound into the public road, using harris fencing to reduce the road to one lane. Shell’s private security then stood in the public road, and workers yet again stopped traffic whenever a delivery was being made to the compound (which happens 3-4 times an hour and can mean 5-30 minutes of road closure). When people from the Rossport Solidarity Camp saw them putting up fencing in the road people went down to take advantage of the narrow road for the next tractor delivery. However once again Gardai and IRMS worked together to push people into ditches, contain people, and clear the road.

Honest to god direct quote from MY 31 Sergeant Richard Mahony, explaining why people must clear the road, “For your own health and safety, or we’ll throw you in the ditch.”

Apologies for the belatedly posted photos, it is not easy keeping up with media stuff when actions are happening constantly! There is plenty to do that doesn’t involve protesting as well, including tending to the three gardens, cooking the communal meals, maintaining the wind turbines, and everything else it takes to maintain the camp!

The camp is located in a field overlooking the Shell compound in Aughoose, between Bellanaboy and Pullathomas. Come for a visit anytime! Contact the camp at rossportsolidaritycamp[at]gmail[dot]com or 085 114 1170

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Mayo Road Blockaded in International Solidarity Protest
From 6.00am to 9.30am Friday 26th August, three campaigners occupied Aghoos Road, as part of the ongoing protests against the controversial Shell refinery at Bellinaboy. They formed a triangle in the middle of the road using a set of especially made arm-tubes.

This action follows on from yesterday, which saw the Gardai assault Dublin MEP Paul Murphy during a sit-down protest at the same part of the road. The protest stopped a number of Shell’s construction vehicles reaching their destination at Aghoos. All three have been arrested and taken to Belmullet.

One of those occupying the road said, “I’m doing this in support of a similar protest that took place in Broome Community, Australia last night. This is a powerful way to show that struggles from Ogoniland in Nigeria, to the Tar Sands in Canada, Australia, to Erris, Mayo and now to Australia are linked in common cause. Once we heard about the Broome Community actions we had to show solidarity. It feels really powerful to be part of this.”

The Broome Community are opposing a gas project that parallels the situation in north-west Mayo. Like Mayo, Shell is one of the companies being resisted by local communities. Links between the two communities are being established, and award winning film “The Pipe”, which documents the Mayo situation is being shown at events in Australia.

Yesterday saw a series of events targeting the Shell refinery in Aghoos and Bellinaboy. The Rossport Solidarity Camp was visited by Paul Murphy, MEP who came to learn more about local community resistance to the project. While taking part in a peaceful sit-down protest in front of a truck he was assaulted and had his clothes torn by gardai.

Con Coughlan, from the Camp said, “The determination we are feeling is incredible; knowing that people in Australia were doing their protests while we were doing ours was inspiring for us all. We send our best wishes out to them.”

ENDS

Notes
1. For more information on the Broome Community protests see http://handsoffcountry.blogspot.com/

2. For reports of events on Thursday, 25th August, see
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100407 and
This action follows on from yesterday, which saw the Gardai assault Dublin MEP Paul Murphy during a sit-down protest at the same part of the road. The protest stopped a number of Shell’s construction vehicles reaching their destination at Aghoos. All three have been arrested and taken to Belmullet.

One of those occupying the road said, “I’m doing this in support of a similar protest that took place in Broome Community, Australia last night. This is a powerful way to show that struggles from Ogoniland in Nigeria, to the Tar Sands in Canada, Australia, to Erris, Mayo and now to Australia are linked in common cause. Once we heard about the Broome Community actions we had to show solidarity. It feels really powerful to be part of this.”

The Broome Community are opposing a gas project that parallels the situation in north-west Mayo. Like Mayo, Shell is one of the companies being resisted by local communities. Links between the two communities are being established, and award winning film “The Pipe”, which documents the Mayo situation is being shown at events in Australia.

Yesterday saw a series of events targeting the Shell refinery in Aghoos and Bellinaboy. The Rossport Solidarity Camp was visited by Paul Murphy, MEP who came to learn more about local community resistance to the project. While taking part in a peaceful sit-down protest in front of a truck he was assaulted and had his clothes torn by gardai.

Con Coughlan, from the Camp said, “The determination we are feeling is incredible; knowing that people in Australia were doing their protests while we were doing ours was inspiring for us all. We send our best wishes out to them.”

