Wilderness Defence – Page 84

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!

Solitaire Arrives in Rossport

25.6.2009
The Solitaire, the huge pip 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.

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

At approximately 5.30pm on Wednesday, two swimmers were arrested in Broadhaven Bay by the joint Gardaí and Naval force

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

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

http://shelltosea.com

Mainshill Solidarity Camp presented with eviction papers

At 17:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday 24th of June occupiers of the Mainshill Solidarity Camp in south Lanarkshire were handed eviction papers by a sheriff officer. The Solidarity camp has been summoned to appear at Lanark sheriff court on Monday the 29th at 9:45 am.

The Mainshill Solidarity Camp was established on Friday 26th in the Douglas Valley in South Lanarkshire to show support to the local community who are opposing a new opencast site from being built in the area. Tree-houses and other structures in the woodland have been put in place to show Scottish Coal that they are serious about preventing the opencast site from going ahead.

”Scottish Coal and Lord Home have no right to evict us from this wood’ Said Anna Key a care worker and one of the campers currently living on the Site. ”Planning permission states that they have to carry out an environmental survey from Spring until Autumn before they can start work. Because they have commenced drilling operations and tree felling we have been forced to occupy the site to stop this illegal work from happening.”

On Sunday the 28th the Solidarity Camp are holding a community picnic at 3pm to which everyone is invited. Many people from the local community will come down to drink tea and eat cake with the campers, learn how to climb trees and paint banners to make the site look welcoming.

The solidarity camp intends to do all it can to stop the new opencast mine from going ahead and has the full support of the local community. Come along to the picnic on Sunday to get involved!

Aviation biofuels protest targets Virgin Atlantic

Activists from Plane Stupid and Action Against Agrofuels protested at Heathrow Terminal 3 outside the Virgin check-in about the proposed use of biofuels for aviation.

Activists from Plane Stupid and Action Against Agrofuels protested at Heathrow Terminal 3 outside the Virgin check-in about the proposed use of biofuels for aviation. Monday 22nd June was chosen as it was the 25th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic who plan to meet 5% of their 2015 aviation fuel quota from biofuels. Most of this will inevitably come from palm oil.

Monday was the 25th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic. They celebrated at Gatwick Terminal 3 with a repeat of their 1:00pm maiden flight from London to Newark in 1984.

The protest continued for over 5 hours. At the final count 11 activists were arrested.

News story here:
http://latestnews.virginmedia.com/news/environment/2009/06/22/anti_airport_protesters_arrested

And press release below:

9 arrested as Plane Stupid and Action Against Agrofuels (AAA) crash Virgin Atlantic 25th birthday party

9 activists from Plane Stupid and AAA (Action Against Agrofuels) have been arrested gate crashing Virgin Atlantic’s 25th birthday party at Heathrow airport, to highlight plans to allow the aviation industry to continue to expand if it uses biofuels instead of conventional aviation fuel.

Two men, dressed as stewardesses, are still on top of the entrance to the Virgin complex at Terminal 3 where the celebration is being held. Outside more activists, also dressed as stewardesses, unfurled a banner reading, “Aviation Industry: no way out” and “Climate Criminals Inside”. All those outside have now either been arrested or moved on by the police.

Virgin has been an outspoken supporter of biofuels as a solution to the steeply rising emissions from aircraft, but scientists are critical of plans to scale up their production to meet the new demand for replacement fuels.

Maryla Hart, spokesperson for AAA said, “Virgin Atlantic are claiming to be “Red Hot after 25 years”, but with biofuels it’s going to be a red hot planet we’ll be living on. Today’s celebration is all about having fun but the biggest joke of the party is that the
aviation industry are selling biofuels as a green solution to their problems.”

Josh Moos of Plane Stupid said, “Virgin are investing massively in trying to make biofuels work, but biofuels are no way out for the aviation industry. It’s farcical to suggest that biofuels are the answer when last year it took 150,000 coconuts to provide just 5% of the fuel for a one-way flight from London to Amsterdam. In reality it will be other vegetable oil blends such as palm oil powering aircraft, but the soaring demand for palm oil is already driving tropical deforestation.”

Dee Rughani of AAA added, “The aviation industry is pretending that biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions when all the peer reviewed science states that the opposite is true. Whether it’s palm oil or 2nd generation biofuels, both will still compete for land, so any growth in this industry will add further to the 100 million people
already going hungry due to biofuels whilst exacerbating tropical forest destruction and climate change.”

Solitaire due in Broadhaven Bay, Mayo tomorrow

23.6.2009

23.6.2009
If you’ve been waiting for the most important time to come to Mayo: this is it. The camp really needs people here to continue last year’s brilliant resistance. The Solitaire will be here any day, so we need you here now! This is a crucial stage in the campaign: the time frame for work is very limited by good weather and action now against the Solitaire can really help put a stop to Shell’s project!

