Monday, 16th March 2009, seven members of the Rossport Solidarity Camp occupied the Shell office in Belmullet, County Mayo, for over an hour, in support of Maura Harrington. Maura has now been in jail for six days of her thirty day sentence.
The camp members of the camp entered the office and held up a banner reading “Free Maura”. Shell’s Communication officer Christy Loftus came into the lobby and fielded questions from the group for the entire period. Some people made it into the main part of the building; during this time the fire alarms went off in the building. Gardaí were called to the office, came inside and asked the group to leave. The group remained in the building for another 45 minutes questioning Christy Loftus and then left later of their own accord. No one was arrested.
Also this morning, the Shell to Sea trailer was opened at Bellanaboy refinery site.
Shell to Sea campaigner Pat O’Donnell awoke this morning to find that the windows on his boat had been broken. It is not clear whether the vandalism is related to the campaign against Shell, but it was clearly targeted at O’Donnell’s boat, which was the only one damaged out of a boat yard of over 20 boats. This is the second time his boat has been targeted in the past two years.
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On Wednesday the 11th of March, Shell to Sea campaigner, Maura Harrington was sentenced to 28 days in prison after Judge Mary Devins found her guilty of assaulting a Garda during the incident at Pollathomais Pier on the 11th June 2007. For sentencing for the Section 2 assault, Judge Devins sentenced her to 28 days in prison along with a €1000 fine along with a €1000 donation to the Garda Benevolent Fund and that she be bound to the peace for 1 year. Ms Harrington however refused to sign the bond and so received 2 days in prison for contempt to be run concurrent with her other sentence. Judge Devins also directed Ms Harrington to undergo psychiatric assessment. Judge Mary Devins is the wife of Government Minster, Jimmy Devins.
On thw 11th June 2007, known locally as ‘Black Monday’, Gardai violently removed protesters attempting to stop the illegal instalment of a Shell portacabin on the land of publican Paddy McGrath near Pollathomais. Paddy suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for several months. Many people suffered injuries and despite complaints, no Garda has received even a caution.
Please send messages of support to:
Maura Harrington
Dochas Centre
Mountjoy Prison
N Circular Road
Dublin 7
Shell are due to start work from April onwards, come over if you can!
rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com
http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com