22.08.2007
Cultural Conservationists stop work on Tara valley, Irelands heart of ancient heritage, by M3 Climate Criminals.
International Climate Concern actions start early for frontline Earth defence activists.
Lively actions were carried out on the route of the proposed M3 motorway being plunged through the ancient astrological city complex of Tara in Ireland .This area is known as the Valley of the Kings, it is in fact older than the valley of the kings in Egypt.
Taras knowledge and message still await full revelation.The destruction MUST BE STOPPED.
On thurs. a medium sized possee(12 plus) of concerned citizens took a route walk. This began by Inspecting the destruction of the Lismullen 8,000 year old henge ( archeology by record ,drawing plans of where all the posts are then, bagging and bulldozing) .
We viewed the henge from the hillside of Rath Lugh the hill fort of the Fianna the warriors and protectors of Ireland whose graveyards are now being desecrated and bulldozed.
The magical mystery time travelling tour then proceeded to Barons town and Collierstown. Where a gate was blockaded, songs sung and a lively debate was had with site security. We then headed of at a trot followed by a very small contingent of security, we kept ahead and managed to delay a digger at work for some time till we decide to move on, the plan had been to keep moving and slow up work in many places guerilla stylee.
We took a break then rushed back onto site to stop the same digger again this time for longer three people climbing onto the roof singing, ignoring the securitys calls to get down and banging on the roof of the cab till the driver exited left the cab. We then decided to move as the Gardai (police) arrived (reaction time about 25-30 mins.)
We kept ahead of most security and laughed much as their 4 wheel drive got stuck in the deep mud. Mud surfers and digger divers required or cultural conservationists as some media have dubbed the concerned citizens of the Emerald Isles.
We returned to the first gate and a few of us rushed into a site where about 4 diggers and other big trucks were working, Although health and safety law recquires the machines to shut down when we are on site ,these machines carried on, most turn off and are fairly amicable when talked to .
Many of the security workers and even the Guardai have expressed they do not want the road to go this way.
There is and alternative Meath County multi-way proposal which includes reopening an unused railway, a park and ride alternative routes around the valley which are cheaper and shorter.
One of the keys is corruption: Which groups really have bought up the valley and stand to make astronomical profits from the developments that will be built in the valley.
Friends of the Fianna Fail ruling party it seems.In contravention of European law. As well as Corporate giants such as Dick Cheneys Haliburton and the Spanish mega building company set up by General Franco called Farrovial (Now large owners of Londons Tube Underground and most of the toll motorways in South America)
The action continued as the gardai caught up and the cross country run began.The younger fitter activistas managed to keep ahead, and the Guard on foot with 2 security gave up after a few hundred metres of mud and rough ground, however the next few gates to the road were covered by security and police vans as we tried to make our exit .So we headed deeper cross country and by chance came across another digger on route not working ,this proceeded to run away at slow 4mph speed we laughed and followed it 300m on there was another digger which saw us, 2 face painted men one in a kilt and a young women armed with a drum. This frightening spectacle caused the second digger to flee at its ridiculous top speed we continued to laugh.
We stopped these 2 working for some time then security turned up we went to leave as a second land rover screached around a corner we ran. We managed to escape by diving through 2 ditches and 2 hedges a van full of security that arrived seemed reluctant to follow the man in a kilt through a thorny hedge so close to clocking off time.
Our sister was caught but miraculously released. She was surrounded by 13 security who told her to come to wait for the guards. She said she would stay there let them come to her also that they could not move her and that this road was illegal .They said by who …she said under EU law. She said she had come to protect land and ancestors and began to question them on their actions which must have shamed them as after a few minutes this captive audience of security told her she was free to go.
It seems sometimes the Gardai were reluctant to arrest due to media coverage. But not always as over 7 have been arrested particilarly at the battle of Soldiers Hill 3 weeks ago. Since which most destruction of ancient sites has occured. Some by bulldozers in the middle of the night. So we all had a a day of high adrenalin action and fun and escaped to resist the motorway madness climate criminals another day.
On Friday we got up at 6.30a.m. to the sound of Trumpet drum and calls of porridge and coffee..A big possee.
We blockaded the gate of the Lismullen Henge as the National Road Authority sponsored archeologists arrived shaming them. The gate hugging was good natured with much singing “u cant kill the spirit of Tara” and other songs. Except for when a gardai pushed a young Irish lad backwards over the edge of the bridge, narrowly escaping falling. His apparent crime was to ask the Gardai to speak to him in Gaelic (which all Gardai are required to speak).
We then regrouped and got 25 of us into 5 cars and hit the gates of the Roestown site running. We spread out over 7-800 m and digger diving occupied 7-8 diggers stopping a total of over 15 machines from carrying on their destruction and desecration. For pictures of what Roestown used to be check www.tarasolidarityvigil.net
This action was highly effective after about an hour and a half the gardai got people to leave machinery some as slowly as possible .others preferring to pull out across country.
We met up again for food at the vigil camp then some of us headed to Dublin for a Green man meets the Green Party action .
On Sat. there was a demo outside the G.P.O. in Dublin handing out over 600 leaflets.
