Respect existence or expect resistance!
Want to get involved?
This weekend we will be occupying a property in the Suffolk/Essex area in order to start an ecovillage. It’s got many acres of land attached, and various groups will hopefully be coming to give workshops on climate change, sharing various skills and activism.
Want to get involved?
This weekend we will be occupying a property in the Suffolk/Essex area in order to start an ecovillage. It’s got many acres of land attached, and various groups will hopefully be coming to give workshops on climate change, sharing various skills and activism.
If you want to get involved in the occupation, would like to come and live there, get in any of the activities, or have something you would like to teach, please email cocklehorsecrab@googlemail.com
Around 70 protesters have occupied an empty plot of land next to Kew Bridge in Brentford, London (TW8 0EW). They’ve set up an eco-village.
Around 70 protesters have occupied an empty plot of land next to Kew Bridge in Brentford, London (TW8 0EW). They’ve set up an eco-village.
This will showcase community based sustainable methods of living such as vegetable growing, compost toilets. They in the process of setting up tents and are cleaning the site of rubbish.
London eco-camp: Day One – video/quicktime 13M
We could do with the more of the following if you are thinking of visiting:
>Big water containers (>10ltrs)
>Oil for bolts
>Screws, bolts, coach bolts.
>Stationary: paper, pens, sticky tape, etc.,
>Banner making material/paints.
>Tarps
>String and Rope
>Spades shovels and forks
>Lots of hose for moving water.
We have a really awesome and secure site, it looks like we are staying we have one large issue. Most of the site is heavily overlooked so we need to keep things tidy, make things visually interesting and have banners/posters so people know what we are up to. The local have been very supportive so far due to the proposed use of the site we are occupying. Lets keep it that way…any help much appreciated.
If you would like to join our autonomous space in west london then how do you get there?
1. Cycle; from central london there is one road with no change. The A315, it changes names to many things but starts south of Hyde Park (as Knightsbridge and Kensington Road) and continues through Chisick (Chiswick High Street) right untill the round about where the camp is setup. From kew bridge the camp can be clearly seen.
2. Take a train: from south east london this is the best option. Train are regular out of waterloo and take about 25 minutes to get to Kew Bridge station. You can take your bike on these trains.
3. Get daddy to give you a lift in his helicopter: you may get thrown out.
We are at Kew Bridge
Map: http://tinyurl.com/n7ny33
For the second time in three days a Shell dredger has been boarded and occupied by a Shell to Sea protester. As a result all the ships working in the bay have ceased work and returned to harbour. Reports confirm that work has been abandoned due to the action of the protesters!
For the second time in three days a Shell dredger has been boarded and occupied by a Shell to Sea protester. As a result all the ships working in the bay have ceased work and returned to harbour. Reports confirm that work has been abandoned due to the action of the protesters!
A group of 11 kayakers set out at 5:30am on Friday, meeting instant resistance on the water from Shell security boats and safety boats. After avoiding the Shell private security boats that were attempting to capsize the kayaks, one protester managed to board the dredger ‘Rezende Bol’ owned by Van Oord, who is subcontracted by Shell to do the dredging. This vessel along with another and multiple support and security boats were digging a trench in the seabed in preparation for the gas pipe-laying ship Solitaire. Work in the bay has been continuous 24 hours a day since Monday evening only stopping due to the previous dredger occupation by Shell to Sea protesters which lasted 10 hours. During the attempts to board the dredger several protesters were able to climb onto the side of the vessel. Excessive force was used to prevent them from boarding; one protester had his thumb bent backwards by a security guard and later was taken to the hospital where tests revealed damaged ligaments. Another protester who got on board the ship was violently pushed from the deck by two security guards injuring his back, and fell over six feet from the deck into the water. Shell security were kicking and stamping fingers of protesters on the near side of the vessel, all the while one protester managed to board the ship on the other side and climb up onto the same crane his friends had previously occupied just three days earlier.
The kayak support team prepared for similar shifts as Tuesday, anticipating a long-term occupation. Four kayakers remained on the water to keep an eye on the protester while the rest went in to regain energy. The reaction of the security and safety boats was very hostile, attempting to capsize kayaks and separate people from each other. The driver of the Galltee (Shell’s private security boat) repeated his threat to sink kayaks, driving extremely aggressively with no regard for the safety of the kayakers.
