Help Tara now

by Roestown Wed Jul 18, 2007 08:32

The EU have told the Irish government to stop all work on the M3 - all this work is illegal since Lismullin was declared a National Monument.

by quadraSpazed Wed Jul 18, 2007 09:48

Does that mean that theyr'e allowed to act with impunity or will there be consequences for them do you know?

by Man in Laois Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:15

Volunteers are needed urgently at Soldier's Hill - Now to stop this attack !

by Roestown reporter Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:35

There's a few lifts available to the sites right now and over the next few hours.
If you can get to Dublin City centre, they'll get you the rest of the way.

Contact the Vigil on 086-1758557 for details.

by valley defender - friend of tara Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:08

the archaeological site of baronstown was destroyed by 2 machines in about 3 hrs a few weeks ago. these are big machines. twenty machines with muscle enterage now site on soldier hill which is one the largest areas to protect as it is the bulk of the land zoned for the 53 acre interchang in the heart of the valley. by the end of the day if they are allowed to work they could fllatten it all. there are apx about 13 people there in the valley at the mo trying to stop this spread out over several miles with a couple of cars. but they are stopping it . machine by machine. your support is needed.

by Michael Martin - TaraWatch Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:01

Technically speaking the EU hasn't made a judgement on the case yet. There have been calls to the Irish government to cease all work on the Gabhra Valley M3 section, since ongoing work is in breach of various EU regulations and laws. It has been hinted that Ireland will eventually be fined, should work continue, once the relevant EU departments have delivered a verdict. But it will be at least October till a judgement will be made.
The only way of stopping this government-sponsored act of war against our cultural heritage, and to win time for the EU to act, is through litigation.
Various Tara campaigners have been working very hard on getting another High Court challenge up and running since early January. But unfortunately, some misguided and very short-sighted campaigners did not accept the need for another legal challenge and belittled and openly sabotaged all attempts being made in this direction . If we would have managed to get this case back in the Irish courts a few months ago, we now wouldn't have to face situations like recently at Baronstown and today at Soldiers Hill (Blundlestown).
To protect the little that's left of our heritage near Tara and to win time for the EU to present a legally-binding verdict, we have to get that case back into the Irish courts within the next few days. NOTHING ELSE WILL DO !

by Roestown reporter Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:37

The situation at Soldiers Hill has escalated.

Muireann Ni Bhrolchain was arrested on site about noon.
More details on charges etc as they come.

by Roestown reporter Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:46

5 arrests have been made so far today.
The protestors have been taken to Navan Garda station.

The arrests appear to have been made as TV3 and BBC newscrews
prepared to film the protest and the machinery.

by Roestown reporter Wed Jul 18, 2007 13:44

The protestors will be brought to Navan District Court at 2PM
where they will be charged with Public Order Offences.

by MM Wed Jul 18, 2007 14:10

Guardians of the Peace they ain't, but politically motivated mercenary SIAC pigs they surely are!
Respect for that uniform? No thanks!

by Donkeyonamission - none Wed Jul 18, 2007 15:40

Urgent help needed

Soldiers Hill 3pm

by cool j Wed Jul 18, 2007 17:14

It was a matter of time before Irelands own black and tans threw their weight around Tara - Sadly we know all about this type of behaviour in Erris. Ireland has become grim place indeed for decent people who try and do the right thing, where crooks like Bertie, Beverly Flynn are lauded while people who seek to protect our countrys heritage and natural resources from the brown, envelope greed merchants are jailed!!! - Leaders of countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe etc. would be impressed!!!

by draven Wed Jul 18, 2007 17:54

Stop Press! Urgent, five local community members arrested stopping illegal destruction of valuable archeological world heritage site today. Campaigners against the illegal Tara/Skyrne route of the Irish M3 motorway have been engaged all day since 7am in the battle of soldiers hill. Campaigners announced today a marked change in the tactics of Willis, Ferovial, Howley's construction companies. They have begun today to physically abuse campaigners, one of whom was taken to hospital. Until today, any civilian on site and putting their selves in danger from machinery caused that machinery to stop work. However today a new level of brutality is to physically drag, carry, threaten and hit vigil members in order to break them away from their chosen duty .... more news soon ... thank you for reading

by Tara hill Crew. Wed Jul 18, 2007 18:45

RE the Tara 4, The change in tactics witnessed today is belived to be because Gormley (the irish environment minister) has been summoned to the EU in late august (after summer recess) The Irish government has already been made abundantly aware that the Tara/skryne route is in direct contravention to E/U wishes and orders, the contractors on site are doing all they can to destroy all sites they belive to have archeaological significance in order to continue to try to drive this illegal road through the tara/skryne valley. Those opposed to the tara/skryne route urgently require legal observers and people with archeaological training and experience to COME TO TARA.

