13.09.2008
Today at midday around 50 local and national Shell to Sea campaigners attempted to reclaim Glengad beach, Special Area of Conservation, from Shell. Despite Shell’s commitment to allow public access to the beach, for the past two months the beach has been closed to the public while preparatory pipeline work is ongoing.
When campaigners attempted to exercise their right to public access to the beach they were met by Garda violence. Four people were arrested, including hunger striker Maura Harringotn’s son. Ms. Harrington’s son was treated particularly brutally by the Gardai. Four Gardai knelt on his back, pushed his face into the sand for several minutes and twisted his arms behind his back.
One witness to the arrests stated, “There were over 50 people participating in the demonstration and out of all these the Gardai clearly singled out Maura Harrington’s son. They called him by name and then assaulted him. It was no co incidence that it was Maura’s son that was so violently arrested.”
All who were arrested are currently being held in Belmullet Garda station.
At the time of writing Maura Harrington, Shell to Sea, is into her fifth day of a hunger strike which she began on Tue 9th August at approximately 6pm when Shell’s pipe-laying ship the Solitaire arrived in Broadhaven Bay, Erris, Co Mayo.
Maura is clear that her hunger strike will end in one of two ways.
1) Written confirmation that the Solitaire has left Irish territorial waters.
2) Her death.