After the dredgers were towed away, the Garda arrived and boarded the ship in addition to the Shell security already on the ship. They threatened the protester on the crane arm with forced physical removal. Fearing for his own safety the protester jumped from the dredger arm onto the deck and dived into the water. The two supporting kayakers who were still in the water were arrested despite their efforts to comply with the Gardai’s instructions. In the water the crane protester managed to avoid capture by the Gardai and Shell security and get to the shore where he scaled a cliff to evade capture. His whereabouts are now unknown but he is safe and well!
Shell claimed that they stopped working in the bay due to a ‘swell’ but sources at Ballyglass pier confirmed that Van Oord, the subcontractor running the dredgers were unwilling to work with ongoing protest activity and the excessive use of force by the IRMS (Integrated Risk Management Services) .
Today’s actions are proof that resistance rocks!
Come to Mayo!
—-
Van Oord are involved as a main contractor on the Limerick Tunnel project, which they’re happy to tell you about on their website, but there’s no mention at all of their involvement with the Corrib Gas Project. Maybe their greenwash is important to them somehow, and maybe they don’t fancy negative publicity. Why don’t we give them some then, eh?
Van Oord’s website homepage:
http://www.vanoord.com/gb-en/index.php
Head office postal address for general mail:
Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors BV
PO Box 8574
3009 AN Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Visiting address:
Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors BV
Watermanweg 64
3067 GG Rotterdam
The Netherlands
T 31 10 447844
F 31 10 4478100
E info@vanoord.com
This is a contact for their ‘newsroom’, i.e. Media and PR:
A.G.M. (Bert) Groothuizen
Manager Marketing & Public Relations
T 31 10 4478234
F 31 10 4478100
E info@vanoord.com
On their ‘agenda’ page there is mention of this following event. Maybe they are keynote speakers at this conference, or that they will have a large trade exhibition presence there. Details from the conference website are sketchy, so more research is needed. There are other events for later in the year at which they’ll either attend or participate in, but I think the event at the end of this month may be a place where Van Oord can be shamed publicly about its involvement in Shell’s destruction of Broadhaven Bay.
The Flood and Coastal Risk Management Conference 2009 – 30 June 2009 – 02 July 2009
The International Centre, Telford, UK
(Telford is in Shropshire, west-central England, I think. Nearish to Birmingham anyway. The risks in coastal management must be enormous these days, if this conference has to be held in a place as far from the sea as you can get on the island of Britain!)
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/102626.aspx
Allseas are the company that own the Solitaire. The Solitaire is expected to arrive within the next month. It would be good if people could also put pressure on them before they get here:
Allseas UK Limited
Address: Knyvett House The Causeway
City: Staines, Middlesex
Postcode: TW18 3BA
Telephone: +44 1784 898038
Fax: +44 1784 898030
On Tuesday, after the afternoon confrontation in Broadhaven Bay which resulted in one man’s arrest and a couple hours of halted work for the dredgers, the Shell to Sea fleet of kayaks headed out on the water a second time around 6pm and two protesters managed to board one of the dredgers, climbing on to the neck of the c
On Tuesday, after the afternoon confrontation in Broadhaven Bay which resulted in one man’s arrest and a couple hours of halted work for the dredgers, the Shell to Sea fleet of kayaks headed out on the water a second time around 6pm and two protesters managed to board one of the dredgers, climbing on to the neck of the crane, occupying it and halting work for 10 hours.
Shell has been continuously dredging in the area since Monday evening, interfering with protected fishing areas for local fishermen, defiling what was once a pristine marine habitat full of dolphins, whales and other marine life, and disturbing sleep for local residents. They have buoyed off an ‘exclusion zone’ in the public waters, with boats patrolling the area to make sure no one crosses into it. There is a diverse assortment of vessels occupying the once pristine bay; the majority of these are either carrying out or assisting in the current dredging and surveillance operations. An Garda Siochana (police boat) have also been patrolling the work zone along with two black RIBs; The Laura Emily accompanied by its twin the Galltee, both brimming with men dressed in black military fatigues and video cameras for filming protesters. Other smaller motorboats accompanied the Shell crew, including ‘safety boats’ and a large white motor launch. There were tugboats for moving the dredgers, barges for holding the sand being removed from the seabed and, of course, the massive dredgers themselves.
A group of twelve Shell to Sea protesters in eight inflatable kayaks, two hard kayaks, and two rubber dingys set out on the water at 6pm for the second time in one day on Tuesday 2nd June. Three of the kayaks managed to evade the security boats and get close enough to board one of the dredgers. One protester began to climb the ladder from her boat while another kayaker blocked a security boat from grabbing her. The other protester used the tires on the side of the dredger to board the deck. Once on the boat, both protesters were climbing onto the crane within seconds. They slid down into the neck of the crane making it impossible for the crew to remove them.