by TaraWatch Wed Jul 18, 2007 19:22 info at tarawatch dot org

Photographs taken this afternoon taken by Laura Grealish of TaraWatch
show construction workers assaulting demonstrators this afternoon at
Soldier Hill, on the Hill of Tara.

The images prove that SIAC and Eurolink have chosen to allow physical
clashes to occur between workers and demonstrators, rather than go to
the High Court to seek an injunction.

The images will be handed in this evening by Ms Grealish to the Garda
station, who will make a complaint that she was assaulted, while
peacefully demonstrating.

Demonstrations of this kind have been taking place since January, but
the construction companies and the National Roads Authority have failed
to avail of the courts to prevent trespass.

TaraWatch is of the opinion that the NRA and construction companies do
not want to offer an opportunity to the demonstrators to defend the
claim, and counter-claim that the works are illegal under EU and Irish
law.

by kelfino - fathers and sons see true trees Wed Jul 18, 2007 21:15

Tara Hill has been rejuvenated as the sacred centre of iniatation for which it is famous, as today war was declared against any and all 'defenders of the peace' of our ancestral souls, whose eternal resting place is being brutally destroyed by ignorance, greed and the use of metal machinery to threaten the lives of those of us who been brave enough to stand in their way.
Bravery today because ...
Todays new danger is the presence of ONE new digger driver who uses his machine as a weapon with which to hit "protesters" and refuses to stop working no matter how much physical danger his his attitude of violence can cause. One vigil member has been taken to hospital for x-ray of head and neck injuries.
No other worker - to their absolute credit - has been willing to flout all rules of human decency. However the foreman of the construction workers has finally found an Irish mercenary willing to attempt to show the others how to "get rid of these stupid bastards and cunts".

Until today there have been respectful 'rules of engagement' between the paid workers and the unpaid vigil workers.

To date there had been no damage or threat of injury on either side. As in a noble game of chess {or even a child-like cat and mouse game} the name of the game has been startegically respectful and intelligent. Construction workers start on site at 7 am. The vigil campers are living in tents on the top-side of Tara Hill and yet manage to be present on site as early as their normal counterparts, who have slept in nice clean, warm comfort.

Today

by kelfino - father / son alliance Wed Jul 18, 2007 21:35

The rules of engagement during these 12 hour shifts has been fair p lay - if an idividual can get in front of a machine, the operater will stop work in respect of site of Health and Safety Laws. They {generally} would not be man-handled and so long as they are willing to keep in such a position all day then no destruction was possible. There has been a great sense of mutual respect between the opposing sides. Very civilised and fair.

by cool j Wed Jul 18, 2007 21:49

You are up their now with the Rossport 5 for standing up to the greed merchants who are destroying this island at the expense of future generations

PS - Not suprised about todays events given that SIAC are in bed with the NRA, the same shower are working for Shell in Erris, making a quick buck at the expence of local people and their environment

by kelfino Wed Jul 18, 2007 22:08

please excuse the brokeness of these messages, but I'm writing in a tent and the circumstances are therefore difficult ...

Today this foreman has attemped to destroy the faith of this mutual respect between indivuals across the divide, attempted to shame the other workers into following this lunatics willingness to injure innocent and decent individuals answering the call to save Tara.

By the grace of God and the goodness inherent in humanity, as we witnessed this day of devillry, their backwards plan back fired, as many of the workers have reached the point of no return

by pissed off? Wed Jul 18, 2007 22:56

See you at the Garden...

please distribute this flyer...

Well done everyone!

by jim Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:29

Protesters arrested after clash at Tara route site

Olivia Kelly and Bríd Higgins Ní Chinneide

[Workers attempt to stop an activist at an M3 construction site at the proposed Soldier Hill interchange in Co Meath.
Photograph: Matt Kavanagh]

Seven campaigners protesting against the route of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara in Co Meath were arrested yesterday following clashes with construction workers and security personnel.

