Rest of Europe – Page 63

Shell to Sea Two and half years later and still going strong! October 12th day of action

In 2005 small west of Ireland community became the focus of attention of the people in Ireland. Five small farmers in Rossport Co Mayo (one the most remote and isolated places in Northwest Europe) had stood up to a multinational conglomeration of Shell, Statoil and Marathon in fear they would die if Shell built their unprecedented on shore refinery.

The Irish State’s reaction to this was to indefinately imprison them. This transpired to be 94 days at which point Shell decided it was doing more harm than good by imprisoning as there was a series of direct actions and mass demonstration in their defence http://www.indymedia.ie/article/71388. In the weeks running up to this some activists made contact with community activists and started a national Shell to sea campaign. The unbelievable story of what was going on in the west of Ireland was spread through Europe through the meeting of activists at the G8 in Sterling in July 2008.

The story is quite unbelievable. Shell and their partners are attempting to destroy an unspoilt part of the west Ireland, by running a dangerous pipeline through the village of Rossport to an inland refinery that will spew hundreds of thousands of tonnes of methane each year in the local environment. On top of this they are effectively robbing the people in Ireland of €51 billion of Irish gas through a dodgy deal cut with corrupt politicians that at the time was called “economic treason”.

But lots of things are wrong and why should people all across the world we focus on this? Well its simple- we can win and if we do the effects will be immense as a precedent will have been set that will not only effect Ireland but Europe and beyond.

So what happened since 2005 and where are we now?

Traditional sectarianism was put aside and activists of different backgrounds worked together forming what the media would later bill “the looney alliance of anarchists and republicans”. Throughout the summer of 2005 and until the late summer of 2006 things worked very well as constant pickets shut down Shell’s operation in Mayo and pressure mounted on Shell and the Irish State.

Then at the end of September 2006 the State and Shell made their move. Over 200 gardai (Irish police) were billeted to Mayo. The top cop said he would have the protests finished in 48hours. The community and national campaigns response was immense. Picketing went on through the night incase the Gardai tried
to cordon activists away from the site. On the night of the second of October the cops eventually turned out in force. In an effort to maintain the year and half long picket cars were parked blocking the refinery and behind them the community sat in front of the gates. In area with lowest crime rate in Ireland 200 Gardai pulled and dragged community residents from the gates hospitalising two.

This lead to a surge in activity with much campaign activity around the country and internationally, focused on days of action in Rossport. The Garda reaction to these days of Action was violent culminating in a baton charge on November the tenth. The campaign then in the face of what seemed like more violence cancelled a proposed day of action on the 24th of November 2006. Many saw this as decisive moment for the campaign as momentum passed out of our hands. Everyone realised the folly of
it, but as with a lot of things in Shell to Sea it is a learning process. Now it seems it was not as decisive as it seemed as things build again.

This summer the campaign burst back to life by victoriously opposing shell’s attempt to install cabins for works in the bay – read more. This was followed with a very intense week which saw three fishermen including Pat “the chief” O Donnell and his son and a friend imprisoned, the site was shut down for a day. On the fishermen’s release
an invasion of the construction site took place. Over September there have been three site invasions and two days with numerous people blockading traffic attempting to access the site – read more.

All this occurred in the run up to the day of action on September 14th unique in that it had a pre-announced plan. The plan was simple – go there and sit on the road and no vehicles get on site. The run-up to the day was nervous. The big question was- could Shell to Sea with its national support in town (or countryside rather) reassert the right of ordinary people over multinationals in Erris and really push forward the already building momentum behind the campaign. The conditions were certainly right- Shell were and still are running into enormous problems as building has virtually come to a standstill due to poor quality concrete, constant protest and the lack of a pipeline route. On Friday the 14th about 150 – 200 people turned from around the country and this was matched by a sizeable mayo turnout.

The total protestor turnout was matched by a sizeable Garda presence. As the protestors shut down the main entrance to the site with the sit down the Gardai thought they would be clever and direct traffic around the sit down and bore us to tears. After this long you would imagine the cops would realise Shell to Sea is a little more on the ball than this. In the lack of the any trucks to meet protestors we decided to go and take a look and shut the site down. So it was up, over, under and through the gate as the protest made little a secondary gate as well (especially constructed for the day) – read more. The Gardai responded with their usual heavy handed tactics. Regardless of Shell’s rubbish spin, RTE’s (Irelands state broadcaster) desperate attempts to placate Shell and and the gardai’s official line it was plain to see who had won the day and that the train is firmly back on the tracks.

It’s undoubted that Shell to Sea is not yet at the dizzying heights it was at 12 or 24 months ago. However things are moving in a similar direction at the moment. We have learned the mistakes of placing too much faith in politicians to pull a deal out the hat. With this knowledge it could just be third time lucky for Shell to Sea.

Throughout this period the impact on solidarity from the England Scotland and Wales has had an enormous effect. It has been instrumental in keeping the solidarity camp continuing through people coming staying a week or a year, fundraising and donations have also allowed the camp to expand. Hospitality to campaign speakers was always second to none. Above all the impact that people coming has had a profound impact on the moral of people in Rossport. They launched their opposition in 1999 and it took six years to get National attention and then immediately people in the UK, once they heard, took up the challenge. There is still more people from the UK have to offer this struggle.

