[Imc-uk-features] proposal rosport feature

[Ben]

Begin forwarded message:

> The last week has seen the Shell to Sea campaign in County Mayo,  
> Ireland, increase in intensity. Peat extraction, the preliminary  
> phase in the planned development, has been completed and  
> construction has begun. On Wednesday the 11th of July three local  
> fishermen were jailed. The men stood accused of police assault on a  
> picket last year. They vigorously deny the charge and the  
> prosecution were unable to produce any evidence in court aside from  
> contradictory police testimonies. The community are shocked at the  
> sentence and it has sparked increased resistance. On Friday, two  
> men locked onto an immobilized vehicle blocking vehicles on the  
> haulage route to the proposed refinery site. The lock-on was held  
> for 6 hours. Locals also used their bodies to block traffic on the  
> alternative routes to the site. In the evening, a procession of 100  
> vehicles drove to meet and welcome home the 3 fishermen who had  
> been released on bail. The convoy passed through several towns  
> before stopping at the refinery site. Around 200 people gathered  
> outside the gates and some of the crowd forced open the gates.  
> Around 100 people marched through the site, temporarily reclaiming  
> control from Shell and the state in Bellinaboy. Campaigners are  
> hoping to keep the momentum of the past week going and a national  
> day of action has been called for Saturday at Bellinaboy. In  
> general support is welcome and the Rossport Solidarity Camp is  
> located near the site providing a base for activists who want to  
> help with the campaign. Come with ideas for action!

> read more...

> This summer has seen  the Shell to Sea campaign gain increasing  
> momentum as construction of the proposed onshore gas refinery in  
> County Mayo, Ireland begins. The planned refinery and the high  
> pressure pipeline, which would supply it with unprocessed gas from  
> the offshore Corrib gas field, have been bitterly opposed by local  
> residents and their many national and international supporters,  
> since it was first proposed in 2000. Shell and their partners  
> Statoil and Marathon had hoped to have the facility in operation by  
> 2003, but massive local resistance has meant that four years on,  
> the development is still in its infancy.
>
> This week resistance was stepped up following the jailing of three  
> local fishermen accused of assaulting Gardai (Police) during a  
> Shell to Sea picket last year. On Wednesday 11th July, two years on  
> from the jailing of the Rossport 5, these men became County Mayo’s  
> latest political prisoners. The judge’s verdict was met with  
> disbelief by all involved in the campaign. The prosecutions case  
> was based solely on contradictory testimonies from members of the  
> Gardai. Before sentencing the Judge stated that she had  
> reservations about this evidence. In particular, that one Guard  
> claimed he did not know if he had been hit by ’a car or a person’,  
> and another claimed to have been punched with the left arm of a  
> right handed man. She also stated that the injuries detailed by the  
> Gardai were not serious enough to warrant a section three assault  
> charge. Despite this, she found the three men guilty of this  
> charge. Pat O’Donnell and Enda Carey were sentenced to three months  
> in prison, Jonathan O Donnell, four months. All also received a 500  
> Euro (roughly £330) fine. Experience of state and corporate  
> corruption is now commonplace for this small community, but this  
> overt complicity of the judiciary has still come as a shock. The  
> injustice of the incarceration of three men with no previous  
> convictions, based on a prosecution case with no evidence, has seen  
> the Shell to Sea campaign once again revitalized.
>
> The following morning the community responded with a show of  
> strength at the daily picket outside the proposed refinery at  
> Bellanaboy. Over 100 people came to demonstrate both their  
> solidarity with the three men and their resolute opposition to  
> Shell‘s project. As people attempted to use their bodies to block  
> construction vehicles on route to the site the police responded  
> with brutality. One woman was thrown across the road, injuring her  
> hip, leg and arm, and a fifteen year old lad was injured when a  
> policeman gouged his eye.
>
> After the picket supporters drove to the fishermen’s bail hearing.  
> Analysis that the verdict and sentence had been prejudiced, handed  
> out by a Judge with a clear political agenda, was confirmed when  
> she denied each of the men bail for various arbitrary reasons. She  
> refused to accept cash as a bond, nor would she accept proof of  
> savings from a joint bank account statement without both parties  
> present (the person unable to attend was one of the imprisoned  
> men!). Finally, she refused the latest statement from an  
> individuals account for not being recent enough, despite the  
> provision of a supporting receipt taken that day from an ATM machine.
>
> The next day the consequences of the Judge’s decision were played  
> out on the ground at Bellanaboy. The morning picket was well  
> attended and clown army activists provided the picket with  
> amusement while they held the Gardai’ attention. At 9.20am a local  
> resident and someone from the solidarity camp locked-on to a car,  
> blocking a bridge on the main haulage route to the refinery site.  
> Surrounded by around 40 supporters (held behind police lines) they  
> maintained the blockade for around 6 hours. Meanwhile, other groups  
> of local people set up spontaneous blockades on the alternative  
> routes to the site. They used their bodies to obstruct the road,  
> preventing Shell vehicles from passing but allowing free movement  
> of other traffic. Construction lorries returned to their quarries  
> with full loads as the haulage routes were blocked for most of the  
> working day. At 15.20 the fire brigade cut the locked-on men free  
> and they were arrested.  The men were charged with several offences  
> and released several hours later.
>
> In the evening around 100 cars drove to meet the three fishermen  
> who had been granted bail that morning. In an inspiring act of  
> solidarity they were welcomed home by a vehicle procession through  
> nearby towns with horns blaring and hazard lights flashing. When  
> the procession reached the proposed refinery site it stopped.  
> Around 200 people massed at the main entrance and people at the  
> front of the crowd began to kick in the gates. Some people scaled  
> the gates and undid the bolts on the other side enabling the final  
> padlock to be easily forced open by the crowd outside. Around 100  
> people entered and marched through the site for around 20 minutes.  
> Taking control of the Shell site was a fitting end to a highly  
> successful day. The community here are clearly demonstrating that  
> in the face corporate imperialism, continued Gardai violence and a  
> biased judiciary, their dissent is unwavering.
>
> More about recent events can be found at :
>
> Check out: www.shelltosea.com  www.indymedia.ie/mayo
>
> What you can do
>
> * Visit the solidarity camp. Visitors are always welcome. The camp  
> is set in a beautiful location and a visit  provides an opportunity  
> to learn more about the campaign and to support the community  
> directly through joining the picket and taking part in action.  
> Support roles are diverse and the functioning of the camp depends  
> on this diversity. Among other things people are needed for ‘camp- 
> sitting’, DIY and to take part in action. If you are thinking of  
> coming to take action try coming with ideas and, if possible, a  
> crew! For more info and travel directions:  
> www.rossportsolidaritycamp.com
>
> * Spread awareness of the campaign in your local area. E-mail the  
> camp for propaganda (it should be downloadable online soon)  
> rossportsolidaritycamp at gmail.com
>
> * Organise a solidarity action at your local Shell garage or  
> distribution centre -see www.shell.com for addresses.
>
> * Organise an action or picket at the Irish embassy or Shell HQ  
> (both in London)
>
>
>
>