Picket Shell HQ in solidarity with Erris Hungerstriker and the Erris community

by Shell to Sea Wed Sep 10, 2008 19:33

Bring candles banners etc to Shell HQ Corrib House Leeson st. bridge

by Dublin S2S Wed Sep 10, 2008 20:21 dublins2s at gmail dot com

Dublin Shell 2 Sea-Hunger Strike Solidarity -Candlelight Vigil 5.30 pm Thursday 11th September Shell Oil Company Headquarters.

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Those opposed to the Corrib Gas Project in North Mayo have been failed by both the political and legal systems in Ireland. Despite engaging variously with planning environmental and appeals processes their concerns for safety; health environment and culture have been forcibly subdued. The deployment to Erris last week of ships from the Irish Navy in support of the 'civil power' signalled a previously unimaginable state of affairs for our Irish republic.

On Tuesday September the 9th at 6.00 pm Maura Harrington, a school teacher from the Erris peninsula began a hunger strike. In an explanation of her motives, Harrington stressed; 'my sense of personal outrage is driven by the primacy of Place - people come and go in nano seconds; Place endures -be under no illusion that I am anything other that deadly serious in my intent- be under no illusion that I am anything other that deadly serious in my intent'

In the face of repeated refusals on the part of the Irish government to respond to their legitimate concerns Mrs Harrington has been forced to undertake this course of action. In the 21st century must the Irish still hunger strike to achieve democracy?

We are calling on all people concerned with human rights, democracy and justice to come out and show support and solidarity with School teacher, mother, wife and Shell to Sea activist Maura Harrington and the persecuted people of the Erris peninsula

Please bring candles.

Contact: dublins2s@gmail.com

by Directions Please? Thu Sep 11, 2008 06:07

Can you give more specific directions to Shell HQ for those of us new to town?
Thanks

by Ronan Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:11

I honestly think this is a bridge too far on the part of the Erris campaign. The tone and sway of the letter sent by Maura Harrington was threatening and combative. I'm no supporter of Shell or of the increasingly removed government of this country, but personally I don't think this issue is worth a life for. How do her family feel about her now apparent detached sense of responsbility towards them and her apparent wish to die over an issue that as far as I can see, has been debated to death. The only reason that I can see that this dispute continues is to continue to oppose and ultimately avenge and torment a company that jailed 5 men a number of years ago which I publically protested about at the time.

Yes I agree with Maura Harrington that it is wrong that this is now Shell's gas and not Ireland's gas, that we are in effect buying back our natural resources, at a time when these resources are increasingly scarce. Why has she not availed of her constitutional right to oppose this??? This resorting to what is essentially a bullying tactic involving a hunger strike in order to get her own way on this issue is just simply wrong in my opinion.

by ex-culchie Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:12

The Shell Head Quarters is at the corner of Lower Leeson Street and Adelaide Road. The address is Corrib House, 52 Lwr Leeson St.

It is just on the "city-centre side" or the north side of Leeson St Bridge over the Grand Canal.

You can walk there easily from St Stephen's Green.

There is also a protest at the GPO at 6.30PM.

The GPO is the large building on O'Connell Street with the pillars.

by Starstruck Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:01

Not sure how much of this has been said already on other threads but here is the situ as of this morning in occupied Erris

After a truly momentous day in Erris yesterday,things are much calmer this morning.
The Solitaire has been confirmed to be stationery in Killybegs Co Donegal.
Police presence in the area is still very heavy this morning although the general atmosphere (aside from at the compound gates) is slightly less tense.
Maura Harrington continues her courageous hunger strike at the compund gates with round the clock solidarity from both locals and the camp.
It is still not clear how exactly the Solitaire sustained the damage to its "stinger"
The stinger is DEFINITELY slightly damaged in one section however this reporter can confirm that it was not so damaged on Tuesday night when it arrived in Broadhaven Bay and that conditions all throughout Tuesday night were absolutely calm both at land and on sea (remembering that the Solitaire can operate in extremely heavy seas unhindered due to its size)
The cause of the damage is a heavyily speculated upon matter and I will not add to other than the fact that AllSeas Ltd may be contractually relieved from its obligations under a damge clause in the contract.
a
MORE FROM YESTERDAY

LOCK-ON PROTEST

The 5 people who locked on in atrocious conditions for 6 and a half hours from 5.30am to midday and blocked the road were all released without charge from Belmullet Garda Station.
4 were held for 6 and a half hours and 1 was released after 4 hours.
They report that they were treated well in Garda custody and that their needs were attended to correctly.
Up to 15 people were in attendance in solidarity at one point or another during the day,Gardai refused to allow any to stay inside the walls of the (public) station,including a solicitor who is part of the protests.
The lock-on participants are all in good form today and proud of their actions and a good day for the campaign.

PAT O'DONNELL AND SON
Pat O'Donnell and son as has been previously reported were again arrested yesterday morning to prevent them exercising their legal entitlement to fish the waters of Broadhaven Bay.
The pair were again arrested under the "blank cheque" that is Section 8 of the Public Order Act 1994.
This was the second time the pair were arrested in 24 hours and released without charge,a spurious use and flagrant abuse of the law
A possible route to stem this behaviour would be to seek an injunction in the High Court to prevent the Gardai from using the law in this way,this however is a very rare achievement and is unlikely to be heard.

MAURA HARRINGTON AND HUNGERSTRIKE
Maura continued courageously with her refusal to eat until the Solitaire leaves Irish territorial waters.
She has been giving interviews to media at intervals and has been chatting with supporters when the police are at a safe distance.
Gardai were,at 4am on Wednesday morning ,revving their engines extremely loudly right in front of Mauras car in order to disturb her sleep as much as possible.
supporters have maintained a constant presence since the beginning of the action at 5pm Tuesday.
The hunger strike continues

SOLITAIRE
We do not know whether or not the Solitaire will return.
We remain on high alert.

All solidarity in whatever form and wherever is needed and appreciated.

by meaglulz Thu Sep 11, 2008 14:58

Location :
Shell E&P Ireland Ltd.
Corrib House,
52 Lower Leeson Street,
Dublin 2

by Once a culchie always a culchie - Culchie Power! Thu Sep 11, 2008 16:26

See front page of today's English "Independent", Greenpeace activists acquitted of criminal damage due to the reasonable
excuse of trying to stop global warming.

A $US Billion USAF nuclear capable B2 Bomber kindly self destructed (pilots ejecting safely) on a Guam runway a few months ago.

How ever the Solatire and these other machines were nonviolently rendered unable to destroy community and environment, we'll take it.
and count our blessings.

An idea at some point for some people may be toproceed from Corrib House to GPO as the evening wears on.