Wilderness Defence – Page 98

Saving Iceland Targets International Aluminium Conference

Today, September 25, the 11th International Conference on Aluminium Aloys (ICAA) met with angry protests. Activists from the environmentalist network Saving Iceland disrupted the proceedings at the University in Aachen. Early this morning, during one of Rio Tinto Alcan’s lectures, the fire alarms in the building were put on. Later today – again during Rio Tinto Alcan’s lecture – stink bombs were thrown and a high volume rape alarm was put on and suspended out of reach by green and black helium baloons. The auditorium was also strewn with information leaflets. The aim was to call attention to the industry’s singular involvement in ecological destruction in Iceland, as well as on a global scale.

The ICAA conference is a weeklong event held at a different international location every 2 years. This is its first appearance in Germany and as such is run in parallel to the Aluminium trade fair in Essen, about 80 km away. This double event is sure to call together all major players of an industry that still tries to present itself as having a green conscience, and with some success: Alcoa has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, for the 7th year running. [1] Environmentalists dispute this depiction in the strongest terms.

Global Impacts
“There is no level on which the continued expansion of the aluminium industry can be pursued sustainably” says Andreas Jager of Saving Iceland,” In India, for example, the primary material, bauxite, is open-cast mined and refined into alumina, stripping rainfores covered mountains, displacing tribal people from their land and polluting the water supply with “red mud” residue [2, 3]. In Australia and Jamaica, virgin forests are also destroyed for the same prize – and with the same toxic consequences [4].

Destruction of Icelandic Wilderness, for weapons
“ In Iceland, the country’s unique natural landscape is being raided for its energy potential by these multinational invaders: at a time when the world is finally waking up to climate change, the effect of our high energy dependence, the process of aluminium production requires colossal quantities of electricity, for which it plans to block and harness every glacial river, exploit every geothermal field and transform Iceland’s wild beauty into a spent and polluted wasteland, dotted with smelters. This does not equate to green energy, particularly considering that the planned Icelandic aluminium smelters will far exceed the generous 1,600,000 tonnes of emissions permitted to that country under the Kyoto Convention [5].

“And the end product? For the most part, military hardware used for destruction of every imaginable kind, aviation, which is increasingly being shown to be incompatible with a stable climate, and disposable packaging, a symptom of our wasteful society. There can be no future for this industry, above all others, if we are to avoid environmental crisis.”

Rio Tinto Alcan’s Environmental and Human Crimes
Saving Iceland protests Rio Tinto’s investments in Iceland and in Africa. In Iceland the RT-Alcan smelter in Hafnarfjordur, southwest Iceland is being upgraded to increase production. The Budarhals dam is currently being constructed to power the smelter expansion.

“The people of Hafnarfjordur voted against expansion of the smelter in a local referendum, but still production is being increased,” says Jager. “The smelter discards its toxic spent potlinings in a landfill in the sea that floods at high tide [6]. We do not want more pollution and we do not want more dams here in Iceland, which are destroying our beautiful wilderness. Especially for a company with the most abysmal record in human rights,” states Jager.

Rio Tinto has been accused of subjecting it’s workers to poisoning in mines, of having security guards shooting locals looking for small amounts of gold in one of it’s mines and having union-members spied upon and fired [7, 8]. It has also hired mercenary forces against local populations protesting it’s operations in Papua and Bougainville [9, 10, 11].

The Norwegian government has sold its shares in Rio Tinto because it’s Grasberg mine in West Papua has devastated the land of the Amungme and Kamoro tribes. Norway sold its almost £500 million shares in Rio Tinto following recommendations from its Council on Ethics to exclude the company from its government pension fund [12].

International Solidarity
People all around the world are waking up and becoming aware of the destruction caused by the aluminium industry, as well as the situation in Iceland. Last week, big banners were hanged up in Copenhagen saying: “The Aluminium Industry is Destroying All Major Icelandic Rivers!” [13].

