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Climate Activists occupy roof of 2nd Vestas factory!

4.8.2009

4.8.2009
Climate activists have occupied the roof of the Vestas turbine factory at Venture Quays, East Cowes, Isle Of Wight, in solidarity with workers occupying a factory in Newport. The protestors have hung a banner above the Ferry Port saying: “Vestas Workers – Solidarity in Occupation. Save Green Jobs,” and issued the following statement:

This Cowes Week, tens of thousands of people have come to the island to use and celebrate the free, abundant, and natural power of the wind. At the same time, workers at Vestas are struggling to keep Britain’s only wind-turbine blade manufacturer open. Factories in East Cowes, Newport and Southampton are being closed with the loss of over 600 jobs, and hundreds more in support industries like Gurit, devastating not only green promises but the Isle of Wight local communities.

Now the people are saying enough is enough. At Newport dozens of workers are in the second week of their factory occupation with messages of support coming in from around the world. These courageous people are showing more vision and commitment to the future of jobs, communities and our planet than all the do-nothing business and political leaders put together.

In the face of man-made climate-change, keeping these workers with their unique specialist skills is as urgent for powering a sustainable future as it is for the for the island communities. But the government which was so quick to nationalise Northern Rock and pour billions into the ailing banks has so far done NOTHING to protect the future of Britain’s wind-power generation, despite their recent pledge to invest in “Green Jobs”.

Vestas meanwhile are leaving their workforce high and dry, with peanuts in redundancy pay and little hope of work, while they make off with the £76 million profits they made in the first quarter of 2009 out of their non-unionised workforce.

The Venture Quays roof occupation is in support of Vestas workers demands. We say,

– Take Vestas factories into public ownership, under workers management
Re-instate all workers, including those sacked while in dispute
Invest in developing wind-power in Britain
Retool the Vestas plant to produce for Off-Shore Wind Generation

This dispute comes in a period of crisis, both economic and ecological. The economic crisis has already seen a million people losing their jobs while banks ask for hand-outs, with massive cuts and tax rises on the horizon. On top of that, unless we act quickly, the ecological crisis of climate-change will threaten the very future of human life. Motivated by greed and paralysed by fear, our rulers seem incapable of responding. Instead, the lead is coming from below.

Working people are increasingly standing up and staying put. Occupation by not only workers but local residents is becoming a default option. This year we have seen occupations at the Visteon factories in Enfield and Belfast, schools occupied against closure in Glasgow and Lewisham, a London care-home, Thomas Cook in Dublin and now Vestas. People have been dis-empowered for too long!

Listen to the Vesta workers song “Boys on the Balcony” at http://www.seizetheday.org

http://savevestas.wordpress.com

Latest EF! Action Update bursts forth

Car tyres deflate in the night, diggers halted in their tracks, buildings and MPs covered in slime…airports plagued by crazy golf, picnics, city gents and hostage-taking…eco-villages and other autonomous spaces sprout, as others are under threat…tree-sits, banks evicted, fake phone-masts and whaling ships sunk….it must be time for another Earth First! Action Update, bringing you a concentrated quarterly blast of inspiration and contacts to get out there and take direct action against the bastards threatening this planet and its inhabitants.

News from the front-lines – permanent protest camps old and new, and temporary gatherings in a field near you, all the dates and info you need for a summer of blistering action and torrential outpourings!

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

Successes here, across the pond and round the very other side of the world.

A report back from the Coal Caravan, plus info about the communities along its route.

Court news – what happened after protesters planned to shut a coal-fired power plant, and climbed atop a train, plus handy Security Tips for Going on Actions.

Leaving it All in the Ground – news of global fights against the mining of gold, copper, bauxite and aluminium – blockading, torching and night-time pixieing.

A View from the Trees – a story from our eco-centric cousins. And indigenous Peruvians fight on against the wholesale onslaught on our world.

And a round-up of your favourite public order situations – G20, SmashEDO and Athenian rubbish dumps!

Read, download and print it here, subscribe so you get it direct to your door, or look out for it at a climate camp near you.

If you want to be listed or get a bunch of them to distribute, please get in touch.

Share your inspirational news at EF! Action Reports, and it’ll find it’s way into your very own printed EF!AU, in good old black and white print.

