Derry Solidarity Vigil with Shell to Sea

derry | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday October 10, 2007 23:14 by MAOR Derry - MAOR maorderry at fsmail dot net

MAOR last week hosted a candle lit vigil in Derry's Guildhall square to mark their solidarity with the ongoing Shell to Sea protest in County Mayo. While members of the Shell to Sea campaign have held an all-night candelit vigil at the Corrib gas refinery gates in north Mayo to mark a year since deployment of extra gardaí to the area, Derry based campaigners held a midnight vigil here in the City.

One local member of MAOR, who has become very active in Derry since it was formed only a few weeks ago, expalined that it is vital to keep on raising awareness of what if actually happening in Mayo and around the issues relating to oil and gas exploration off the north and west coasts of Donegal.

Shell to Sea spokesman John Monaghan said in a statement that the vigil in Mayo was being held to mark "the one-year anniversary of the siege of the local community". A prayer service was held at dawn.

Up to 200 gardaí have been deployed during certain periods to provide escorts for employees building the Bellanaboy refinery, since work resumed there last October.

Clashes between gardaí and protestors have taken place on a number of occasions, and the bill for the security had been running at €800,000 a month, according to figures released by former minister for justice Michael McDowell last April.

Vincent McGrath, one of five Mayo men who was jailed for 93 days because of his opposition to the pipeline, congratulated the Derry group and called for similar acts of solidarity across the country.