Footnotes and further reference:

[1] http://savingiceland.puscii.nl/?p=3182&a…
[2] http://savingiceland.puscii.nl/?p=602&am…

[3] http://savingiceland.puscii.nl/?p=2607&a…
[4] http://savingiceland.puscii.nl/?p=2233&a…
[5] http://savingiceland.puscii.nl/?page_id=…
[6] Rio Tinto Alcan (2008). Alcan Environment: Potlinings. http://www.riotintoalcan.is/?PageID=111 [Accessed September 24th, 2009].
[7] SBS Australia (200). Dateline, Report on Rio Tinto, August 2000.
[8] Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network, “Rio Tinto’s Record and the Global Compact,” July 13th 2001.
[9] Wikipedia Germany (22-7-2007), http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandline-Af…
[10] Contract between PNG Government and Sandline: http://coombs.anu.edu.au/SpecialProj/PNG….
[11] Sarei v Rio Tinto, 456 F.3d 1069 (9th Cir. 2006), USA.
[12] Survival International (2008). Norwegian government – Rio Tinto’s Papua mine unethical. http://www.survival-international.org/ne… [Accessed September 24th, 2008]
[13]

rossport solidarity action at irish consulate in cardiff & Shell in London

Whilst the solitaire is in for repairs, we’d thought we’d remind the government that activists haven’t taken their eye off the ball. We also thought we would dedicate this action to Maura.

About 12 climate activists from the Westside (thats south wales, bristol & bath) occupied the irish consulate in cardiff for an hour or two today (wednesday 24th sept). About 5 got into the reception and altered the decorations, and demanded to see the consul, who wasn’t at home (to us anyway). Meanwhile, outside a banner previously used on the welsh pipeline campaign was held on the steps of the consulate, ignoring the ridiculously irate security chief :”calm down mate, we are only holding a banner”. Most staff from the building happily took leaflets.

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Banner Dropped in Solidarity with Rossport & Maura

On Wednesday evening a women’s collective climbed 2 lampposts directly outside of Shell’s headquarters in London. After unfurling the banner the police came in large numbers and harassed the supporters on the ground. A lively protest ensued for about 20 minutes whilst the climbers stayed up and people on the ground chanted. Information was given to the folks walking near the area about Rossport & Shell’s campaign of destruction in County Mayo.

The police eventually managed to cut the banner down. The climbers were arrested and later released without charge.

We did this action to show support for the ongoing struggle of residents and supporters in Mayo to send Shell to Hell (or to Sea, depending on when and who). Since late 2000 there has been an on-going attempt by multi-nationals and the Irish state to destroy a beautiful remote coastal area in the county Mayo with a toxic refinery and high pressure production gas pipeline. The local residents and supporters have lead an inspiring and sustained campaign against this construction. In the last few weeks there has been a wave of action to stop the pipe-laying ship, the solitaire, from building. Included in this was the inspiring hunger strike of local school teacher Maura Harrington.

At the end of last week the solitaire left the bay for ‘essential repairs.’ Maura came off hunger strike and the campaign is working on ensuring that it does not come back. For more information see:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/09/409002.html
http://struggle.ws/rsc/

Big Wedding vs. Big Oil – Shell Petrol Station Blockaded in Activist ‘Wedding’

A wonderful day, with fine weather, good company, a wedding and a d-lock.

A wonderful day, with fine weather, good company, a wedding and a d-lock.

(Images from video frame grabs, expect better quality photos and video later)

Around a hundred people showed up in Ludlow to celebrate this very special ‘wedding’ and take a little direct action at the same time. The ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ along with the assembled friends and family wore black, green and purple to symbolise our resistance. The forecourt was blocked off with banners and the pumps were switched off and locked up. Hymns were sungs (Dancing on the Ruins of Multinational Corporations and the Diggers Song). Veggies served cake and tea. A hand full of cops turned up to enjoy the ceremony and take some photos.

Best wishes and all the best for the future to the happy couple….

—————

Press Release: 19th September 2008; 12 noon

Ludlow, Shropshire: At noon today, on the forecourt of a Shropshire Shell petrol station, a Leeds couple will tie the knot, supported by around 100 friends and family forming a blockade of the petrol station. Max Gastone and Cath Muller’s ceremony in Ludlow is a protest against the ecological and social damage caused by Shell (and the continued use of fossil fuels) and also a commitment to creating a different world and a celebration of the power of community and resistance.

Shell has a horrific record of causing environmental damage and human devastation worldwide2, most famously in Nigeria3. But today the wedding party is specifically taking action in solidarity with the people of Rossport, Ireland, where Shell is trying to lay a dangerously high pressure gas pipeline, despite massive local and international opposition4. Local people have had their land compulsorily purchased and many have been beaten and imprisoned for resisting the destruction of national forest, peatland and ecologically precious mudflats – which could be avoided by building the refinery at sea.