Daring Action Gets Supplies To Vestas Workers Occupation

30.7.2009
A group of twenty people successfully brought vital supplies into the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight this afternoon, to the whoops and cheers of the occupying workers.

The group including workers, local supporters, and campaigners from the Climate Camp, Workers Climate Action, the Anarchist Federation and Workers Liberty split into two teams. At around 2pm, one team approached the main entrance of the factory, carrying decoy bags of food, to draw off police and security guards. While this first team was being escorted and carried bodily from the site, a second team ran through a hedge and were able to pass a large sack of supplies up to the occupying Vestas workers. The supplies were based on a wishlist provided by the occupiers, and included food, drink, and crucially a kettle with tea and coffee.

Jim Spencer, a member of the Climate Camp who took part in the action, said the Vestas management have been attempting to starve the occupiers out. After much protest, they are currently providing them with one insubstantial meal per day such as a single slice of pizza or a lone sandwich per worker. This is an utter disgrace, and so many of us camped outside have been thinking about how to get supplies in to them. It turned out that some of the factory workers and their local supporters were thinking the same way, so we all decided to work together.

Mr Spencer went on: The fact that workers, locals, environmentalists and labour campaigners are all working together reflects how important this occupation is. It’s vital to the factory workers and their families, it’s vital to the local economy, and it’s vital in the fight to avert climate disaster. The Vestas wind turbine factory must be saved.

ENDS

For interviews with someone onsite, call 07932 096677
To contact the Climate Camp media team:
phone: 07040 900 905 (or 07772 861 099 or 07932 096 677)
email: press@climatecamp.org.uk

Save Vestas – Defend Jobs, Save the Planet – Support the Occupation – UPDATE below: arrests, cops starving them out…

Workers at the Vestas Wind Turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have JUST NOW occupied their factory. They are fighting for 600 jobs and the future of the planet. They need help now.

PLEASE TEXT AND CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

Workers at the Vestas Wind Turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have JUST NOW occupied their factory. They are fighting for 600 jobs and the future of the planet. They need help now.

PLEASE TEXT AND CALL EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

There is a large picket of support starting outside the factory. This will be crucial in giving people confidence inside. We want hundreds of people by morning.
If you are not working, come now, by car, bus or train.
If you are on the South Coast and working, come for the night and go to work exhausted and proud.

If you can’t come, call up friends and offer to pay the fare or petrol money for someone else to come down. Or part of the fare.
Don’t just call the environmental and union activists you know. Call your friends and ask them who they know. Call your brother’s friends or your children’s friends. Text everyone. Get your friends calling and texting.

WE WANT HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE NOW. SAVE THE JOBS – SAVE THE PLANET.

The workers want Gordon Brown to step in as if it was a troubled bank and save the jobs and keep making wind turbine blades. They gave the bankers trillions. They say they care about climate change. He has talked about creating 40,000 “Green Jobs”, the first step should be protecting these 600.

The workers will need solidarity – donations of money, food and other assistance. In the first instance please send messages of solidarity to savevestas@gmail.com

We will suggest other forms of solidarity soon. Do this now. Reach for your phone.

—-

How to get there, and more info at:

http://savevestas.wordpress.com/

—-

A protester claims the 30 demonstrators at a sit-in at the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight have been told they will be sacked.

Danish company Vestas Windsystems plans to make 625 workers redundant at the end of July, despite rising profits.

One of the protesters, who occupied the Newport site on Monday, said managers gave them until 2230 BST on Tuesday to end their action or face the sack.

Vestas said consultation on the site was on-going and would not comment.

The worker, who did not want to be named, said: “We have been told we will be sacked.

“We were given the choice to leave by 2230 BST last night and keep our redundancy package and walk out with no charges.

“Obviously we have stayed in. We didn’t want it to come to this.

“We want the company to explore the possibility of the government taking the site over and improving the redundancy package.”

The campaigners have called on Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary, to travel to the island and speak to them.

Luke, one of the protesters, said: “We’re prepared to stay here for as long as it takes.”

About 200 workers staged a protest outside the factory on Tuesday after being turned away when they arrived for work.

They were also joined by climate change protesters who are supporting them.

Police said Vestas has started legal action to gain an injunction which would remove the protesters.