Another day of Action has been called for October the 12th as the situation is heating up as the pressure mounts up on Shell and political pressure on the greens. These days of Action will not work
on there own – if you cant travel we all need to be active in our communities organising meetings, postering and raising the issue where possible. These days are however crucial to pile on the pressure –
showing in a visible robust way the level of opposition to this project and highlighting the brutality of what is an everyday occurrence in Rossport.

At this stage many of us are scratching our heads as to why mayo people can’t do this at the height of summer but then again what else would you be doing on windy Friday morning in October? Ok fair enough we all do but it will certainly be worth it to force this to its logical conclusion after 8 years. For us it’s a few days of a trip to Rossport for others it’s the highlight and morale booster in a 8 year struggle that must and will end soon When people arrive its intensely appreciated as it shows they are not struggling on their won and people care. What are you doing on October the 12th? Organise a picket at the Irish embassy or a Shell filling Station or their headquarters. Or if possible travel to Rossport. Travel to Dublin for Thursday at six and book a ticket on the Dublin buses. Book early though. Come you need a holiday!
(for tickets phone or text 0851609850 in Dublin) Cork – corkshelltosea@gmail.com or call 0851141170 for general info.

www.rossportsolidaritycamp.com, www.shelltosea.com www.indymedia.ie/mayo

Deportation Alert! Icelandic State Cracks Down on Saving Iceland Activists

The Icelandic State has hounded and harassed Saving Iceland activists since the network was formed in 2004. In the latest episode of this sordid saga; Miriam Rose, an activist from the UK who lives in Iceland is threatened with deportation for being: “a threat to ‘public order and security’ and ‘fundamental societal values’. She has only ever been convicted of ‘Disobeying Police Orders’ contrary to the draconian ‘Police Acts’ for which she has served a short prison sentence; in solitary confinement in a men’s prison.

On Friday 21st September, Saving Iceland activist Miriam Rose was presented with a letter from the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration threatening her with possible expulsion from Iceland. The letter claims that due to her participation in two actions at smelter sites she may be considered a threat to ‘public order and security’ and ‘fundamental societal values’. The letter also claims that Saving Iceland pays activists for being arrested, a claim repeatedly denied and proven to be false.

Saving Iceland is an international grass roots network that uses direct action to confront the Icelandic government’s Heavy Industry Policy. The government are intent on building aluminium smelters to exploit the country’s geothermal and hydro-electric potential, an ecological and environmental catastrophe sold as ‘green energy’. Saving Iceland also promotes and practices solidarity with struggles against the aluminium industry worldwide, such as in Trinidad, South Africa and India.

Miriam has already served 8 days in prison for protesting against the destruction of Icelandic wilderness, for which the UK Green Party Principal Speaker Dr Derek Wall accused the Icelandic government of political harassment and demanded her immediate release. In Radio 1 Icelandic news program Spegillinn yesterday, the police admitted that this was to be the first of many attempted deportations of activists.

Miriam is now waiting for a decision by the Directorate of Immigration, having submitted her objection to deportation. ‘I am very shocked that the Icelandic government continue to punish me, after already paying so heavily for my actions and ideals. This seems to be an attempt to scare people from protesting here, and I find such treatment surprising in a supposedly developed democracy like Iceland. I am a peaceful and educated person and have never posed a threat to the police or any other person during my time here. I was intending to settle in Iceland, and have been making moves to learn Icelandic and contribute to this society.’

In 2005 the Icelandic Directorate of Immigration attempted to deport 21 Saving Iceland activists. Activists were snatched off the streets of Reykjavik by plain clothes police, held overnight with no food, water or even pretense of a legal process. An elderly academic with no connection to Saving Iceland was hospitalised with serious head injuries after he witnessed activists being bundled into an unmarked car. Plain clothes police also broke into buildings in an attempt to get to activists on the ‘blacklist’. The Directorate of Immigration, denied that there was such a list in an interview with tabloid paper DV, fortunately Saving Iceland was able to supply them with a copy complete with the Directorate’s seal and Hildur Dungal’s (the Director’s) signature. Eventually the Directorate of Immigration admitted it had no legal right to deport anyone on the list.

In 2006 14 activists were tried and convicted for ‘Disobeying Police Orders’ and received prison sentences of up to 18 days a small group was also convicted of ‘Repression of Liberty’ and sentenced to 2 months suspended for 3 years on the false witness of a manager at engineering firm Honnen where they had attempted to occupy offices, the same manager punched and kicked protesters and slammed a door on someone’s head.

Earlier this year after Reykjavik’s first Reclaim the Streets the Icelandic police began to confiscate passport of foreign activists, something they have no legal authority to do. The Icelandic State have also had a long history of harassing Icelandic activists, in one case they have allegedly made false reports to Interpol accusing a Saving Iceland activist of traveling on a forged passport and attempted to strip the activists Icelandic Citizenship.