Loud cheers were heard from ashore where people were gathered at the Rossport Solidarity Camp, and the mood on the water was extremely positive. ‘Shell to hell’ chants were abounding, and there were even some playful exchanges between Shell to Sea kayakers and a couple of motorboats. There were varying attitudes on different boats, but not all of the gardai or safety boats were unfriendly. Both inflatable kayaks which had been left in the water where the two protesters had boarded the dredger were quickly recovered. One was towed out of the ‘exclusion zone’ by a Shell to Sea protester, and one was brought on board the gardai boat and placed back in the water outside of the exclusion zone. The rest of the Shell to Sea kayakers remained on the water to ensure the protesters were not going to be dangerously removed, then began taking shifts to stay close to them and provide support.
In a surprisingly honest conversation between the kayak protesters and a worker on one of the boats, the worker stated that he ‘admired the persistence’ of the local community and supporters who are resisting the pipeline. He also said he thought the pipeline plan was ‘relatively safe’ and asserted that sometimes risks have to be taken. Unfortunately with a kill zone of up to 200 meters and the uncertainty of never having built such a high pressure pipeline through a residential area, the risk is high. This is why resistance to the pipeline is so strong; as one of the two protesters who occupied the dredger later stated, “Today we took this action in solidarity with the local community and to try to protect this beautiful area from being ravaged by Shell.”
The rotating shifts of support continued on through the night, with small groups of kayakers keeping an eye on their friends long after the gardai had left around 12am. Once it was dark and the gardai had left, the mood at sea changed. The Shell security and the safety boat for the dredger were the only ones left. The Shell security RIBs became increasingly aggressive towards the kayakers. They made multiple attempts to capsize them, and used intimidation techniques such as turning their lights off until they were up close then suddenly shining floodlights, disorienting and frightening them. One of the kayak crew reported feeling seriously concerned that the situation would escalate. A security guard even stated his intention was to sink the boats, a plausible threat given the recent vicious attack by IRMS on Willie Corduff. It was reported that the ‘safety boat’ also seemed concerned for the safety of the kayakers, and may have been their only protection in the situation.
By 4am, the two protesters on the dredger were feeling very cold and tired, and felt as if they had achieved a significant victory. They voluntarily climbed down from the crane, and were illegally detained by IRMS security and brought to Ballyglass pier where they were arrested and charged with loitering in a public place.
Despite the severe difficulties encountered throughout the night the mood across the camp from the kayaking teams and all the support crews was jubilant. Having breached Shell’s security and made such a significant stop to dredging work people at the solidarity camp remain in a defiant mood: watch this space for more resistance to the devastation at sea and on the land.
One of the companies bidding for the contract to construct a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth has been targeted by climate campaigners. Three people have locked on inside and two are up on a ledge outside having dropped a banner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5th June 2009. 10.30am
One of the companies bidding for the contract to construct a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth has been targeted by climate campaigners. Three people have locked on inside and two are up on a ledge outside having dropped a banner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5th June 2009. 10.30am
For more information, interviews and photographs contact 07932 096677 or press@climatecamp.org.uk
CLIMATE CAMPAIGNERS INVADE KINGSNORTH CONSTRUCTION FIRM
Major building contractor BAM Nuttall targeted due to potential role in controversial coal power station
[Photo and filming opportunity at: BAM Nuttall Head Office, St James House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3XW]
This morning, thirteen people invaded the offices of Surrey-based building firm BAM Nuttall. They have locked themselves to furniture, glued themselves to desks, and are asking to speak to Chief Executive Martin J. Rogers about the disastrous implications of building more coal-fired power stations. Several protesters have also occupied an exterior ledge above the building’s entrance, with a banner reading: “No New Coal: Build a Greener Future”, and staff and passers-by are being given leaflets and information about the protest.
The campaigners, from Thames Valley Climate Action [1], are targeting BAM because the company is bidding for the contract to build a new coal power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, for the giant energy company E.ON [2]. This would be the first new UK coal power station for 30 years, and would produce around 7 million tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to the entire emissions of a country like Ghana [3]. According to a new report from Kofi Annan’s Global Humanitarian Forum, climate change is already killing 300,000 people per year, and will get much worse unless we urgently reduce our CO2 emissions [4].