Banners reading ‘Give us a wedding present – use your bike’ and ‘Celebrating a future without exploitation’ will be hung from the station. The wedding will include music, readings, a teach-in about the situation in Ireland and a ceremonial action against the petrol company. Cars are most definitely not invited!

ENDS

Notes for Editor
1.maxandcath@hotmail.com
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2005/apr/03/oilandpetrol.russia
3. http://www.essentialaction.org/shell/report/
and Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People: www.mosop.net
4.Shell to Sea campaign – www.corribsos.com
5.Text of the flier being given out at the wedding (below)

What’s Wrong With Shell Leaflet Text

You can be sure of Shell to have only one interest – MONEY- making profits from whomever and whatever they can. Over the hundred years of its existence, Shell has been at the forefront of human, animal and ecological abuse.

Shell in Mayo, Ireland

Since 2000 the people of Erris (on Ireland’s remote northwest coast) have been resisting Shell’s plans for an on-land refinery, served by a terrifyingly dangerous high pressure gas pipeline. Their land has been compulsorily purchased by the Irish government and they have been beaten and imprisoned. The government is letting Shell extract the gas for free, destroying national forest, peatland and ecologically precious mudflats to do it. The Irish people will not see a penny from the sale of their natural resources. A local headteacher is currently on hunger-strike and her husband will take over if she dies. And all because it would cost Shell two weeks’ worth of profit to build the refinery at sea.

Shell in the Niger Delta

In 1993, having had villages destroyed by the laying of pipelines, farmland and rivers polluted by oil spills and air polluted by gas-flaring, the Ogoni people of Nigeria forced Shell virtually to abandon their land through peaceful protest. Shell provides nearly half of Nigeria’s foreign income and of its military revenue. In 1994, after meeting with Shell, the Nigerian government announced “ruthless military operations.” Shell supplied the guns. Dozens of villages were destroyed, hundreds of people were massacred. Shell offered to secure the release of nine key campaigners (including Nobel prize-winner Ken Saro Wiwa), if they called off the global protests which had erupted. They did not, and were hung in November 1995. The peoples of the Niger Delta continue to resist.

But it’s not just Shell…
BP, Total, ExxonMobil, Elf and Esso all have Nigerian interests.

Total & Texaco’s operations in Burma support the military dictatorship, which uses slave labour to clear rainforest for oil extraction in return.

ExxonMobil & Chevron support the dictatorship in Chad and opened a pipeline from there through Cameroon’s pristine rainforest in 2003. This has opened up the forest and its communities to illegal logging and poaching and the influx of a largely male workforce has introduced diseases, including widespread HIV infections. Human rights abuses have increased in both countries with the flow of oil money.

BP invaded Australian aboriginal land and has also supported the Columbian security forces to get rid of opposition to its destruction of the Amazon.

Texaco is also not averse to mass Amazonian devastation and forcing out indigenous peoples, embargoing Ecuador in the ’70s until the government gave in to all its demands.

Now that the ice is receding due to global warming, all the companies are turning their gaze on the Arctic Wildlife refuge in Alaska and other opportunities that will arise in the Arctic.

All these companies profit from our defence of their oil-fields in Iraq and from the the scramble for control of the gas supply line through Georgia and Azerbaijan – many more wars will be fought over resources and there will always be an excuse of sovereignty or democracy to back up the aggressors.

Why do we let this happen?

We are paying these companies to fuel our addiction to fossil fuels. But we are hurting ourselves too:

9 people are killed on the roads every day.

1 in 10 British children now has asthma.

Our sedentary lives have contributed to a massive rise in obesity.

Motor vehicles burn half the world’s fossil fuels and climate chaos due to carbon emissions is beginning in the UK. As flooding and storms take their toll, we are feeling the effect directly.
Our collective psyche must be damaged if we can accept murder, torture, pollution and the destruction of the planet on which we depend – just to carry on our comfortable lifestyle.
We have allowed ourselves to become utterly dependent on fossil fuels for everything – our heating, food, textiles, power, movement, entertainment, healthcare. We are completely at the mercy of global money markets, corporations and rapidly decreasing natural resources.