If the Icelandic Police and Immigration Directorate can get away with deporting Miriam, then they will use deportations more frequently to silence dissent and undermine solidarity with Icelandic environmentalists. They must be stopped!

The website of the Directorate of Immigration is http://www.utl.is/english

The director’s name is Hildur Dungal: hildur@utl.is

See also:
Report on Miriam’s deportation and statement from Saving Iceland:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/983

Report on Miriam’s Incarceration in Solitary Confinement in a Men’s Prison:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/892

Statement of Support from UK Green Party:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/985 and @ http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/3171

Report on Saving Iceland’s funding:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/846

Report of Previous attempts to Deport Saving Iceland activists:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/144

Report on how the Icelandic Immigration Directorate can behave quite differently if you are pals with a Government Minister:
http://www.savingiceland.org/node/759

Tara frontline Action -avin it

On Monday September 24th, thirty brave cultural conservationists donned face paints and headed off on a route walk from the Rath Lugh direct action camp. Film director and actor Stuart Townsend, fresh from the highly successful aerial photograph on the hill attended by an estimated 3,000 people on Sunday, arrived with four massive bags of shopping for Tara’s soldiers before everyone set off. Stuart’s continuing support is massively appreciated!

Once on route activists erected barricades along the paths of the diggers and bulldozers to slow destruction work. Activists proceeded to Baronstown where seven to eight diggers were occupied, climbed and danced upon. The walk continued as our merry band arrived at Collierstown, an ancient Fianna graveyard. The two diggers working when we arrived were quickly halted with people climbing into buckets of diggers, onto roofs and onto their tracks. Songs were sung and people danced. Work was halted for half an hour before scouts indicated that machinery was working up ahead at Trevet. We headed there and on the way occupied another digger. The driver of this digger refused to turn off his engine despite the fact that activists occupied his machine, a clear violation of health and safety laws and a sackable offense.

Our next stop was Trevet, where one bulldozer was prevented from working by activists. It was then that the Gardai made their appearance. Taking some of our group aside, names were taken and no further action occurred. As our walk was slightly behind schedule, when Garda officers approached we decided to pick up the pace, keeping twenty to forty feet between ourselves and the law. Officers continued to follow us for another 100 metres before heading back the way they came. Having stopped work for hours it was near dinner time so we headed back to base camp. Throughout the day as we passed the sacred sites in the path of the proposed motorway short talks were given about the historical and archaeological significance of each site. No one was arrested and a great day was had by all. The campaign to protect Tara from the money mad mile continues picking up pace after the phenomenal success of the international Harpists for Tara event and John Quigley’s stunning aerial photography. Every Monday route walks will continue.

Completion of the M3 through the Tara Valley is years away and there is everything to play for! Be at the Tara Solidarity Vigil camp on the hill by 9.30 am or at Rath Lugh by 10.00am. Please come, please support and network!

www.tarapixie.net
www.savetara.com
www.tarawatch.org
www.indymedia.ie

Critical Mass and Carfree day in Brussels

What a weekend for cyclists. Friday evening and the regular Brussels Critical mass was held one week early to coincide with mobility week. Around 80 cyclists sprouted up at the Porte de Namur and reclaimed the streets of Brussels for an hour or two. This month there was a practical theme to create a DIY cycle lane. Recently the Major of the city decided that the cycle lane along the main boulevard through central Brussels was a menace to traffic and even encouraged cyclist to get in the way of honest car driving citizens. What to do when that Major takes away the cycle path. A simple question, you get together with your friends and paint it back again. Getting rid of the cycle hating Major will probably be the next step but that’s another action.

Brussels is a city of contradictions and for Saturday lunch time the city invited cyclists for a sumptuous nosh up. Anyone who was a cyclist was welcome to help themselves. A wonderful feast for non vegetarian wine lovers and the deserts were out of this world. Not so good on the cycle lanes but the free food almost makes up for it.

Sunday was the carfree day and it really was carfree in the whole city, not just one or two streets. It’s hard to describe the difference banishing the cars can make to a city. Brussels, if only for one day became a place for people. Swarms of cyclists filled the streets people on foot could and did move about without risk of being run over by impatient drivers. The sun was shining the air was clean for once and the angry honking of car horns beautifully absent. If only every day could be like this. The street is a place for people, city children need to play and a cup of coffee on a pavement café somehow tastes better when there isn’t traffic roaring by a few feet away. This might just be my opinion but the people of Brussels did seem to agree with me, well at least the ones who still remember how to move about without a car.

Also for mobility week the Brussels based environmental group, Auto-nomie presented an environmentally friendly car, truly an environmentally friendly car. Zero emissions is a thing of the past, this car has negative emissions. If you care about the planet but still want a car that turns heads this is the model for you and the conversion is cheap and easy. Take out the engine replace is with a few wheelbarrows full of good quality soil and plant your favorite fruits and vegetables. Cruising through the streets of Brussels in a customized car like no other is the way to go. When your friends get tired of pushing what better way of revitalizing them than a tasty car grown strawberry. The car was on display in central Brussels all last week.