One of the protesters, Xavier Perez, said: “BAM Nuttall point to the introduction of low energy lighting and improved heating at their head office as examples of how they are reaching their sustainability goals. This conveniently overlooks the fact that they are hoping to construct a power station reliant on the filthiest fossil fuel in existence. This would be laughable if it were not for the fact that millions of lives, livelihoods and species could be lost.” [5]
The Government and E.ON are claiming that a new Kingsnorth power station would eventually include “carbon capture and storage” (CCS) technology, to catch 25% of its emissions and store them underground [6]. However, the campaigners inside BAM Nuttall point out that this is unproven technology that is still being tested, and won’t be available until at least 2020 [7]. Climate scientists say we need to make sharp carbon cuts long before that date [8]. Even if CCS is one day installed, and works as planned, the plant would still produce more CO2 than a gas power station [9].
The Government’s other favoured justification for building new coal power stations – that the emissions would be included in the EU’s “carbon trading” scheme – has been widely and heavily criticised [10]. Critics say that this scheme is a complex and unworkable distraction from real climate change solutions, that isn’t reducing net emissions, and essentially hands control of the climate over to the same bankers, brokers and private traders responsible for the global financial crash [11].
Another of today’s protesters, Sasha Goodwin, said: “After last summer’s Climate Camp at Kingsnorth, thousands of people pledged to take direct action to stop this power station, and there is a huge wave of public support for the campaign. Today’s action shows how people are ready to act on their words. Any companies thinking about getting involved in the Kingsnorth project should remember the road protests of the 1990s, which cost contractors millions of pounds and prevented many proposed road projects from going ahead.
“BAM Nuttall say they need this work because of the recession, but this completely misses the point. If we keep burning coal, then we’ll lose a lot more than just our jobs – people’s homes, health, food supply, and the stability of our society are all at risk from climate change. Instead, we need to build a sustainable society, powered by renewable energy from the wind, sun and tides, which will lead to better ways to live and work. We need to make sure that this transition is a fair one, actively involving workers from the energy industry. We’re hoping to have some interesting conversations with BAM staff today about all of these issues!”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[1] TVCA is part of the Camp for Climate Action network, which set up a week-long protest camp at Kingsnorth in August 2008 – see www.climatecamp.org.uk. Today’s action is part of a national campaign, supported by the Camp for Climate Action, called the E.ON Face Off – see www.e-onf-off.org.uk. Previous actions have included the occupation of E.ON’s UK head office by protesters dressed as Santa Claus, and actions at E.ON stalls at University recruitment events which led to the company abandoning their graduate recruitment drive.
[2] BAM Nuttall is a construction and civil engineering firm owned by the Royal BAM Group
[3] Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center: http://cdiac.ornl.gov/
[4] http://www.ghf-geneva.org/
[5] Royal BAM Group Sustainability Report
[6] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8014295.stm
[7] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/apr/23/carbon-capture-and-storage-coal
[8] http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/publications/briefing_notes/bn17.pdf
[9] Generating electricity from coal produces about twice as much CO2 per KWh than generation from gas. Therefore, a 25% reduction would still leave coal about one and a half times as polluting as gas.
[10] See for example http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5257602.ece, http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227046.200-carbon-trading-wont-stop-climate-change.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2009/may/28/carbon-trading
[11] http://www.carbontradewatch.org/
Thames Valley Climate Action
—
Latest – 10:30
Four cop vans, an ambulance (to deal with the person superglued to the front door) and a police helicopter now on the scene. Passing Conservative councillors milling about expressing their outrage that the boys in blue are doing this rather than catching burglars.
—
1 arrest so far – 11:50
One person inside arrested for aggravated trespass – not given the option to leave of his own accord… Those locked on/glued/perched on ledge still going strong.
—
Several arrests, including one passer-by who wandered over to talk to the people up on the ledge and promptly got nicked.
When the wars on cars begin we’ll have: critical masses, alley cat races, tall bike joustings, bike wars, bike polo, road blockades, workshops, infostands, food not bombs, parties and a lot of fun! Bike action days, this summer in amsterdam.
Manifesto
When the wars on cars begin we’ll have: critical masses, alley cat races, tall bike joustings, bike wars, bike polo, road blockades, workshops, infostands, food not bombs, parties and a lot of fun! Bike action days, this summer in amsterdam.