One security guard was taken to Navan General Hospital after he received a blow to the face, but his injuries are understood not to be serious.

TaraWatch, the main group protesting against the motorway, has denied any knowledge of the incident.

Five protesters, including NUI Maynooth lecturer Dr Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, were arrested by gardaí yesterday morning and a further two protesters were arrested in the evening. All appeared at a special sitting of Navan District Court yesterday evening in relation to public order charges.

The protesters were attempting to stop construction workers from entering the Soldier Hill archaeological site on the northern slope of the Hill of Tara at Blundelstown.

Spokesman for the protesters Vincent Salafia said the seven were arrested on the grounds that they were blocking traffic on the road, but he said they were "not in the public highway when protesting".

TaraWatch has always conducted peaceful protests, Mr Salafia said.

He denied that any members assaulted construction workers or security staff.

He claimed campaigners were manhandled by security personnel.

Construction company Eurolink said the protesters' behaviour was becoming increasingly dangerous.

"We have had protesters trespassing on the construction site since construction began in May and they refuse to leave the site and keep away from the heavy construction vehicles which are in use every day," Jose Tamariz, managing director of Eurolink, said.

"We are really concerned that there will be an accident, with protesters and or construction workers injured or killed, as a direct result of the illegal actions of the protesters."

Aggression from the protesters reached its pinnacle yesterday, he claimed.

"We recognise the protesters' right to protest peacefully and legally but we deplore the assault on one of our employees. Workers should be allowed to do their work lawfully, without interference."

Protesters climbed on top of construction vehicles and stood in the way of moving machinery in an effort to prevent the start of work on the site.

Gardaí arrived on the scene at about 9.30am yesterday and remained at the site throughout the day, but were mostly directing traffic through the obstructed stretch of road in adverse weather conditions.

Independent MEP Kathy Sinnott was present at the protest. "Protesters must be within the law, but so must construction workers," she said.

The Love Tara group is to hold a protest in Dublin on Saturday.

It plans to march from the Garden of Remembrance to the Custom House, where it will hand in a petition with 50,000 signatures seeking the cessation of all work on the controversial motorway.

by Donkeyonamission Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:49

Where are you? Why are you not here?

The Hitler of Tara

by Eric Burke - Tara campaigner Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:38

Let's all of us make this a national issue again, Saturday, one o clock, Garden of Remembrance!

by iosaf mac diarmada - - "I Love Tara" Thu Jul 19, 2007 15:38

That means no shadenfreude or taking pleasure in the suffering of others. If the "old hands" are so wise as they often profess to be - they know what elements of intimidation are coming into play now.
Yet - silence or spite will not save Tara? will they? So it is timely that some new people emerge.

I have noticed (allbeit) from afar that the same construction and farm equipment corporation which destroys poor palestinian homes is being used to destroy Irish heritage. They specialise in bul-dozing against the clock - against the injunction - against the eventual legal decision. It has been sometime I note, since that agriculture machine corporation has been protested or picketed in Ireland by the pro-Palestinian groups whom I know are completely distinct from any group who so far cover the Tara thing. Aren't they?

Be aware that throughout Europe the same tactics are used by construction contractors, councils and so on to stop democratically mandated opposition and trample on the common law right to civil disobedience. As an example I'd mention the high speed train line which is currently being built through Barcelona (where you know I live & can send me legal letters to). The vast majority of the citizen oppose the route which will bring it within less than 15 metres of Gaudi's world famous (& unfinshed) Sagrada Familia church. They point to the fact that government studies presume the work will be done by professional engineers and careful workers rather than is normal subcontracted barely literate illegal migrants. They point to the fact that since Barcelona's council became a minority local government the majority of people by democratic representation or poll are opposed to the route. Yet the council haven't stopped the work. Earlier this week members of the anarcho-syndicalist collective of Sants (a neighbourhood) tied themselves with arms through pipes and concrete blocks to various cranes at the site of the work. The police naturally had a hard time hiring the right type of crane to work away cutting them free and getting them down. & then in an unprecedented show of vindictive spite they applied (quite without true principal) every little law they could & held those young activists an inordinate length of time & submitted them to extraordinary duress- to send the message Like Tara, the Sagrada Familia and AVT route are soon to be before courts -both national and at European level.