Rossport solidarity – Leeds, London, Bristol, Reading, Madrid, Ireland (Clare, Belfast) & at Bellanboy

15.09.2007
Yesterday morning at 8am, a banner was hung over the A58 /Leeds Inner Ring Road in solidarity with the day of action against Shell’s plans for a gas pipeline & refinery in Mayo, Ireland.

The banner read:
Stop Shell Hell in Ireland
www.shelltosea.com

——–

Activists construct ‘high pressure pipeline’ at Irish Embassy in London

Friday morning at 9.30 am, diplomats and passers-by were surprised to witness a “dodgy agreement” between a ‘Shell representative’ and ‘the Taoiseach’, and find a ‘pipeline under construction’ at the Irish Embassy in London. A group of activists had gathered at the Embassy to highlight and shame the Irish Government’s involvement with Shell in the construction of a high pressure raw gas pipeline at Rossport in County Mayo.

The demonstrators unveiled their banner: “Bertie Ahern: Shelling Ireland out!” In the style of Charlie Chaplin, activists dressed as Bertie Ahern and a Shell representative performed a series of ‘dodgy deals’. The Irish Taoiseach “begged” Shell to “Take ownership of our natural resources – for nothing!”, and offered Shell and other oil companies “100% of the profit” with “low taxation”, “garda oppression”, “false prosecutions of protestors” and “the opportunity to destroy EU-protected environments” as sweeteners. The aim of the performance was to draw to attention the irrationality of the government’s support of Shell’s construction of the dangerous and experimental pipeline in Mayo.

Anne-Marie O’Reilly, an activist at the embassy this morning, explained:

“I can understand why Shell would be in favour of these terms and wouldn’t have any objection to the garda baton charging peaceful protestors. But I cannot comprehend why the government would give away Ireland’s resources and allow the destruction of environment and community when there is no benefit to Irish people. Perhaps another story of corruption will emerge when it’s too late to stop the pipeline?”

The action coincided with the sit-down protest at the refinery in Bellinaboy and with ‘Shell to Sea’ solidarity actions in Brighton, Berlin and across Europe.

——–

Bristol Rising Tide did a solidarity demo at the Shell Garage on Muller Road, Eastville, Bristol from 5:30 till 7:30. It was small but perfectly formed, with good leaflets (thanks to Rossport Solidarity posse) and banners (thanks to clever trevor).

Several drivers changed their minds and went elsewhere for their petrol when they saw us or spoke to us about what is going on in Rossport at Shell’s behest. We handed out leaflets at the zebra crossing, where bored and exasperated drivers were trapped in their little metal boxes carping, honking and scratching at each other like battery chickens. It gave them something to read in the extensive traffic jam that sat next to the garage.
Several Irish passers-by showed particular interest.

The forecourt was almost completely empty most of the time we were there, so we effectively shut it down without any police action or other such quotidian aggro.

Photos were taken and will appear shortly if fortune and our silicon masters smile upon us.

Our press release is below.

STARTS

We are at the Shell petrol station on Muller Road in Bristol today (Sep 14th) occupying the forecourt in protest against Shell’s treatment of the people of Rossport, in County Mayo, Ireland.

From 6pm we will be there, in solidarity with the community of Rossport, who have been imprisoned, beaten and intimidated by the Irish police at Shell’s request.

We are activists from Bristol Rising Tide, a group who campaigns about climate change and human rights.

Shell want to build a dangerous and environmentally destructive gas pipeline and refinery right next to people’s houses on unstable marsh land. There is massive opposition in the local community and there has been support for their struggle across Ireland and internationally, with many Shell garages being targeted for demos.

In 2005, 5 men were jailed for 3 months for refusing to allow Shell access to their land. Following their imprisonment the community set up a picket at the proposed refinery site, stopping work for over a year. Last autumn, large numbers of police moved into the area and beat the community off the streets. Numerous people were hospitalized and the police brutality has been internationally condemned. More recently state repression has involved the initiation of malicious prosecutions against prominent local campaigners. Despite the strong forces working against them, the community continues to resist. We are here in support of their struggle.

ENDS
Contact: Bristol Rising Tide 07988 460373 or 07983 350021

Notes for journalists

Major Criticisms of the Project

Unprocessed gas will be piped at uniquely high pressure levels, dangerously close to dwellings and through several SACs’ (special areas of conservation), supposedly under the protection of EU law.
The gas will be processed at a refinery within the catchment area of the local reservoir, Carrowmore lake, which provides the drinking water for 10,000 people.
An Taisce (The Irish National Trust) has stated that if the project goes ahead, Carrowmore Lake will eventually have to be closed as a source of drinking water.
The refinery will be a huge source of air and water pollution. Between 200,000 and 300,000 kg of methane (a major greenhouse gas) will be emitted annually, with the risk of vapor cloud explosions and acid rain.
The site will hold over 5000 tonnes of dangerous chemicals. Over 1500 tonnes of methanol (a highy toxic chemical) are expected to be ‘lost’ each year. This will be emitted, with the waste water, into
Broadhaven bay, “an important area for a number of marine mammal species and for other marine life” according to a report commissioned by Shell. The waste water would also contain heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Any waste not pumped into the bay will drain instead into Carrowmore Lake.
The project will adversely impact on the livelihoods of the region’s farmers and fishermen due to the massive land, air and water pollution.
All the profits from the gas extraction will go directly to the oil companies, the Irish people will gain nothing.