Manifesto
In the weekend of july 4th we declare a war on cars. In this weekend there will be a bike festival in Amsterdam. On different locations events, workshops, info stands, fun & games, parties, and direct actions to block and frustrate the traffic will be held. Cars lead to pollution, climate change, deaths and injuries. They are a nuisance, and are dominating the public space.Where the public space is not designed to facilitate the ever consuming shopping frenzy and industry it is designed to please fossil-fuel-traffic.
Since there is so little time left to prevent climate change to turn into catastrophic disaster we consider it irresponsible to invest in any type of fossil fuels. To give way to the same corrupted industries that got us in this mess in the first place is rediculous. Still the government is constructing more roads and highways, more lanes on existing highways, and investing in more industry and world trade. Even ‘Agro-fuels’ are not going to save the world. On the contrairy they will starve most of the world’s population. The oil-age is at its end and western society is clasping on to its unfairly acquired concentration of wealth and luxury. Now not only devastating life elsewhere on this planet but with climate change also making sure that in the future of the whole earth will not be so pleasant and bio-divers.
We are not going to take it anymore! When the war on cars begins we will send out a message to car users that they do not have ultimate priority in public space anymore, that cars are outdated technology since oil will not be affordable for ever and that we demand a healthy earth for the next generations. We will temporarily reclaim some public space for games and fun, promoting bikes and demanding more space and facilities for bikes, and for informing people about alternatives to an oil-based society.
Throughout the weekend there will be an ´alley-cat´-race, a carrier bike (bakfiets) race, tall bike jousting and bike wars. To enter an event send an email of your team name and which event to enter to or just show up with your (carrier)bike, tall bike or warbike. Also a lot of help is needed in organizing, and mobilizing. Especially outside Amsterdam and Holland! So get in touch, inform your surroundings, get involved, get active!
bikesnotcars@gmail.com
http://bikesnotcars.wordpress.com
June 3rd 2009
A massive indigenous mobilization in the Peruvian Amazon is nearing its second month, with no sign that the native protesters will allow themselves to be intimidated into giving up on their demands.
June 3rd 2009
A massive indigenous mobilization in the Peruvian Amazon is nearing its second month, with no sign that the native protesters will allow themselves to be intimidated into giving up on their demands.
Thousands of indigenous protesters have blockaded critical infrastructure in Peru’s Amazon region since April 9, when they declared a national strike in protest of new laws that would facilitate increased industrial exploitation of their territories for timber, oil and gas. The laws were passed by decree under powers granted to President Alan Garcia to bring to country into compliance with a US-Peru free trade agreement. The 10 laws that protesters are demanding repealed were not part of the trade agreement, however, and were declared unconstitutional by a congressional commission in December.
So far, indigenous protesters have blockaded roads and waterways, forced a shutdown to the only crude oil pipeline in Peru, forced two oil companies to cease operation, blocked tourist access to the ruins of Machu Picchu (twice), and held protests that paralyzed the region’s biggest city, Iquitos. On May 31, several hundred protesters took over two valve stations on the only pipeline that transports natural gas from the controversial Camisea gas fields.
The protests are organized under the auspices of the Interethnic Development Association of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESP), which represents 1,200 different native communities. AIDESP’s elected leader, Alberto Pizango, insists that the mobilization will not end until Congress repeals the 10 objectionable laws, declares the state of emergency (martial law) declared in 5 Amazonian provinces since May 9, and enters a good-faith discussion with native communities over a different model for developing the Amazon.
One of the 10 laws has been tentatively repealed, but this action must be approved by the full Congress. The other 9 laws remain on the books.
Put this in your diary and be there if you are against McDonalds for any reason! Health! Globalisation! Human Rights! The Environment! Animals! Freedom to Protest!
United against McDonalds! One Struggle, One Fight!
McLibel Anniversary Protest:
Sunday 21st June 09′
Meet 12 noon, McDonalds Rose Crescent Cambridge.
All welcome!
Put this in your diary and be there if you are against McDonalds for any reason! Health! Globalisation! Human Rights! The Environment! Animals! Freedom to Protest!
United against McDonalds! One Struggle, One Fight!
McLibel Anniversary Protest:
Sunday 21st June 09′
Meet 12 noon, McDonalds Rose Crescent Cambridge.
All welcome!
Why?
Victory #1: In 1997 activists won the now famous McLibel victory after the company sued 2 campaigners for handing out leaflets about the company’s controversial corporate practices. The Court found that McDonald’s marketing has “pretended to a positive nutritional benefit which their food did not match”; that they “exploit children”; are “culpably responsible for animal cruelty” and “pay low wages”.
