Occupy Shellanaboy set up at refinery gates in Erris

Shell compound at Aughoose shut down during day of solidarity

About 40 Shell to Sea campaigners blocked the Aughoose compound this morning - all Shell employees prevented entering compound 7.30 to 9.30. The road was kept open to local traffic by the campaign. There was no Garda presence. Just after 10 Shell to Sea activists started setting up an Occupy Shell Corrib Camp at the gates of the refinery in a show of solidarity with the global Occupy movements!

At 9.30 campaigners started moving from the Aughhoose compound to the refinery site where there will be meet up at 10. This action was part of the day of solidarity called both to remember the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and for people from around Ireland to stand in solidarity with the local community in Erris, Mayo.

Local residents and their supporters will gather at 10am at the gates of Shell’s inland refinery. From there they will walk to Bellanaboy Bridge to commemorate a baton charge by Gardaí on November 10th, 2006. The baton charge resulted in numerous injuries to campaigners and is one of the low points of the 11-year struggle against the inland refinery and high pressure pipeline. They will also be marking the 16th anniversary of the execution of nine activists in Ogoniland, Nigeria. Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others were hanged by the Nigerian government on November 10th, 1995 for their opposition to Shell’s environmental destruction in the Niger delta. The walk which is now (11.20) underway is lead by people carrying the 9 crosses to commemorate the Ogoni 9 executed on this day in 1995. Over 100 people are taking part

First tents