The pipe-laying ship the Solitaire has declared itself that it intends to be in Broadhaven Bay at 12pm tomorrow. It is now urgent that people get to Mayo to stop Shell laying the offshore section of pipe to the Corrib gasfield well-head from the Glengad compound.

The Solitaire’s own AIS (Automatic Identification at Sea) beacon is now giving the ship’s destination as Broad Haven Bay (sic) with an estimated time of arrival of 12:00pm on the 24th of June, that is tomorrow noon. This information was picked up by the Rossport Solidarity Camp at 10:30 this morning. It is now urgent that people get to Mayo to help stop the Solitaire laying the offshore section of pipe to the Corrib gasfield well-head from Shell’s compound at Glengad. The Solitaire is currently at anchor, but it will probably set sail in the next six to eight hours. This information can be checked on www.shipais.com, and the Solitaire can be tracked on this site as it leaves port to head for Erris.

rossportsolidaritycamp[at]gmail[dot]com
http://www.shelltosea.com

Mainshill Solidarity Camp Update: No eviction this morning, but drilling workers

22.06.2009
After a whole night of digging in and strengthening defences, the rumoured eviction this morning hasn’t happened. However, the solidarity shown by the number of people who joined us over the weekend has been fantastic and allowed huge amounts of building work to happen, making the site well defendable.

Instead of police or court bailifs, a van-load of Apex workers tried to gain access to the site to continue bore-hole work on the site, vital to the coal mining operation. Bore-holing and clear-felling had been happening before the site was occupied, and since the occupation no work has been carried out. It is thought that this work is illegal as Scottish Coal have to carry out an extensive wildlife survey before felling any trees or starting work as a condition imposed by the council.

Access to the site and Apex machinery was blocked with a vehicle, and Apex workers responded by threatening to smash the windscreen if it was not removed from in front of the gate. Very quickly, the people inside the vehicle were joined by campers and car loads of locals who came out in support and to avert an eviction. The Apex workers backed down after this show of strength!

In a plea of solidarity to contract workers carrying out the bore-hole drilling and clear-felling, they have been asked to side with the community and camp against their bosses and refuse to carry out work on the site.

The Chief Inspector for the area has stated that the police have no intention of removing the camp at present, but will let us know if that changes. It is thought that a court order is being sought to evict the camp.

Lord Home, the land owner, Scottish Coal, the mining company, and Scottish Ministers can stop this project – if they were to come down and see the level of support and involvement in the camp from the local community they would see how strong the opposition is to this mine. If they don’t decide to overturn the decision, they will have a very expensive eviction on their hands.

Your solidarity is still needed! We can stop this coal mine from going ahead, both by defending the site and working with the local communities to take back decision-making power and get permission overturned. Please join us as soon as you can – see the website for details.

Mainshill Solidarity Camp website: http://coalactionedinburgh.noflag.org.uk/?page_id=415

14 Arrests Initiate Week of Action Against Mountaintop Removal

Fourteen people were arrested on June 18 in a protest meant to launch a week of action against mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.

Fourteen people were arrested on June 18 in a protest meant to launch a week of action against mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia. Four people climbed a 150-foot dragline at a mine site near Twilight, WV, and unfurled a banner reading, “Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining”. Another 9 entered the mine site to unfurl another banner. Climbers remained atop the dragline for more than three hours before being arrested.

This action is the first time ever that a dragline, one of the largest machines on earth, has ever been shut down in a protest, and is an important escalation in the fight against mountaintop removal.

The week of action will culminate with a civil disobedience action featuring leading climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, Rainforest Action Network Executive Direction Michael Brune and former Representative Ken Hechler.

The week of action was initiated only days after President Obama announced his plans to reform, rather than abolish, mountaintop removal coal mining. The Obama administration approved environmental permits for 42 of the 48 proposed new mountaintop removal mines it has considered so far.

For more information, to get involved or to make donations for bail, visit www.mountainaction.org.

Peru Mine Blockade Enters 10th Day

Attracting less attention in light of the full-fledged uprising that has consumed Peru’s Amazon region for 70 days, a mine blockade is ongoing in the country’s highlands.

Attracting less attention in light of the full-fledged uprising that has consumed Peru’s Amazon region for 70 days, a mine blockade is ongoing in the country’s highlands. On June 10th, miners launched roadblocks at the Buenaventura mining company’s Orcopampa gold mine in Peru, in protest of poor labor conditions and the mine’s impact on local communities. The blockades are still halting work at the mine, and the workers have tentatively called for a strike for June 24th.