The company said the factory was being closed next week due to reduced demand for wind turbines in northern Europe

—-

Update, 22nd July: ARRESTS AT VESTAS + FOOD IN

At 5.10am this morning, a climate activist at the protest outside the Vestas plant attempted to take a bag of food to the occupying workers by means of a rope which the workers had lowered from the balcony. The activist was grabbed by 5 police officers and arrested. On his release he obtained the police report of his arrest, which stated that the reason for his arrest was that, as his bringing food to the occupiers had the stated intention of prolonging the protest, it was facilitating a breach of the peace – clearly ludicrous as the police have themselves admitted that the protest is not breaching the peace.

At 1248, a large number of protestors walked through the line of police holding food in their hands which they threw up to the balcony. The police pushed some of the protestors and attempted to obstruct the line but did not offer substantial resistance. One protestor was harassed by a security guard, and asked a police officer, whose number was 24266, if he intended to do anything about it; the officer said he didn’t. Another protestor saw a police officer grabbing the arm of an activist as he attempted to throw food to the balcony – the activist told the police officer that this constituted harassment, the police officer took no notice.

A second climate activist was arrested and taken through the front doors of the factory. Later, a sergeant whose number was 3027 came out and said that no-one had been arrested for carrying food, but that one activist had been arrested for assault. Other protestors present have commented that as the activist in question, who has not given permission for his name to be released, is a christian pacifist, this seems unlikely.

Security have started putting up a fence around the site, with protestors outside attempting to get a second food-carrying walk-in past the police before its completion. There are currently around 50 protestors outside the factory, over 30 of them Vestas workers, and sources say they expect numbers to increase drastically around 6pm when the protest starts.

EARTH FIRST! @ DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ROME

ACTIVISTS OF EF! ROME YESTERDAY PROTEST IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BEFORE BIG CONFERENCE OF SEGRETARY. LOT OF MEDIA IMPACT.
NEWS IN ITALIAN FROM OUR BLOG EF! ITALY

HOka hey! brothers and sister!

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FUORI PROGRAMMA ALLA FESTA DEL PD
da agenzia ADNKRONOS

ACTIVISTS OF EF! ROME YESTERDAY PROTEST IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BEFORE BIG CONFERENCE OF SEGRETARY. LOT OF MEDIA IMPACT.
NEWS IN ITALIAN FROM OUR BLOG EF! ITALY

HOka hey! brothers and sister!

******************************************************************************************
FUORI PROGRAMMA ALLA FESTA DEL PD
da agenzia ADNKRONOS

Roma, 16 lug. (Adnkronos) – Fuori programma alla festa del Pd a Roma per unaincursione ‘ecologista’ sul palco in cui il candidato alla segreteria PierLuigi Bersani stava per iniziare il suo intervento. Alcuni ragazziambientalisti hanno consegnato una lettera a Bersani (che avrebbero volutoleggere ma l’organizzazione della festa ha ritenuto che non fosse il caso)nella quale si denuncia la scarsa attenzione all’ambiente della festademocratica di Roma. “Certo ambientalismo produce solo rifiuti -diceMassimo, uno dei ragazzi che hanno inscenato la protesta- perche’ non e’possibile che ad una manifestazione del genere non si faccia la raccoltadifferenziata”. Dopo che i ragazzi sono stati fatti scendere dal palco Bersani ha volutocomunque subito rispondere alla loro sollecitazione: “si critica lo scarsoecologismo di questa festa ed io rispondo che si puo’ sempre fare di meglioe ricordo che i governi di centrosinistra sono stati quelli che per primihanno posto le tematiche ambientali tra le priorita’ delle azioni digoverno”. (Mon/Ct/Adnkronos) 16-LUG-09 21:24

PD: BERSANI CONTESTATO DA AMBIENTALISTI A FESTA DE L’UNITA’ DI ROMA
da Agenzia IRIS

ROMA, 16 LUG – Pierluigi Bersani, ospite al Democratic Party di Roma, è stato contestato da alcuni ragazzi di un movimento ecologista, Earth First Roma. “Si può sempre far meglio, tutte le critiche sono accettabili ma voglio ricordare che quando eravamo al governo abbiamo fatto i primissimi passi per accendere il motore verde nell’economia italiana. La legge per i pannelli fotovoltaici l’abbiamo fatta noi. Bisogna fare di più perché questa è la frontiera per rilanciare l’economia” risponde Bersani.