Further information is available from:
www.gcmonitor.org/article.php?id=576
www.indymedia.ie
www.corribsos.com

http://risingtide.org.uk/bristol

——–

On Friday 14th September, Reading Grassroots Action and others from around Reading took part in a picket of a lcoal Shell garage. This picket was made in solidarity with the anti-pipeline/refinery community struggle taking place in Rossport, Ireland.

We protested for about an hour on the forecourt, giving out many leaflets to drivers. The Police arrived just as we left.

The following leaflet was given out:

NO SHELL HELL IN IRELAND!

In County Mayo, Ireland, a business coalition led by Shell Oil – with the approval of the Irish government and full protection by the police – are planning to:

– Forcibly take land from local residents and build an experimental high pressure gas pipeline (at four times the usual pressure) running next to homes and destroying rare eco-systems. The pipe will run through boggy land with a history of landslides. In Mexico, a pipeline of lower pressure exploded, killing twelve people.

– Construct a gas refinery on unstable bog, using previously untried methods to stabilise the bog surface. Emissions from the refinery will badly pollute the nearby Carrowmore Lake, source of the regional water supply. Concrete being used in the construction has already been found to be faulty.

– Pump toxic waste into Broadhaven Bay, the source of local fishermen’s livelihoods. A research team found that Broadhaven Bay was an important breeding and rearing area for dolphins and whales.
Normal and best practice is to refine the gas offshore, bringing it ashore at much lower pressure. Yet, the government is happy with the danger to local people and is giving Irish gas away for practically nothing, forcing the Irish people to pay the costs. But things are not going to plan…

Shell hoped to have the whole thing up and running by 2003. Yet, with extraordinary courage, local people have protested, blockaded and refused to comply. To date, no work has been able to start on the pipeline, and hardly any work has happened on the refinery.

In 2005, five local farmers were jailed for not allowing Shell on their land, one farmer has suffered a stroke after intimidation by Shell contractors and in late 2006 extreme police violence was used against protestors. However, blockades by local people conitnue taking place every morning and last month, activists from UK took part in an occupation of the site, along with local people and others, stopping work for two hours. This is costing Shell millions!

Today is a day of action against Shell. About 200 people blockaded the refinery this morning by sitting in the entrance way. Roughly 170 then entered the site and stood on machinery to stop work. Unfortunately, riot police are once again protecting the corporation instead of citizens, and there has been heavy violence against peaceful protestors, and several brutal arrests. In spite of this, the sit-down blockade continued, stopping all deliveries to the site.

For more information please visit: www.corribsos.com and www.indymedia.ie

——–

There was a solidarity picket of the Irish Embassy in Madrid, organised by the Federación Anarquista Ibérica, the Iberian section of the International of Anarchist Federations (http://www.iaf-ifa.org/) They have also made up posters about Rossport, and carried articles in their monthly magazine, Tierra y Libertad.

I think the banner reads ‘Shell Destroys the State Complies’

——–

Clare Shell to Sea Picket – 14th Sept ’07.

In Solidarity with Mayo and today’s Sit-Down Protest at Bellanaboy.

It’s been clear for the last 2 years that the argument against the Shell Corrib Gas Project is won.

And the amount of cars beeping their horns in Ennis this evening is testament to the support for Shell to Sea, genuinely.

The Government continue in their refusal to debate the arguments and negotiate a settlement, and they persist in using force against the protests at Bellanaboy, a protest that has gained national and international support and recognition as … LEGITIMATE & JUST.

Greens – You have buried your heads in the Fianna Fáil mire. Yoy are complicit now. You are proving yourselves to be unreliable and unworthy of trust. The Green Party pumps for Shell.

email clareshelltosea at gmail dot com
phone 085 1607287
——–

Solidarity Shell picket in Belfast
Friday September 14, 2007

Belfast Shell to Sea organised a picket of the Shell station in Andersonstown today in solidarity with the national mobilisation in Bellanaboy in Mayo.

Over a dozen activists took part in the picket and distributed leaflets to passing motorists and pedestrians, and received a lot of honking from cars showing their support. Despite it taking place during rush hour and the road being extremely busy, the forecourt of the station was left deserted for most of the time the picket was on.

email shelltoseabelfast at gmail dot com

——–

News from protest at Rossport

Text message from the site of proposed refinery reports at 7.30 ” good turn out, over 200 so far, no trucks through the main gates and low police presence”.

Updates

– 8:28
Between 50-120 have just stormed the main gate of the refinery and are heading up the central road to where the machinery is working.

– 8:40
Protesters have gone through the second gate and are on the main site.