ENDS

Notes
1. For more information on the Broome Community protests see http://handsoffcountry.blogspot.com/

2. For reports of events on Thursday, 25th August, see above, or
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100407 and
http://www.paulmurphymep.eu/breaking-news-how-the-gardai-assaulted-me-and-other-peaceful-protestors-in-rossport

The Black Fish is looking for crew members

The marine protection organisation The Black Fish is looking for people to join its direct action team and future ship’s crew.

The marine protection organisation The Black Fish is looking for people to join its direct action team and future ship’s crew. “In order to be effective in our marine conservation campaigns, we need to be out at sea, opposing the most destructive fishing and hunting activities, where they happen away from the public eye.” For this reason The Black Fish is working towards the purchase of an ocean going vessel and is looking for crew members.

“There are possibilities opening up to us which might see us getting access to a vessel in the near future. We need a crew for the initial overhaul of this ship and preparing it for its first campaign.” according to Wietse van der Werf, spokesperson for the organisation.

The Black Fish has launched a crew application page where people can apply for voluntary crew positions. “We are looking for people with sailing experience but this is not a necessity for the entire crew. Willingness and dedication to commit time and hard work to make future campaigns of The Black Fish a success, that is a must.”

Any questions related to crewing with The Black Fish, please see the crewing page on our website or contact the crewing coordinator at crew@theblackfish.org

We look forward to your application!

http://www.theblackfish.org/

HIGHWAY PROJECT SABOTAGED

received anonymously:

"10 kms of interstate highway staked out for extension were sabotaged last week in Northern Ukraine.

received anonymously:

"10 kms of interstate highway staked out for extension were sabotaged last week in Northern Ukraine.

Although some could argue that activism like this is not even worth mentioning (that's our own attitude on the matter, for example, like shoplifting or stensils), we do find it necessary to mention the act.

First reason is an important notice that usually fails to make its way into minds of some of our comrades. While it is important to respond to System offensive actions (like reactive attacks that took place in Kharkov and Saint-Petersburgh and Moscow and basically everywhere, where eco-anarchists RESPOND to raping of Nature), we find it more important to continue our attacks on technology and its means of destruction of nature even when no concrete offense is taking place.
In our case we just happened upon some old highway extension project, which, like many costly projects in Ukraine, was suspended because of awful economy of the country. Mother-Nature has already started reclaiming the area, with grass and dirt covering plates of concrete and some survey stakes.

But its obvious for everyone living in here that projects like this (interstate highway between Moscow and Kiev) will be put to life, for example as soon as next billion of dollars gets send by IMF or something.
So our small vagabond group of earth liberationists went to vandalism as soon as survey stakes were noticed. Just to help the Wild and hasten the process. We do believe the task was worth it.

And the reason for this is the thing that's often lost in communiques of our comrades world-wide. Its the most wonderful and magical feeling of communion with nature. When one does not only feels invigorated and excited because of his deeds, but something extraordinary happens, that gives hope and provides the momentum necessary for continuation of our project.

During the process of (tiresome and dangerous 'cause of police intervention) joyful destruction, our hungry and thirsty band (reasons for our thirst and hunger being banal travel from point A to point B) kept stumbling upon bountiful bushes of wild sweetbriar, so that we managed to fill ourselves and eat/suck the juices to our delight.
It is in moments like this that one gets to really appreciate the connection that comes into being when one turns away from civilization and towards untamed Wild.

– International ELF/FAI"

Three Heavy Machines torched at Ukraine Construction Site

30.8.11

reported by activists in Ukraine (photo from 057.ua):

“In the night of August 28th, 3 wheeled loaders were torched in Gorky Park (Kharkov, Ukraine).

30.8.11

reported by activists in Ukraine (photo from 057.ua):

“In the night of August 28th, 3 wheeled loaders were torched in Gorky Park (Kharkov, Ukraine).

According to the chief engineer of Gorky Park, Oleg Grinenko, the loaders had just started their work in the park. The equipment belonged to a subcontractor whose task was to provide for new road infrastructure. One of the destroyed loader’s market price was estimated as $60,000.

Since the beginning of construction on May 2011 , the construction site has seen numerous ecotage actions, expropriations of construction equipment and mass protests.”