Overview of the Rossport Solidarity campaign in the last few months: the Solitaire, actions, on-land section, arrests, assaults, strategy, planning appeal, mobilising and more!
What’s going on in mayo?!
The last few months have been difficult times for the Rossport campaign but have also seen some great collaborations with activists from across Ireland, internationals and the local community.
This summer the Solitaire laid the first section of pipe in Broadhaven Bay. Dredgers are in the process of back filling the first section of the pipeline, coming and going from the bay depending on weather conditions…. IRMS, the private security firm employed by Shell, continue to target and assault protestors. Earlier this year they sunk the boat of local fisherman Pat O’Donnell, one of the ‘Rossport 5’ and attacked Willie Corduff, another campaigner, during a non-violent protest. Both were hospitalised.
Several international anti-Shell campaigners were recently remanded for a blockade and bailed away from Mayo. This is a worrying development enforced by corrupt judges colluding with Shell. Maura Harrington, and Niall Harnett, both well known Shell to Sea campaigners were both given 4 and 8 months respectively, after refusing to comply with a good behaviour bond which stated that they would keep the peace, and stay away from any Shell related infrastructure.
Maura appealed her conviction, and was released from prison on bail pending appeal. Niall served 15 days in Castlerea prison for refusing his extremely restrictive bail conditions, which effectively stopped him from being in his home. He is now out on bail.
In the last two weeks alone there have been 2 accidents involving Shells boats, one causing an oil spill, another damaging a supply ship to the pipeline. According to Shell neither had any environmental impact, despite substances leaking into the sea. This further proves the mockery that is the risk assessments on the environmental impacts that they are conducting.
Despite the success of the Solitaire and pressure from the gardai and IRMS the fight is by no means over!! In August the oral hearing was held where Shell sought to obtain a compulsory purchase order for land needed across the bay to lay the on-shore pipe section…and the decision has been put back till the end of October.
Resistance in Glengad is still strong, with plans for the next phase in the battle against Shell….with the on-shore section comes a new wave of challenges (and opportunities) for campaigners fighting to stop the pipeline… We will be continuing to challenge Shell’s intimidation tactics in order to stop this illegal, unsafe, and environmentally catastrophic project. The situation in Rossport is a line in the sand for new methods of intimidation, human rights abuses, and environmentally disastrous gas extraction and must be stopped. International links in the campaign have been developing over years, especially with the Ogoni tribe in Nigeria where Shell’s tactics have caused many humanitarian crises, and famously led to a trial against Shell for the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa. Most recently the Shell guilty campaign will see a collaboration between activists from across the globe fighting to stop Shell.
On camp and up at the house we are doing maintenance work on the boats, garden and equipment, and people are always very welcome! The Irish Shell to Sea network is mobilising people ahead of the next section of the campaign, organising actions and demos, and developing strategies for action… in the UK there’s loads that can be done: organising film nights, benefit gigs, taking action in your local area against Shell and the other companies profiting from the pipeline, and mobilising ahead of the next phase. With people being bailed away from Mayo, it’s more important than ever to have people coming to take action against Shell!
To find out more keep an eye out for workshops at the EF gathering, Climate Camp’s and festivals across the UK..
The struggle continues!
For more information see
www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com
www.corribsos.com
www.shellguilty.com
or email rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com