– 8:50
Text received from the protest:
“They kept the machines going until the last minute, people are standing on a drilling machine, most work stopped, protesters and cops wandering around enormous site”.

– 8.59
” Two arrests, one badly beaten, getting pushed out pretty aggressively’

– 9:34

The are now over 150 people occupying refinery site. There have been 7 detentions with peaceful protestors being assaulted by several Gardaí who were not in the usual uniform…

At least two protestors were seriously assaulted and taken away.

– 9.47: “Riot police out in force. Protest cordoned off. batons out and lots injured. Three arrested so far”.

– 10:00
Site has been cleared by Public Order Unit with some brutality. Arrestees appear to have been released in Belmullet or along the road.

There’s a sit down protest outside the gate with approximately 170 protestors being ringed by a large force of the country’s finest.

Reports coming in of cops screaming to each other to’break their fucking arms’ with a lot of kicking and punching going on (obviously directed at the peaceful protestors). several cops really went for it but we’ve recorded good video evidence. Cameras and tape are being hidden to avoid a repeat of the incident last year at Lennon’s quarry where a video camera was taken and smashed by the cops.

One fairly serious assault to report and possibly 2 or 3 protestors unaccounted for…

– 10:42
A number of those arrested were released either outside the gates of the main site or once they reached Belmullet. It is unclear as to whether people have been charged or not.

There is a sit down protest outside the gate once more with 170 – 200 protestors being ringed by a large force of the country’s finest.

Tara SOS – WARRIORS and SUPPLIES URGENTLY NEEDED!!! & recent videos & photos of protests

Friends Of Tara,

Urgent call for support at Lismullin Henge. Contractors have moved in heavy machinery onto Archaeology site to divert the Sacred Gabhra River. SOS. Your help needed now.

Friends Of Tara,

Urgent call for support at Lismullin Henge. Contractors have moved in heavy machinery onto Archaeology site to divert the Sacred Gabhra River. SOS. Your help needed now.

Thankyou.

Vigil Ph : 0861758557

This is an emergency callout from the tara front line at Rath Lugh. We are desperate for more people onsite. There are currently ONLY 20 PEOPLE trying to stop work all over the Tara Skryne valley plus the contractors are now trying to divert the Sacred Gabhra River. There is machinery either side of the Lismullen Henge. If you are unable to make it up in person then please contribute by sending up some of the following supplies that are badly needed.

-6mm and 12mm polyprop rope
-Appropriate wood for tree houses and signs
-Tarp and Canvis Material
-Cement
-Sand
-Sleeping bags and blankets
-Climbing equipment / harness etc
-Chains and clips
-Head Torches
-Second hand Bikes
-Sealable containers

You can call the vigil phone for directions to Rathlugh or to arrange for a drop off of supplies to site.
Please network this callout.

For recent videos & photos of protests, check out http://livevideo.com/tarapixie

Global Actions Against Heavy Industry

12.09.2007 – Today, people in South Africa, Iceland, Trinidad, Denmark and America are protesting against heavy industrialisation. This is the first coordinated event of a new and growing global movement that began at the 2007 Saving Iceland protest camp in Ölfus, Iceland. The common target of these protests against heavy industry is the aluminium industry, in particular the corporations Alcan/Rio-Tinto and Alcoa.

South Africa, around 250 people have marched on Alcan’s headquaters in Johanasburg to protest against Alcan’s preferential energy treatment, ahead of a population of which 30% have no access to electricity. Alcan is to be provided with coal and nuclear powered energy for a new smelter in the Eastern Cape that will consume as much electricity as half of Cape Town, at some of the lowest tarriffs in the world. Today the entrance to the Alcan HQ was blocked for one and a half hours with no one comming in or out.

The organisation Earthlife Africa Jhb, whose member Lerato Maregele attended the Saving Iceland 2007 Conference and protest camp, are taking part in the demonstration and have the following demands: First, Alcan and Eskom, the national power company, fully disclose all the details of their deal, including the actual price of electricity sold. Second, that Eskom allocate a basic lifeline of 100kwh per month to every South African.

Iceland, despite terrible winds and rain today, there have been protests outside the government offices in Reykjavik and a gathering along the islands next proposed dam route, along the river Thjorsa (Þjórsá) at 3pm GMT. Also, the Icelandic Minister for the Environment, Thórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, was visited at her home this morning to have a friendly chat with activists and receive a letter asking her to clear up her seemingly contradictory green opinions.

The Icelandic government is trying to rush through the construction of numerous new and expanded aluminium smelters to bring the islands total aluminium output up to three million tonnes per year. These hydro and geothermal powered heavy industry projects have been condemned by environmental scientists and lobbying groups. Three dam reservoirs are to be created along the Thjorsa river, where protesters have gathered, to power a new Alcoa smelter near the northern town of Husavik, or an expansion of the Alcan plant in Hafnarfjordur which was vetoed in a local referendum.