There are positive, creative alternatives

Today we are celebrating the future and the power of community, love and resistance. Two of us are getting married on the forecourt of this Shell petrol station to symbolise our commitment to creating a different world, based on equality and co-operation:

where people give according to ability and receive according to their need

where work is fulfilling and creativity encouraged

where there are no hierarchies or authoritarian politics

where other beings and the earth are valued and respected in their own right rather than abused,
hunted, polluted and exploited for fun or greed

Where there is no discrimination and everyone has an equal say in the decisions which affect them

Social Alternatives

This is anarchism and we believe it is the best way out of the problems currently facing society and the planet. Non-hierarchical societies have always existed, although the remaining few are under threat from the ever-hungry capitalist system. Anti-authoritarian and community resistance is as old as time and the concept of ‘anarchism’ (no hierarchy) has been around for 150 years. An ever-growing community is learning from all this history and putting ideas into practice – we invite you to explore this further.

This wedding is an expression of the power of community. It is bringing together a diverse set of people in a celebration of the future we are building.

Practical Alternatives

Anarchist & non-anarchist groups all over the country (and the world) are showing how communities can take control of their land, their food and their lives and protect the earth for our future. Community-supported agriculture projects, food co-ops, shared vehicles, bike training, Local Exchange Training Schemes, climate cafe discussion/action groups, alternative energy co-ops, permaculture, Holistic Management, housing & worker co-ops, Transition Towns – the projects and the ideas are growing and multiplying.

We do not believe that reform will ever succeed in changing a system fundamentally committed to the abuse of humans, animals and the planet – if not in Ludlow, then elsewhere in the world, hidden but still in our name. All of us must change the way we think, live and love.

1000+ partridges liberated from game breeder

“During a night in September, a group of liberationists set out to locate and destroy a large scale game breeder in East Sussex.

Water dispensers were sliced and combined with feed hoppers to soil the grain, barbed wire fences were cut, and a nearby fox trap was chopped to pieces. However tonight wasn’t about causing economic loss. It was about liberating innocent lives….. AND causing economic loss!

Workers living on the site in a portacabin and caravan with dogs barking through the night didn’t deter us. We located an intensive breeder shed, crammed solid with hundreds of young Partridges. Outside was a run where the birds could leave the dusty shed to walk through inches of their own excrement and see the outside world through metres of wire mesh and netting. Not any more! A few hours with us there and the runs were in pieces, having removed the roof netting and ripping side panels down. Thousands of birds were herded from the units and were last seen flying off into the skies, back into the wild where they should be.

These ‘people’ are fairly thick types so in case it wasn’t clear who had been we left a few messages around the place. ‘LOST SOMETHING?’ adorns the side of his now empty breeding unit, along with ‘FUCK SHOOTING’.

ANIMAL LIBERATION NOW – what are you waiting for?

Countryside Resistance”

Click here to view photos; anonymous communique from Bite Back.

Roof top occupation of Shell offices in Belmullet

18.9.2008
Yesterday afternoon in solidarity with Maura Harrington, Shell to Sea activists occupied the roof of Shell’s offices in belmullet hanging a banner reading: ‘Solitaire Out Now’. They were accompanied by a demo of around 40 people.

At about 4pm, three Shell to Sea activists occupied the roof and dropped a banner reading ‘Solitaire Out Now’. The banner remained there for over an hour and a half, while shell to Sea supporters protested outside the front of the Shell offices. More banners were draped across the entrance area, and when the shell employees left work at 5:30 they were hailed with a chorus of boos from the assembled protestors.

Two of the three Shell to Sea campaigners who had been on the roof were arrested when they descended to the ground. The two arrestees were released quickly afterwards.

Outside the gates of the Shell landfall site compound in Glengad, Maura Harrington’s hunger strike entered its ninth day today. She remains in good spirits, but the strike is slowly exacting its toll. She remains in her car, under the glare of powerful arc lights and with a constant heavy presence of Gardaí nearby. The 24-hour protective vigil of Shell to Sea campaigners continues to watch over her. Maura’s hunger strike will end when the Shell pipe-laying ship the Solitaire leaves Irish territorial waters. The Solitaire remains at anchor in St. John’s Bay, Killybegs, Co. Donegal at the time of writing.

Solidarity Actions in Copenhagen – No More Dams; No More Smelters!

Today, 18 September, we received a letter from Denmark:

This morning, big banners were hanged on a building in Copenhagen saying: ,,Aluminium Industry is destroying all major Icelandic rivers!” A big advertisment from Icelandair Airline Company, showing Icelandic rivers, was hanging on this same wall last week.

Today, 18 September, we received a letter from Denmark:

This morning, big banners were hanged on a building in Copenhagen saying: ,,Aluminium Industry is destroying all major Icelandic rivers!” A big advertisment from Icelandair Airline Company, showing Icelandic rivers, was hanging on this same wall last week.