RAGAZZI CONSEGNANO UNA LETTERA DI CRITICHE AL CANDIDATO SEGRETARIO
da APCOM (nella foto lo striscione esposto)

Piccolo fuori programma alla festa del Pd a Roma dove questa sera viene intervistato Pierluigi Bersani. Quando il candidato alla segreteria prende posto sul palco alcuni ragazzi di un movimento ecologista che si chiama Earth First! Roma, cercano di prendere la parola per denunciare lo scarso ecologismo della festa, esponendo un cartello con la scritta ‘Certo ambientalismo produce solo rifiuti’. Massimo spiega che non c’era alcun intento violento nell’iniziativa ma solo il desiderio di consegnare una lettera a Bersani per denunciare il fatto che “alla festa del Pd non c’è la raccolta differenziata, non si usano prodotti riciclati, non ci sono pannelli fotovoltaici”. Bersani dal palco spiega e risponde: “Si può sempre far meglio, tutte le critiche sono accettabili ma voglio ricordare che quando eravamo al governo abbiamo fatto i primissimi passi per accendere il motore verde nell’economia italiana. La legge per i pannelli fotovoltaici l’abbiamo fatta noi. Bisogna fare di più perché questa è la frontiera per rilanciare l’economia”.

Pitched battles over open refuse dump outside Athens

8th July

Pitched battles between locals of Grammatico, outside Athens, and riot police forces over the construction of an open refuse damp with locals digging trenches, building barricades and torching bulldozers; scores have been wounded as battles continue amidst spreading fires.

8th July

More than 1500 locals of the Black Mountain village of Grammatico, outside Athens, have erected barricades and dug trenches in order to stop the beginning of an open refuse damp (XYTA) construction in their area. The locals torched the company’s bulldozers after riot police forces arrested and beat the resisting mayor, refusing to take him to the hospital to treat his wounds.

One of the local council members has been declared: “There are fires everywhere and strong police forces. We are afraid of a massacre. The police is using brutal force and we have scores of wounded citizens. The riot police forces (MAT) have reached our last barricade. If they manage to cross it, then the situation will be out of control. However this will prove hard, as it is our strongest barricade. We have dug the earth planting tractors and bulldozers in it. All the village is here and is ready to fight”. Many people have been arrested during the clashes, and several policemen have been wounded by projectiles. The fire brigade has deployed 3 airplane, 3 helicopters and over 15 fire engines in order to fight the fires caused by the riot police mindless use of tear gas and “blast and flash” grenades and are threatening a children summer camp nearby.

The construction of XYTA around the country has created a chain of violent environmental struggles, whose prototype is Lefkimmi, a Corfu village which has been resisting State plans for 18 months, losing one comrade in the battles with the police.

Shell to Sea activists board supply ship to Solitaire in Killibegs

6th July 2009

6th July 2009
This afternoon seven Shell to Sea activists in kayaks visited the Toisa Independent, which supplies pipe to the Solitaire, a vessel used by Shell to lay the Corrib gas pipeline. The Solitaire, which left Broadhaven Bay (1) yesterday after laying the first section of pipe for the project, has been the target of several actions recently in the continual campaign against Shell. (2) Despite Shell’s increasingly heavy handed response to protests, Shell to Sea activist’s have continued their fight.

Niall Harnett, speaking from the protest in Killybegs today said “We demand that this port stops supporting the Corrib gas project which is destroying the lives of the people in Erris. There has been much misinformation about the Corrib gas pipeline in the media, as campaigners continue to protest in order to bring a halt to this unsafe project which threatens the homes and livelihoods of many in the local area”. The pipeline would carry unprocessed gas across the region to the refinery at Bellanaboy. (4)

Harnett continued “We are also acting in protest against the theft of Ireland’s natural resources. At a time when unemployment levels are set to reach record numbers and the government attacks ordinary people with levies taxes and pay cuts it is obscene that Shell are allowed to steal billions of euro’s of our resources.” (5)

St.John O Donobhain, also on the protest, said. “Shell’s attempts to pretend the Corrib project is a done-deal is misleading. This is project is unjust, illegal, and immoral. It will fail.”

Activists strike at Chorlton Tesco, Manchester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rossport solidarity demo at Irish Embassy

2nd July 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!