“Unemployment in Iceland is 0.9%. So this destruction is only based on the greed of Landsvirkjun [the national power company] and has no economical logic. We are here to show support with the local farmers who are fighting against Landsvirkjun to defend their land and our land.”
– Saving Iceland activist Siggi Hardarson.

Trinidad, activists are remembering the first anniversary of an action in which people confronted plans for an Alcoa smelter in the rural town of Chatam; whilst lawyers are regrouping ahead of a legal battle against the Environmental Management Authority, representing heavy industry, that will be pivotal in the islands development.

“September 12 2006 was the day that activists confronted tractors and police on Foodcrop Road and this day will forever live in the hearts and minds of activists in
Trinidad and Tobago as a crucial moment of our fight for environmental and
social justice.”
– Attillah Springer, Rights Action Group

Pressure from grassroots actions such as this persuaded Prime Minister Patrick Manning to drop plans to build the Alcoa smelter in Chatam. Confronted by four cases against themselves, the EMA, whose two main stakeholders are NEC and the aluminium corporation Alutrint, were significantly turned down by the Judge in their plea that three NGO’s – RAG, PURE and Smelta Karavan should not be able to bring action against them. This important ruling recognises that the issue of heavy industrialisation is to Trinidad national, not merely local. The people Vs EMA continues on Thursday 13th September.

Denmark, at 6pm CEST (4pm GMT) this evening a crowd will march to the Icelandic embassy and the Greenland’s Representation Office with a banner that reads “Global Struggle Against Heavy Industry”. Talks will be given on the global fight against heavy industry and the movement of resistance. Alcoa is in the planning stage of a smelter project in Greenland whilst the prime minister Hans Enoksen is presently in New York to seek loans to finance the hydropower project.

In Australia, residents in the West have acquired the support of US Attorney Erin Brockovitch in a legal battle against Alcoa. The corporation intends to double the output of its operations in the region whilst residents of the nearby town Yarloop are demanding that Alcoa relocate them. They claim that they are “living in a toxic bubble” and that their health has dramatically suffered due to Alcoa’s work.

Further actions may be taking place, we shall send updates out as soon as we get them.

savingiceland [at] riseup.net
http://www.savingiceland.org

Direct Action News From Greece

news from nowhere – http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/

DIRECT ACTION NEWS FROM GREECE

-English: Providing an open database on sabotage-vandalism-rioting and other fine popular arts that blossom throughout the ruins of our post-industrial society. Send your own reports at directactiongr@yahoo.gr

news from nowhere – http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/

DIRECT ACTION NEWS FROM GREECE

An attemp to cover-publicise-translate all direct action news, away from the mass media mediation.

http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/

GM Actions in France (13/9/2007)

EXTRACT: many actions… were organised in France this Spring and Summer:

Field clearings, symbolic clearings that deposited GMO plants in front of police stations or Monsanto offices, pollination of GM fields with non-GM pollen, occupation of official plant protection offices, experiments showing the reality of contaminations …

EXTRACT: many actions… were organised in France this Spring and Summer:

—

Message from Guy Kastler, Reseau Semences Paysannes (Peasant Seeds Network)
11 September 2007
http://www.gmfreeireland.org/news/index.php

The official registry of the French Ministry for Agriculture only indicates the total surface of GMO cultivations in each region.

Greenpeace has shed light on the existence of a GMO parcel of land that the Ministry’s registry failed to publish. Thereby Greenpeace has demonstrated the government’s incapability in ensuring public information, surveillance on GMOs and coexistence.

This action made a lot of noise as Greenpeace has good communication services. But this is only one among the many actions that were organised in France this Spring and Summer:

We (REseau Semences Paysannes) are currently preparing the second stage (mid-October) of the moratorium – I (Guy) will keep you updated and soon send you infos about it.

Greenpeace discovers an illegal GM field, files a suit and calls for an immediate moratorium on open-field cultivation

Press release – source not indicated), September 5th, 2007

Bezeril (Gers), France

Starting this morning at 9h30, Greenpeace activists mark an illegal GM corn field with red food colorant: this field is not published on the public registry of the Agriculture Ministry, as current rules in force would require.

According to the official registry, the Samatan region is supposed to be totally GM free. Through this action, Greenpeace demonstrates that GM corn cultivations are uncontrollable – in terms of contamination, toxicity and legality. The Government must immediately impose a moratorium on open-field cultivations.

“We have come to denounce a crime and to file a suit with the State Attorney of Auch,” declares Magali Ringoot, Greenpeace GMO campaigner. “We are asking Government Authorities to ascertain the infraction, to open an inquiry and to proceed with an immediate preventive harvest.”

Since last March, GM cultivations – that is of MON810 maize, the only GM crop authorised in France – must compulsorily be declared at the Ministry of Agriculture in order for them to be inventoried by region on a public registry (accessible at: http://ogm.gouv.fr).

The deadline for declarations was May 15th, 2007.

“Regarding open-field GM cultivations, France is currently in a total legal vacuum: the decrees issued last March make no mention in terms of liability, information transparency or the obligation to inform one’s neighbours – not even on the distances to keep between GM and non-GM fields,” an indignant Arnaud Apoteker reports, Greenpeace GMO campaigner. “The Government is totally incapable of making sure the rules it has established are kept, that is the obligation to declare one’s GMO parcel of land.”