The construction of the planned new Century aluminium smelter in Helguvík and Alcoa’s smelter in Húsavík, will lead to damming of more glacial rivers and geothermal areas. Today it looks like dams will be built in Þjórsá River, Tungnaá, Skjálfandafljót and Jökulsá á Fjöllum; only for further heavy industry projects.

To supply energy for Alcoa’s 346 thousand tons smelter in Húsavík, a reservoir bigger than the infamous Hálslón in Kárahnjúkar will be needed; 72 km2 (1).

There is no reason for feeding companies like Alcoa with more cheap energy. Alcoa is a arms producer, directly working with the American army, the weapon producer Lockheed Martin and other mean companies (2).

Alcoa is also well known for it’s human right crimes in the company’s factories in Honduras and Guatemala. In Honduras workers often have to urinate and defecate in their clothes because they are not allowed to go to the toilet more than two times a day; women have to take down their pants to prove they are having period; and workers who plan to form unions get fired. These are just few examples (3).

Icelandic nature and society are in danger!

No more Dams! No more Smelters!

Resources:

(1) Jaap Krater, Morgunblaðið, Bakki Impact Assessment Should Include Dams, 22. Ágúst 2008.

(2) Snorri Páll Jónsson Úlfhildarson, Morgunblaðið, Lygar og Útúrsnúningar, 24. Júní 2008.

(3) National Labor Committee with Community Comunication Honduras (2007). The Walmart-ization of Alcoa. http://www.nlcnet.org/article.php?id=447.

Updates from Mayo – Shell to sea – London solidarity

15th September 2008
Protest at the Shell’s Dublin HQ

Activists from different backgrounds came along to a 1PM protest in support of the actions taken in the last week against Shell and the Irish government.

15th September 2008
Protest at the Shell’s Dublin HQ

Activists from different backgrounds came along to a 1PM protest in support of the actions taken in the last week against Shell and the Irish government.

Hundreds of leaflets were distributed and many passing motorists beeped their horns in support.

As always a large contingent of gardaí were on hand to protect the Shell employees and the company’s property from the entirely peaceful and dignified protest outside.

Around 20 people took park in a solidarity vigil at 6pm at Shell HQ in support of shell to sea hunger striker Maura Harrington.

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Today Maura Harrington marked her birthday with a seventh day on hunger strike, while supporters from the UK & Ireland demonstrated across London to bring attention to her protest. Maura, a teacher in NW Mayo, is part of the Shell To Sea Campaign which has been actively opposing Shell’s latest attempts to lay an 80 km sea based stretch of gas pipeline.

Maura’s hunger strike began on Tuesday in protest at the arrival of the Solitaire ship which was to lay the pipeline for Shell. Maura ‘s has declared that her protest will continue until the Solitaire agrees to leave Ireland without laying the pipeline.

Two Irish neighbours of Maura picketed the Shell HQ from midnight Sunday until 9am with a candle lit vigil for their friend. At 7am this morning Shell workers were greeted with leaflets & informed of Maura’s plight.

Next was AllSeas UK Ltd who own the Solitaire pipe-laying ship. 30 people banged pans, blew whistles & handed out leaflets outside the registered office of AllSeas. A blank sticker had been placed over their company label & someone from inside the building claimed that no-one was home. Eventually a security guard took a letter from the protesters, addressed to the Chief Executive, demanding that the Solitaire is removed from Irish waters immediately.

After an hour at AllSeas the crowd processed to the Irish embassy shouting ”Irish woman on hunger strike. No new Shell pipeline”. The Irish embassy refused to take a letter from an elderly Mayo woman. The protesters were asking that the Irish embassy protect its citizens such as Maura who are attempting to protect their community from the health and safety and environmental nightmare that the pipeline poses, instead of supporting the Garda intimidation and brutality.

The Norwegian embassy was the last to be visited. Norway is profiteering from the oppression of people in Ireland. It’s state oil company, Statoil is working in partnership with Shell. Here a member of staff did come out to meet us and accepted a burning candle as a symbol of our solidarity with Maura and the request of the campaign that the Norwegian Government send the Solitaire home.

As Maura’s condition deteriorates, the Solitaire is yet to respond and leave Ireland. Daily protests continue with a international day of solidarity action planned for this coming Saturday.

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Shell Demos from Thur 11th Sept

There were two demonstrations held in Dublin on Thursday in solidarity with the struggle in Rossport against Shell’s activities.

