Quarry Showdown: IRMS Make Rainbows, Don't Notice.

mayo | environment | news report Friday January 13, 2012 20:22 by M - RSC

The morning we would occupy the quarry headed by Lennon inc. (which is located about half an hour's drive away from rossport solidarity camp), began peacefully with few clouds in the sky and surprisingly, absolutely no wind, which I noticed as I walked by the still wind turbines planted beside the camp's communal kitchen and living room.

Those of us who were awake enjoyed a short breakfast and then talked about various options for action, eventually settling on occupying and freezing the work of the quarries, quickly perusing a map of the area and noting the roads we could use to gain entrance. A few minutes later we set out in two cars towards the site.

After about a half hour drive we arrived at our drop-off point. Five of us began walking towards the quarry while our two drivers parked, planning to meet us inside the ground of the private property.

Running down a hill, into the quarry I saw the first signs of clouds all day, set against the 50 ft mounds of ground stone. The IRMS security didn't seem to expect us and we were making good progress. Three of us scaled and occupied the top of a digger and a truck used to transport stone, whilst the other two recorded everything they saw. A brief struggle occurred between two of our cameramen and the owner of the quarry and both were assaulted entirely unprovoked. One camera was also completely broken.

I and my companion began a game of chess on top of the digger. My queen had just been taken when we noticed there was another element that was to come into play. It was large , yellow, and very far from being a magnetised chess piece.

Apart from being frozen and drenched, the rainbows made by the water cannon were excellent and I really hope the IRMS understand the beauty they helped create for all of us (and which they could be capable of creating in times to come!) while we danced around the digger's claws and the top of the loading truck trying to avoid the downpour. Our spirits were lifted by one of our group who began to gleefully scale a huge mound of quarried stone whilst being unsuccessfully pursued by a member of IRMS.

At this time it seems appropriate to highlight the dangers of using a high-powered water cannon against anyone on high ground. Had any of of us been knocked of, or slipped, we could have been seriously injured. One of our team attempted to block the truck before it sprayed us and was nearly run over by an aggressive driver in the process.

Eventually they stopped with the coming of the guards and our realisation that every piece on the chessboard had been knocked off by the water, bar one pawn, the symbolism of which was not lost on us. After getting a warning, we left.

Chess on top of the digger

Campaigners being water cannoned on top of the digger and truck