It was possible to detect this illegal field thanks to the marking work carried out on the terrain by Greenpeace’s “field detectives”. “By marking this illegal field with red colour, our goal is not to attack the field owner, but to put an end to this enormous hypocrisy that keeps repeating that GMO are controllable in open fields,” continues Magali Ringoot. “GMOs are not controllable: on the one hand, because GMOs contaminate the environment, and on the other, because one would need to place a police person in each field to know where GMOs are planted exactly.”

“This summer, under the pretext of not wanting to reconsider the decisions taken before the elections, the government allowed the cultivation of over 20’000 hectares of GM maize. Result: the ill-ease in the countryside grew and the climate of trust necessary to prepare the traditional government-CSOs meeting on environmental issues (Grenelle de l’environnement) was spoiled too,” notes Arnaud Apoteker. “Given the massive public opposition, new emerging scientific analyses showing toxicity risks and this latest evidence that GMOs are not controllable, it would be absurd if the Government did not immediately decree a moratorium on open-field cultivations, even before the traditional Grenelle meeting.”

Furthermore, at the European Union level, France is increasingly isolated. Italy, Greece, Poland, Austria and Hungary have already banned open-field GM cultivation on their territories. Apart from Spain, France is the only European country today with large scale GM cultivations. In Romania, Greenpeace activists are today blocking access to an illegal GM soy field. Romania banned open-field GM soy cultivation in February 2006, after granting authorisation for eight years.

Rossport Day of Action: September 14th & daily blockades

There is a national day of action at the Shell site at Bellanaboy, County Mayo, Ireland. For those who cant make the demo- solidarity actions are also being called for…

Generic media action leaflet – application/pdf 384K

There is a national day of action at the Shell site at Bellanaboy, County Mayo, Ireland. For those who cant make the demo- solidarity actions are also being called for…

Generic media action leaflet – application/pdf 384K

Friday 14th September : Day of action in solidarity with Rossport community resisting Shell.

On the 14th of September a mass blockading action has been called for at Shell’s proposed refinery site at Bellanaboy in County Mayo, Ireland. Solidarity actions are also called for. (To make life super easy a leaflet that can be adapted and used is attached)

Over the past five years the rural community around Rossport have been resisting Shell’s attempts to build a gas refinery and high pressure pipeline. If the development goes ahead it will have devastating social and environmental consequences for the region (for detailed info see www.corribs2s.org). Recently, state repression against the community has been stepped up. The latest tactic to try and silence opposition is an attempt to create a culture of fear through the use of malicious prosecutions. Key campaigners, including the head of the Fishermen (a strong lobby group against the development) and the local campaign spokesperson, have been targeted and falsely charged with assaults on Gardai (see http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/actions/2006/mayo/). There are several cases coming up over the next few months and the defendants are almost certainly looking at serving time. In 2005, when the ‘Rossport 5’ were jailed for refusing to allow Shell access to their land, the struggle here became a national issue and support was widespread nationally and internationally. Across Ireland there were daily pickets of Shell garages and other solidarity actions, the boost this gave to the community was huge. Over the past year, although resistance here continues as before, outside support has become less obvious. The region is remote, without overt external support its easy for people to feel isolated and that their struggle has been forgotten. The strength of resistance here is a massive inspiration and the community deserve support, especially at time when a significant number of campaigners are facing losing their liberty.

Solidarity actions could involve going to the Irish Embassy, visiting a Shell office or simply blockading or leafleting a Shell garage. The major purpose for taking solidarity action is to boost the campaign here by making the community aware that they haven’t been forgotten. So, while it’d be great if people got together a huge spectacular action, if you’ve not much time, spending an hour with a banner and leaflets at a Shell garage is super easy and totally valuable. For example, last Autumn, people organized a Rossport solidarity action in Brighton that took fuck-all organisation and went really well. People were rung the night before, there was a meeting at lunchtime, a banner quickly painted, some leaflets made and then about 20 people shut down the garage for the afternoon. The fuel was turned off and people got on the roof with the banner. It was proper old-skool fun, no one got nicked, and it was really cool to get a bunch of people together so quickly and take action together.

So, if you can find a spare hour or two next Friday, it‘d be great if u could do a quick (or long!) anti-shell action, and post it on Indymedia after… It’d probably even be fun. Also, if anyone fancies a visit to Ireland, there’s stuff happening regularly over here and places to stay and its beautiful…

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Daily blockades again at Bellanaboy

Direct action stepped up in resistance to Shell’s project in Bellanaboy

Gardai presence has massively reduced at Bellanaboy and the daily pickets are once again stopping vehicles entering the site. Blockades are generally held for between 10 and 40 minutes before the cops arrive and are repeated at regular intervals throught the day. For footage of one of the blockades check out…

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YfSFrtv9XcA

Mass action on Friday 14th Setember at Bellanaboy. Solidarity actions also called for..