One demo was held outside Shell’s headquarters earlier in the evening and later there was a demo outside the GPO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m84LRWsLUr4

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September 14th 2008

Shell’s pipe-laying ship pretends not to listen: meanwhile 500+ cars join protest rally in Erris

Hunger striker Maura Harrington’s daughter Astrid and son Iollan travelled to Killybegs Co. Donegal, today to make a personal plea to the Shell pipe-laying ship the Solitaire and its captain Mr. Simon van der Plicht to leave Irish waters immediately, and allow Maura to end her strike. Meanwhile, over 500 cars (with their drivers and passengers) drove around Erris this afternoon in a massive show of support for Ms. Harrington, who has now entered the sixth day of her hunger strike.

A deputation from Shell to Sea travelled to Killybegs, Co. Donegal today to attempt communications with Shell’s pipe-laying ship the Solitaire and with its captain, Mr. Simon van der Plicht. the deputation included two of hunger striker Maura Harrington’s children – her daughter Astrid, and her only son Iollan, who was brutally arrested by Shell’s Gardaí during yesterday’s beach reclamation action in Glengad, Co. Mayo.

At about lunchtime, soon after the Shell to Sea deputation arrived in Killybegs, radio contact was established with the Solitaire, which replied to initial VHF radio contact. Once the deputation announced their identity and their purpose over the radio, all radio contact with the Solitaire ceased, and all communications on VHF radio channels were met with silence. Disappointed with the ship’s attitude but undaunted, the deputation kept communicating their message to the Solitaire over the radio, with Astrid and Iollan eloquently explaining the current situation in Mayo and why their mother has chosen to go on hunger strike, and they made dignified requests for the Solitaire to leave Irish waters, so that their mother can end her strike. The other ships that were involved in Shell’s abortive pipe-laying operation in Mayo were similarly addressed; these communications were also met with silence. A further attempt at communication with Shell’s ships some two hours later was met with silence again. The Shell to Sea delegation kept trying to establish communication for about a half an hour, but were ultimately fruitless.

Between the communication attempts, Astrid boarded the Irish Naval Service ship the LÉ Eithne, which was moored in Killybegs harbour. She managed to encounter its captain, and she began explaining to him calmly the situation in her home place in NW Co. Mayo and her disgust at the Irish Navy’s role in Shell’s attempt to begin pipe-laying in Broadhaven Bay, but he walked away from her without commenting. She was then escorted off the ship.

Meanwhile back in Co. Mayo a motor car rally of over 500 cars made its way around Erris this afternoon – a sign of the massive support Shell to Sea’s and Maura Harrington’s stand command in the locality. The rally started at Barnatra at 3:30pm and is continuing at the time of posting.

Maura Harrington entered the sixth day of her hunger strike this lunchtime. Her health and spirits remain strong, as she stays in her car parked before the Shell Glengad compound gates. The gates area is kept constantly lit by Shell an an attempt to disrupt her sleeping pattern, and the numerous Gardaí stationed there continue to behave in a aggressive abusive manner. A vigil of supporters keeps watch on Maura 24 hours a day, and help combat the various Garda verbal and physical nastinesses. Her hunger strike will continue until she receives solid assurances from either the Solitaire or its owners Allseas Group SA that the ship will not be pipe-laying in Broadhaven Bay this year and will be leaving Irish territorial waters without delay.

Come to Mayo and see for yourself what Shell and the state have done to a resisting unconsenting community!

Leave it in the Ground – Scotland organising meeting

Stop new coal developments in Scotland! Leave it in the Ground

Tuesday 23rd September, 7-9pm, Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (17 West Montgomery Place)

Stop new coal developments in Scotland! Leave it in the Ground

Tuesday 23rd September, 7-9pm, Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (17 West Montgomery Place)

Catastrophic climate change is the biggest threat facing us. Burning coal is the biggest historical cause of climate change. Yet every day more coal is burned, and the coal industry and the government seem intent on burning even more.

33 new opencast coal mines and six coal fired power stations are at the planning stage in the UK alone. In Scotland, the outlook is bleak – many of these new coal mine projects are planned for the central belt, and two power stations are to be rebuilt.

Rumblings of an effort to resist these new projects have begun. Leave it in the Ground is a network supporting and developing groups across the UK as part of the campaign to stop new coal, and is growing in strength. As a network, Leave it in the Ground is run by and for the groups that make it up, existing as a way to establish common ground, facilitate networking and share information and skills.