Emerge & do your thing. You have no leaders. do you?

by Michael Martin - TaraWatch Thu Jul 19, 2007 15:41

And after the march on Saturday let's all move on to Gloverhill jail for a solidarity demonstration with the Tara 4, four men who are unlawfully being held prisoners by Ireland's corrupt law enforcers and their political masters. Let's put them under severe pressure, the traitors in Leinster House, NRA, SIAC/Eurolink cops, Meath County Council and all the construction firms involved in the destruction of our heritage!

by W. Finnerty. Thu Jul 19, 2007 18:37

Michael Martin (Thu Jul 19, 2007 15:41 posting above),

I fully agree with the idea that the traitors should be put under "severe pressure", and kept under it until they learn to start behaving themselves!!

I had another try at doing so myself earlier today - which can be seen at http://www.europeancourtofhumanrightswilliamfinnerty.co...l.htm .

If the e-mail at the above address works, which is titled "Lawyers obstructing and perverting the course of justice", it might help to bring some of our grossly despotic and thoroughly arrogant judges down off their high-horses in time for the "Tara 4" court case.

I hope so anyway, for the sake of the Tara 4 in particular, and for all Tara supporters really.

by iosaf mac diarmada Thu Jul 19, 2007 19:14

Thank you Martin, as you might have guessed I authored the comment http://indymedia.ie/article/83306?&condense_comments=fa...01282 on the destruction of Baronstown thread. We both go back along way, & as surely you remember "RTS!" was born from unprecedented co-operation between forest preservation activists (who decided to come down out of the trees LOL), ecologists, lefties, peace campaigners, eccentrics, internationalists, anarchists & so on. Indeed indymedia europe was born out of the simultanous non-hierarchial mobilisations in Seattle and London back when we both had more gums. We all love Tara. It's a pity we can't produce a simulation news video in multiple languages on "youtube" of its destruction such as the one produced to fate awesome & corrupt and out-of-touch politicians in Barcelona to reflect the worries about the "sagrada familia" http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y9j0_NivFj4
After all we really only have a pyramid shaped interpretive centre in Mayo, some well employed people with dredds still doing(?) the occasional rucking in Wexford for tourists & of course Newgrange to reflect our Celtic heritage & unique place in European civilisation. Not for us celtic design coins like the Scottish, not for us the unrivalled wonder which is Stonehenge (fenced from hippies not caterpillar earthmovers). Many of you want to see the Tara complex treated with the scientific and cultural respect it deserves now that Ireland can afford the effort. Many of you don't give a fig for the value of prehistory which will be found under the earth of this region, the addition to Europe's legacy of writing, of social organisation of architecture. Some of you would prefer to be at the forefront of sustainable transport mindful that cheap train corridors might just reduce your longterm expenditure on bank-loans and whatever hydrocarbon resources we buy back from the corporations who are going to exploit the Atlantic.

we're going back to the street. non-hierarchial coz we learnt many times before that we don't hold leaders. You're not getting a video of Tara going through either simulated destruction or being piled up in heaps by the lay-by of a road which won't be needed anyway in 100 years. Oh yep - I want to see what is below all the mythic stuff. I want to see the city which gave Europe circular structures and put a name on one of the first females or mychocondrial DNA strands of the European peoples. I want to see the civilisation that replaced the neanderthals. But I'll be patient. I am patient.

LOVE TARA.

by correction to M.Martin Thu Jul 19, 2007 21:27

4 are incarcerated and three are out on bail (with conditions).
These three are women campaigners and have been 'roughed up' too, indeed, they
have contributed widely to debate and political action!

7 people will face the court on Wednesday for hearing on the protest of Wednesday
18-7-7.

by Observer Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:32

Fresh Volunteers are needed to replace those who were arrested !

Today:
Machinery at Soldier's Hill, the workers are building a compound while a monster digger is ploughing for the Henge.
Protesters are unable to stop this work.

Urgent assistance is required!

Machines have also moved into Collierstown but have been stopped by Tara defence.

Yesterday Hot food and drinks were given to the protesters by local people.

Passing drivers are asked to sound your horns as a sign of support. This may not seem to be very much but every little helps to boost the morale.

Thank You.