Garda aggression in Erris as Shell remove Tunnel Boring Machine

mayo | environment | news report

Wednesday June 11, 2014 12:23

by Andrew - WSM

Almost two years after Shell smuggled their Tunnel Boring Machine out of Dublin port in the middle of the night, and then spent 3 days meeting resistance across the country before getting stuck in the bog, they removed it from Erris Monday night.

In a report received from Mayo local resident Micheal O Seighin described how "This morning after 1 A.M. Shell removed the tunnel boring machine in convoy. Some hours before that they notified McGrath's in the pub what was about to happen and told them there was no need to remove the traffic cones protecting the house as the road was wide enough.

Just before the convoy started out, an army of cops arrived at mcGrath's: pitched and kicked the cones everywhere: when Bridgie interfered to object that Shell had no problem with the cones they pushed her and dragged her, abused her and cursed at her. Then they surrounded the house and in general terrorised them."

The Irish Times had carried a photograph over the June bank holidays of Shell workers emerging from the far end of the tunnel at the Glengad compound, signalling the completion of the last link of the project they have been imposing on the community over the last ten years. Garda abuse of the local community has been routine over those years and is liable to continue into the future as they serve Shell's continued presence in the area.

It's unknown how soon (and indeed if) the refinery will go into production but its over a decade late and almost 3 billion euro over budget. Shell may yet impose their will on the community but it has literally taken billions of euro, the deployment of hundreds of Garda and even at points two Naval gunboats. Hundreds, indeed thousands of acts of resistance tell the story of the delay along with dozens of arrests, over a dozen campaigners jailed and hundreds injured.

All for what? It has become clear that its unlikely Shell will ever pay any tax on the gas the Irish state has handed over to them. The temporary construction and security jobs have now gone and millions of tonnes of CO2 will be added to the atmosphere. The community will exist under constant threat of a pipeline explosion and the likelihood that the release of pollutants will destroy the local water supply, touring, agriculture and fishing industries they depend on.

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Comments (2 of 2)

May and may not

by Anne

Mon Jun 16, 2014 01:39

'Shell may yet impose their will ...'

And then again they may not ...

Those who would throw in the towel in 2014 are no different to those who succumbed in 2001.

All sorts to make a world

by Ratatoskr

Thu Jun 12, 2014 13:23

Sounds like more of the same from the for hire Irish police force, you'd think they would be drawing their horns given the spotlight on them at the moment. It's a long hard battle to create change in this country and the world in general and it's great that awareness is raised through websites like this. Corporations can't carry out their shady acts without the help of local compradors and hired muscle so the question is can these people be persuaded of a better way or will it always be an 'us against them' scenario. If you managed to create a society with social justice, healthy wealth distribution or even no money at all would these types of people still want to have more than everybody else and if so how would the rest of us deal with that?. Would it involve coercion of some kind or would it be a case of majority rules. It seems that the powers that be are just out of control at this stage whether it's austerity, engineering wars and 'uprisings' or just doing what they please to the earth without impunity, how do you fight a cabal of people who have so much technology and willing helpers to tow the line?.

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Garda aggression in Erris as Shell remove Tunnel Boring Machine

Comments (2 of 2)