This meeting aims to get everyone interested in stopping new coal developments in Scotland together, and talk about what we want to do about them, under the banner of ‘Leave it in the ground / No New Coal’. And there’s an awful lot to do – from research to community engagement and organising to taking direct action – its really important that we get on the case now!

In addition, there is a Leave it in the Ground national networking meeting in Manchester on the 11th and 12th October. We thought it would be good to have a meeting in Scotland before this in the hope that people would be up for going to Manchester with feedback and get Scotland more involved in the network. Please come along!

Son of Shell to Sea hunger striker assaulted and arrested at Glengad beach

13.09.2008
Today at midday around 50 local and national Shell to Sea campaigners attempted to reclaim Glengad beach, Special Area of Conservation, from Shell. Despite Shell’s commitment to allow public access to the beach, for the past two months the beach has been closed to the public while preparatory pipeline work is ongoing.

When campaigners attempted to exercise their right to public access to the beach they were met by Garda violence. Four people were arrested, including hunger striker Maura Harringotn’s son. Ms. Harrington’s son was treated particularly brutally by the Gardai. Four Gardai knelt on his back, pushed his face into the sand for several minutes and twisted his arms behind his back.

One witness to the arrests stated, “There were over 50 people participating in the demonstration and out of all these the Gardai clearly singled out Maura Harrington’s son. They called him by name and then assaulted him. It was no co incidence that it was Maura’s son that was so violently arrested.”

All who were arrested are currently being held in Belmullet Garda station.

At the time of writing Maura Harrington, Shell to Sea, is into her fifth day of a hunger strike which she began on Tue 9th August at approximately 6pm when Shell’s pipe-laying ship the Solitaire arrived in Broadhaven Bay, Erris, Co Mayo.

Maura is clear that her hunger strike will end in one of two ways.

1) Written confirmation that the Solitaire has left Irish territorial waters.
2) Her death.

Rossport Update on 11th September 2008 & solidarity action in Brighton & upcoming action in London

An update on the situation as of this morning in occupied Erris

After a truly momentous day in Erris yesterday,things are much calmer this morning.
The Solitaire has been confirmed to be stationery in Killybegs Co Donegal.

An update on the situation as of this morning in occupied Erris

After a truly momentous day in Erris yesterday,things are much calmer this morning.
The Solitaire has been confirmed to be stationery in Killybegs Co Donegal.

Police presence in the area is still very heavy this morning although the general atmosphere (aside from at the compound gates) is slightly less tense. Maura Harrington continues her courageous hunger strike at the compound gates with round the clock solidarity from both locals and the camp.

It is still not clear how exactly the Solitaire sustained the damage to its “stinger”
The stinger is DEFINITELY slightly damaged in one section however this reporter can confirm that it was not so damaged on Tuesday night when it arrived in Broadhaven Bay and that conditions all throughout Tuesday night were absolutely calm both at land and on sea (remembering that the Solitaire can operate in extremely heavy seas unhindered due to its size).

The cause of the damage is a heavily speculated upon matter and I will not add to other than the fact that AllSeas Ltd may be contractually relieved from its obligations under a damge clause in the contract.

More from yesterday

Lock-on protest

The 5 people who locked on in atrocious conditions for 6 and a half hours from 5.30am to midday and blocked the road were all released without charge from Belmullet Garda Station. 4 were held for 6 and a half hours and 1 was released after 4 hours. They report that they were treated well in Garda custody and that their needs were attended to correctly.

Up to 15 people were in attendance in solidarity at one point or another during the day, Gardai refused to allow any to stay inside the walls of the (public) station,including a solicitor who is part of the protests. The lock-on participants are all in good form today and proud of their actions and a good day for the campaign.

Pat O’Donnell and son
Pat O’Donnell and son as has been previously reported were again arrested yesterday morning to prevent them exercising their legal entitlement to fish the waters of Broadhaven Bay. The pair were again arrested under the “blank cheque” that is Section 8 of the Public Order Act 1994.

This was the second time the pair were arrested in 24 hours and released without charge,a spurious use and flagrant abuse of the law A possible route to stem this behaviour would be to seek an injunction in the High Court to prevent the Gardai from using the law in this way,this however is a very rare achievement and is unlikely to be heard.