More: http://www.mcspotlight.org/
Victory #2: This year in a much smaller local case, an activist was cleared after a walk in protest at McDonalds for the 2008 anniversary of the McLibel case. Police arrested the activist under the Public Order Act. But the court found that the campaigner did not break the criminal law and was exercising freedom of speech. A small McVictory for protest!
More: https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/cambridge/2009/04/429034.html
Following the Australian Rudd government’s refusal to act on reducing carbon emissions while paying into the hands of the country’s largest polluters, the E.L.F payed a home visit to the CEO of the dirtiest power station in the industrialised world, Hazelwood Power Station, in Melbourne, Australia. They hand delivered the following note to Graeme York’s home:
Graeme York
27 Rydaldene Way
Following the Australian Rudd government’s refusal to act on reducing carbon emissions while paying into the hands of the country’s largest polluters, the E.L.F payed a home visit to the CEO of the dirtiest power station in the industrialised world, Hazelwood Power Station, in Melbourne, Australia. They hand delivered the following note to Graeme York’s home:
Graeme York
27 Rydaldene Way
Berwick, Vic
Dear Graeme,
As the Chief Executive Officer of Hazelwood power station, you are responsible for the dirtiest power station in Australia and the most polluting in the Industrialised World.
You are causing irreversible environmental destruction which will go on to harm not only those living on the planet today, but your children’s children too.
We hold you personally accountable for this assault against our Earth. We do not take lightly to the perpetual destruction of our land-base for the selfish and short-term objective of fattening your bank account.
The irreplaceable and precious eco-systems of this Earth are worth much more than your manicured lawn, expensive car and opulent suburban house. Your property will not remain safe so long as Hazelwood continues to pollute at such an inexcusable level, swallow millions of litres of fresh water every hour and cough out hydrochloric and nitrogen acids in return.
This Earth does not exist for the profits of avaricious CEOs like you,
The Earth Liberation Front.
2nd June 2009
Rossport: Causeway at Shell compound ‘washed away’ by Shell to Sea action
2nd June 2009
Rossport: Causeway at Shell compound ‘washed away’ by Shell to Sea action
Part of the Shell causeway extending into the sea at Glengad was yesterday evening removed by Shell to Sea protesters. This was in protest at the illegal blocking of access to the public beach and to oppose the forcing of this unsafe project on the local community and the giveaway of Ireland’s natural resources.
A group of about 30-40 people waded into the sea to gain access to the causeway, and proceeded to remove a large amount of the stone which makes it up. They were confronted by a 70 Shell security after about half an hour of the action, at which point the people left. An upbeat and playful mood prevailed over a beautiful evening.
The Rossport Solidarity Camp has again taken up residence in Glengad, and after a very successful weekend, including a number of actions, will build up the resistance to Shell over the coming weeks and months.
—-
Monday the 1st of June saw the arrival of a multitude of assorted vessels to Broadhaven bay. The boats, which are subcontracted by The Royal Dutch Shell company (Shell), are attempting to prepare for works on the controversial Corrib gas project.
Today however, their progress has been significantly impaired by resident Shell to Sea activists that had already gathered a small, albeit formidable, fleet of kayaks, ready to deploy within short notice. The Kayaks were birthed from the Rossport Solidarity Camp, which directly overlooks the vicinity that the Shell boats have been operating in the past twenty-four hours.
Currently there are diverse assortments of vessels converging in the once pristine bay; the majority of these are either carrying out, or assisting, dredging and surveillance operations. An Garda Siochana, have also been sighted patrolling the work zone, along with two black ribs; The Laura Emily accompanied by its twin the Galltee, which are both brimming with men dressed in black military fatigues.
Works, taking place earlier this afternoon, came grinding to a complete halt when twelve activists in kayaks broke through the security line that consisted of nine high speed security boats. The activists managed to tactfully circumnavigate security boats for approximately two and a half hours, which effectively halted Shell dredging works for a considerable period of time.
After numerous attempts by Gardai to secure an arrest, they eventually managed to drag one man from his inflatable Kayak. The man, in his fifties, is reported to have been halting a dredger conveying silt into a barge, and thus stopping afternoon work.
This current work being carried out by Shell is likely to signify the impeding arrival of the Solitaire; at over 400 meters long the Solitaire is the largest pipe laying vessel in the world, and its expected presence in Co. Mayo will undoubtedly provoke formidable resistance.
At this point in the project, all dredging works carried out in Rossport are likely to be held as sacrosanct by Shell’s board of directors, and conversely seen as detrimental by the Irish public.