Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Shell retreats as solidarity with Pat O'Donnell continues

category mayo | environment | news report author Tuesday February 23, 2010 12:31author by Andrew N Flood - WSM - personal capacity

Round up of events in Dublin and a personal view of the progress of the campaign

The week before last Erris fisherman Pat O'Donnell was jailed for seven months for his part in the communities ongoing resistance to Shell's attempt to impose an experimental gas pipeline on them. Across the country local Shell to Sea groups have been holding solidarity protests and other events for Pat. In Dublin this has included two protests and a public meeting in UCD. Meanwhile Shell have been forced to admit a temporary defeat in the face of local opposition and call off the construction they have planned for Glengad this year.
Dublin Shell to Sea meeting in UCD part 1
Dublin Shell to Sea meeting in UCD part 1

The first of the Dublin protests was Tuesday last week when campaigners gathered outside Shell HQ to highlight the role of Shell in Pat's jailing. Because Pat has the fishing rights along the pipeline route he has been repeatedly targeted for detention whenever Shell has needed to carry out construction work. And back in June, just before the arrival of Shell's pipeline ship the Solitaire, Pat's boat was boarded at night by four armed and masked men and sunk, an event reminiscent of how oil corporations have dealt with local protests around the world.

On Wednesday a well attended public meeting was held in UCD, speakers include Andy Storey chairperson of Afri (http://www.afri.ie/), Caoimhe Kerins from Dublin Shell to Sea and Maura Harrington, who like Pat has been imprisoned for resisting Shell's experimental gas pipeline. A report and pictures from that meeting can be found at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/95771 Below I've attached audio recordings of the meeting including the question and answer sessions after the speakers presentations.

On Saturday Dublin Shell to Sea campaigners joined friends of Pat's who had traveled from Mayo for a protest at the GPO. Banners highlighted not only the injustice of Pat's imprisonment but also the fact that the Irish state is giving billions of gas & oil to the energy corporations without them paying any royalties. This at a time when health, education and pay is being slashed to save a tiny percentage of the sums that are to be given away. Thousands of the 'Someday Independent', the leaflet that explains the issues around the campaign in detail were distributed to the public during the protest. This is a 30 second video of this protest at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE-irZ-0CFA

Before the protest another 1,000 copies had been distributed door to door in the Liberties. You can read the text of the leaflet at http://www.dublins2s.com/content/120000-all-facts-leafl...buted

Three years ago Shell thought it was all over. The millions spent on the media campaign along with the fact that most of the media is either state owned or owned by those who are also in oil & gas exploration meant that all critical voices in the press had been silenced. The Gardai use of violence against protests had been used to smash and demoralize the opposition in the area allowing refinery construction to proceed with only the occasional interruption. It appears at that point it was decided the gloves could come off to smash those who were still holding out and hundreds of private security guards were deployed who intimidated, abused and videoed local residents. Pat O'Donnell's boat was sunk at sea and Willie Corduff was beaten in the Shell compound at Glengad. These tactics backfired in the Spring when it was discovered that not only were some of these security from east European fascist organisations but that several had been involved in an attempt to spark a civil war in Bolivia, see http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92865

Resistance is fertile

Despite the ongoing attempt to suppress and silence the campaign spirits are high. The pressure created by the campaign meant that An Bord Pleanala felt unable to rubber stamp Shell's plan's for running the experimental gas pipeline through the village of Rossport and instead pointed out the obvious safety issues that campaigners had been highlighting for years (e.g. people living in the blast zone) and gave Shell two months to address these. Of course when Shell proved unable to do so that deadline was extended for a further four months but this has forced Shell to call off construction at Glengad this summer.

This is a significant if temporary victory over Shell but Dublin Shell to Sea spokesperson Caoimhe Kerins warned that “Although this announcement is a significant victory for the local community, other major works will still be going ahead, while fisherman Pat O’Donnell is out of Shell’s way in prison. This means that 2010 is set to be another year of disruption for the community, continued harassment and intimidation by Gardai and Shell security, as well as the unlawful arrest and the targeted jailing of key campaigners. There are no options left for Shell, except to process the gas at sea, which is standard practice around the world. This is what local people have been demanding for almost a decade. It's still not to late to do the right thing.”

The An Bord Pleanala decision has also started to break apart Shell's well funded media campaign with some of the more courageous journalists daring to stand up to Shell and publish articles questioning the project. As might be expected these journalists are now being targeted in the media for doing so. Shell themselves seem scared of debating the issues with Shell to Sea, at least two TV debates have been canceled due to Shell or pro-Shell journalists pulling out at the last minute in recent weeks.