All in all 3 days of high action and adventure. Adrenalin fuelled earth defense.
Very reminiscent of Twyford Down, Solsbury Hill and Newbury.
Tara urgently needs experienced activists. Hear the call of the Ancestors and the Land. Network it NOW
Tara support is critically needed NOW as the E.U. told Ireland to stop building in June and is taking the Irish govt. to court on Aug 29th how effective this will be we don’t know as always it is up to people power and direct action.Ancient sites and knowledge being lost forever daily Bulldozing.Take Action.What will we say to Future generations of this time. Take action for a cleaner climate. There will soon be an action to replant trees along the Tara Valley and energise the proposed Unesco World Heritage Park.
Wish List:Trees, Tarps, structures,tents, food, longer range CBs ,binoculars, climbing harnesses and rope, tools, tech stuff,photocopying, networking, transport.skillsharing Press and media support, donations, phone credit.
Transport Links £16 Nat express to Dublin or £26 Rail and sail from Euston London.
Then 7 Euro Bus to Tara Cross 20-25 mins walk from Tara Vigil camp.Get there any way u can. As soon as u can
Vigil Camp 00353(0) 861758557
Rath Lugh Action camp 00353( 0) 867372983
www.tarapixie.net
www.savetara.com
www.circlecommunity.org
www.tarwatch.org
www.tarasolidarityvigil.net
www.indymedia.ie
www.indymedia.org.uk
Keep networking
Network It Speak it Text It Email It hear the call.
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This is a message for activists who are up for helping the Irish protesters in their fight to avert the new M3 motorway away from an extremely ancient site, far predating Stonhenge.
Irish Authorities are overriding an EU condemnation that this part of the motorway’s construction is ILLEGAL and are about to bulldoze a recently excavated woodhenge, details below. The deep levels of corruption involved in the ‘development’ of this area are mind boggling.
There has been a small but strong protest camp at Tara since before the new year and now these amazing people are crying out for numbers. I’ve literally just got home to Bristol now and will be driving back over
there in 10 days, next Tuesday. It was almost impossible to leave.
The authorities are proposing to start dismantling the henge THIS TUESDAY 28TH AUGUST in the early hours of the morning so please please please, if you’ve been considering a trip to Ireland go now. Even if you haven’t, despite the heartbreak of what is happening there, you can’t help being overwhelmed with the atmosphere of the place. It’s done me so much good to be there. There are 2 camps, one up on the hill of tara itself, and one in the woods at Rath Lugh, where the henge, known as Lismullin is situated.
Direct action is in progress but our help is urgently needed.
Road protests are new in Ireland as we all know it has remained unspoiled for hundreds of years, so people with direct action experience are critically needed.
National Express do a funfare from London to Cork via Bristol on bus & boat from £15 each way. If there are funfares available on different routes it will offer them if you click on Europe on their homepage and put in your travel details.
If you take the London – Bristol – Cork route get off the boat at Wexford, take a bus or train to Dublin then the 109 bus from Busaras Station towards Navan and Kells. Tara is about 50 minutes down this route. The driver will tell you where to get off. There’s a camp phone number at the bottom, or if you want to ask anything please get in touch. If you take a night crossing you can sleep and be at Tara by lunchtime.
If you can, please get there for Mon 6th/Tues 7th. Otherwise there will be a van leaving Bristol next week, or alternatively, there is another wave planned for Saturday 1st September. It would be great to get a van from London and Bristol organised. A couple of surges of numbers and a huge spreading the word could still avert the road plans to any of the other 5, less damaging proposed routes. But nothing i say will compare to the feeling of being there, and then understanding why we’d be doing the right thing to protect it.
www.myspace.com/hilloftara
www.tarapixie.net
www.savatara.com
www.tarawatch.org
Thursday 16 August, protestors walked the route of the M3 motorway to view what destruction of the ancient sites in Tara Valley have already disappeared. Then they decided on a little direct action.
20070816_Tara_Route_Walk_Direct_Action – video/x-ms-wmv 18M
20070816_Tara_Route_Walk_Direct_Action – video/quicktime 16M
Friday 17 August, the International Culture Conservationists joined the Save Tara campaign in a human blockade to stop the construction company-backed archaeologists from entering the site.
20070917_Human_Blockades – video/x-ms-wmv 18M
20070917_Human_Blockades – video/quicktime 14M
At 6.30am people rose on the camp to hit the road to the Lismullen Henge early. Using their own bodies they stopped all traffic entering the site.
The human blockade was cheerful and full of good spirit. But when the Garda arrived one officer grabbed a protestor and attempted to throw him over the wall of a bridge.
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Following the archaeologist blockade, the Save Tara activists and International Cultural Conservationists invaded the Roestown site to halt work.
Video 20070717_Roestown_Site_Invasion – video/x-ms-wmv 16M
20070717_Roestown_Site_Invasion – video/quicktime 13M
Quicktime version of the video.
15 Machines were halted in the action, bringing work to a standstill.
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Text messages received just now, Thursday 6 September, said more internationals have arrived at Tara, tripods and lock-ons are in place at Rath Lugh.