Maura Harrington’s hungerstrike
Maura continued courageously with her refusal to eat until the Solitaire leaves Irish territorial waters. She has been giving interviews to media at intervals and has been chatting with supporters when the police are at a safe distance. Gardai were,at 4am on Wednesday morning ,revving their engines extremely loudly right in front of Maura’s car in order to disturb her sleep as much as possible. Supporters have maintained a constant presence since the beginning of the action at 5pm Tuesday.
The hunger strike continues

SOLITAIRE
We do not know whether or not the Solitaire will return. We remain on high alert.

All solidarity in whatever form and wherever is needed and appreciated.

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10th September:

Five Rossport Solidarity campers have locked on to a bridge about 100m from the gates of the Shell compound in Glengad. The campers have been locked on since 4:30am – 5am. Gardaí have refused to call the fire brigade, but have put a makeshift wee tent over the protestors, and have cut a drain in the side of the road to allow lodging rain on the road to drain off.

Two fishing boat skippers (plus crews) have been arrested after Gardaí boarded the vessels as they approached the Solitaire at anchor in Broadhaven Bay. Local on-the-scene reports say that Pat ‘the Chief’ O’Donnell and his son Jonathan are among those arrested. Gardaí are alleging public order offences (I expect to hear they’ll all be released without charges soon). Gardaí are preventing access now to the compound gates, where Maura Harrington remains in her car and on hunger strike. Gardaí are using the lock-on action as a pretext for stopping public movement along that stretch of road.There is only one protestor keeping watch on Maura with a camera, but supporters can get close to both of them through the fields nearby. Internet connection has returned to the Camp office, since about an hour before this posting.

Welcome to Ireland 2008 – Shell’s little police state!

Get up to Mayo now and confront their violent thieving plans!

Pat O’Donnell and his son Jonathan were AGAIN arrested this morning as they were attempting to to exercise their legal right to be a sea.

The lock-on continues to block the road from the Belmullet side and the police have set up a road-block form the other side of the compund (Pollathomais side)

The 2-3 mile area in between is a pen where the police are preventing people from walking (although people are accessing the road,and Maura,through the fields.

The Police are attempting to begin the cutting of the pipes that are being used in the lock-on,this could take quite some time as they are extremely thick.

The lock-on participants are lying in puddles of water at this stage as the rain continues to lash down in Erris.

A constant vigil was kept at Mauras side all ngith with at least 5 people there at all times to ensure the cops didnt try anything.

The Solitaire is stationery at its anchor location and there is no activity on the compound at Glengad.

It must be underlined that the arrests of Pat O’Donnell and his comrades are TOTALLY spurious ,a bullshit application of Section 8 of the Public Order Act 1994 to keep the Chief and his fishermen colleagues off the waters.

An injunction is being sought to prevent further spurious arrests.

——-

Two activists are currently occupying the roof of the Shell petrol garage on Preston Road, Brighton in solidarity with the communities resisting the Corrib gas pipeline development in Rossport, Ireland. This action is in response to an urgent call out made by the Rossport solidarity camp due to the presence of the pipe laying vessel, the Solitaire, in Broadhaven bay and the imminent commencement of the building of the pipeline.

The ship that is to build the pipeline is booked for the next two weeks. If Shell is able to follow its timetable to bring the pipeline into land, this will create massive problems for any resistance to the project in the future. Shell will be creating ‘facts on the ground’ which will essentially make it easier to push through a decision on the land route, which local residents and campaigners have been fighting against. If work is prevented at this time, it is unlikely that the ship will be able to return for at least two years as it has already been booked up.

Since 2005 there has been massive resistance, including a strong campaign of civil disobedience, from the local community, around Ireland and beyond.

Update – 4:30pm

The two protesters came down sometime after 3-30 and were immediately arrested following an accusation by the manager (a really nasty piece of work) of criminal damage to the roof. Quite how she knew this without looking can be for the courts to decide (can’t wait). They are now in Hollingbury Custody suite.

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Rossport Solidarity Action
12 noon Monday 15th Sep
Allseas UK offices,7 Albemarle St, Westminster London WIS 4HQ

Allseas owns the Solitaire which tried to lay the gas pipe in Broadhaven Bay, Mayo last Tuesday. It has been damaged and may return to Holland. A local Woman is on hunger strike until it leaves Irish waters and we in the UK have been asked to demonstrate at the Allseas offices in support of Maura. The offices previously advertised on this website cannot be confirmed as the Allseas offices so we are going to their registered address in Westminster. Please show solidarity to the people of Erris if you can.