As the scale of the Great Oil & Gas giveaway has been revealed more and more people are taking a stand against Shell. In the last couple of months new Shell to Sea groups have sprung up around the country, the recently formed Kildare group has been leafletting in Kildare town. You can help in a wide range of ways from simple things like sending a solidarity letter to Pat in prison to let him know he is not alone to getting copies of the 'Someday Independent' off Dublin Shell to Sea (contact details on their web site) to joining or forming a local Shell to Sea group to do this and more.

Please write to Pat in prison. His address is: Pat O'Donnell, Castlerea Prison, Harristown, Castlerea,Co.Roscommon. Alternatively you can email mayoshelltosea@gmail.com and they will pass on your email to Pat. The Dublin Shell to Sea page can be found at http://www.dublins2s.com/

Related Link: http://anarchism.pageabode.com/cat/rossport

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audio ucdshell2seafeb2010.mp3 31.13 Mb

Caption: Video Id: mE-irZ-0CFA Type: Youtube Video
30 second video of Saturday's protest at GPO


Comments (8 of 8)

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author by Andrewpublication date Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:38author address author phone

This is the second part of the meeting



Dublin Shell to Sea meeting part 2
audio Dublin Shell to Sea meeting part 2 14.6 Mb

author by Maura Harrington - S2S : Davitt Leaguepublication date Tue Feb 23, 2010 19:17author address author phone

On Saturday 20th Feb. local people from Erris made their determined way to Dublin to highlight the jailing of Pat The Chief O'Donnell in Castlerea Prison as a result of the selective application of the law to one side - and one side only - in the ongoing Corrib Gas Giveaway scandal.

It was great to see the growing awareness by people of the €420 BILLION loss to this country at a time of desperate current and future economic need through the actions of an adjudged corrupt politician, Ray Burke and another awaiting a tribunal verdict, Bertie Ahern.

The rapid, rabid reaction by spawn of Harris, Gerry C/Glegg, IT today, and the one-man show by Brendan Cafferty as an apologist for Shell is a clear indication that it is highlighting the giveaway of our resources that makes Shell/FF/Greens twitchy.

Let's keep it up ...

Solidarity with The Chief!

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Related Link: http://www.shelltosea.com/
author by CLpublication date Tue Feb 23, 2010 21:14author address author phone

Where are the fishermen of Erris, one would think they would be supporting their Chief.
But not even a sound bite.

author by MNpublication date Tue Feb 23, 2010 21:36author address author phone

Here is a quote from the man that sold out to Shell, Eddie Diver (EIFA Chairman).

"Mr Eddie Diver, the Chairman of the Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Association (EIFA) stressed to The Mayo News that his group was not commenting on the judicial process but rather the particular circumstances caused by the protracted Corrib controversy that had led to Mr O’Donnell’s incarceration.
We deplore the circumstances that led to Pat O’Donnell’s jailing, especially at this time of the year. The fishing season has just started and will be over by the time he comes out of prison,” Eddie Diver told The Mayo News yesterday.
“We appeal to those in power to facilitate some compassionate leave since everything to do with these events are so unusual,” Mr Diver continued"

http://www.shelltosea.com/content/erris-fishermen-talk-...iling

author by Mayo Manpublication date Tue Feb 23, 2010 21:38author address author phone

Don't let it spoil your evening CL

PS: How's Terry these days??

author by TD - Shell to Seapublication date Wed Feb 24, 2010 01:51author address author phone

Shell's useful, crowing idiots such as Gerry Gregg find their raison d'ętre in the spitoon of contempt and "CL", as you've also found yours; happy swimming.?

author by Eamonn O'Coilea'in - Republic of Perjurypublication date Wed Feb 24, 2010 23:15author address author phone

Shell still does not have planning Permission for their on- shore pipeline, so how in hell did shell think that they could start digging up the beach cliffs again; when last year they didn't have planning permission. Up in the hills of Dublin some man built a complete house removing soil and even built a wrap around deck with no Planning Permission. Irish Mirror , 24 Feb 2010, Now the planning Board has had a high court order to tear it all down and make the site as it us to be, SO how come MAYO PLANNERS have not made shell remove the pipeline with no planning permission . The law is the law and The Ministers should dig deep into shells mis deeds. No onshore Planning Permission along with shells Perjury in the Papers, Imagine shell stats that it was not going to work the Bay because the local people would be disrupted again this summer.

author by aileenpublication date Mon Mar 01, 2010 22:32author email aaocarroll at gmail dot comauthor address author phone

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Solidarity with Pat
Solidarity with Pat


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