Shell Oil Depot Blockade In Cork / Photos

Oil trucks were prevented from entering and leaving the Shell Central Oil Depot in Cork this morning in solidarity with the Rossport 5 blockade.

Oil trucks were prevented from entering and leaving the Shell Central Oil Depot in Cork this morning in solidarity with the Rossport 5 blockade.

An early morning solidarity blockade by about 20 activists prevented oil trucks from entering and leaving the Shell Central Oil Depot in Cork this morning. The action began at 7.30 and continued until 8.45 am. A total of three gates were picketed and about seven trucks in all either refrained from entering the depot or were turned back.

The action was held in solidarity with the Rossport 5 and in the context of the international blockade of the G8 Meeting in Gleneagles in Scotland. Those participating included Shell To Sea, Cork Harbour Action Group, Traveller and Settled Solidarity, Workers Solidarity Movement and Sinn Féin as well as individuals.

After about 15 minutes of picketing the Gardaí arrived, following complaints by Shell Oil, Cork. As usual the Gardaí professed to be only interested in securing the ‘free-flow of traffic’ in the industrial zone of the Central Park Road area, and in pursuit of this objective they threatened to ‘arrest and clear’ us all away. However the determined actions of the blockade meant that the Gardaí were unable to achieve their objective. Truck movements in an out of the depot were disrupted throughout.

Futher protests in the Cork area will take place on Friday – at the Shell Garages in Blackpool and Douglas (both called by Sinn Féin) at 6 pm.