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Security at Bellanaboy
 mayo |
environment |
opinion/analysis
 Tuesday November 13, 2007 11:24 by Margaretta D'Arcy
Para-constabulary personnel employed against demonstrators
Questions must be asked about the State's attitude to the use of a security firm at Shell's Bellanaboy site. SECURITY AT BELLANABOY
by Margaretta D’Arcy
The EPA giving the licence to Shell was a foregone conclusion, a stitchup. It seems that the government is willing at all hazards to take on the Erris community and its hostility to Shell on Land. One can only speculate as to the official scenario for the future protection of Shell against its opponents. I was part of the Shell to Sea demonstration at Bellanaboy on Friday (Nov 9th). In the afternoon about twenty of us went onto the site and occupied it. We evaded the Gardaí, who (to begin with) failed to cop on to what we were up to; but what happened in their absence gave me an indication of what the future tactics of the state might be – i.e. the private security firm will become even more of a para-constabulary than it already is, and will be given more and more rope in its handling of demonstrators. Has anyone any information on the legal standing of security firms? My understanding is that they are there to protect sites, supermarkets and so forth: if there is trouble they call the Garda Síochána to evict or arrest intruders. But now at Bellanaboy the security personnel are allowed to rough us up without any supervision. One of them tried to break my camera. A piece of barricade fencing was deliberately crashed down on a woman’s leg. Injuries which happen before the Gardaí arrive, don’t happen. Last Friday it took them a surprisingly long time to arrive, considering that there were 300 hundred of them milling around. But if they arrive after the mayhem, their sheet of course is clean and their hands have not been ‘heavy.’ But in that case, who is responsible for the civilian security team and who will stand over its conduct? Inside the site it is partly recruited from Fás workers, who work part-time and sign-on as well, a legitimate arrangement, but it means that we (as taxpayers) are subsidizing Shell against ourselves. There is also a new type of motley crew appearing at Bellanaboy, Poles and Russians. I am not xenophobic so much as realistic here: is there any check on what these characters’ history may be in their own countries? I definitely had the feeling that they were totally alienated from us, from the motives of our protest and from the culture of the area. They seemed not to speak English so there could be no dialogue. If in the end the site security is to be entirely in the hands of people from eastern Europe, I can foresee a species of replay of the black-and-tans or the use of loyalists against nationalists in the North, or the 'contractors' in Iraq. The Garda keeps its pristine sweet smell, the government likewise smells sweet: no one is responsible. And suppose one day a dead protestor, with a steel fence on her neck instead of her leg? Neither the State nor the State’s police need carry the can: cast all the blame on some anonymous security goon, not speaking the language, not under anyone’s orders, and who cares? The security firm employed at Bellanaboy has its offices in Longford, I have been told. Has anyone got any info about it?
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Comments (22 of 22)
Jump To Comment: 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1AP, you're full of it. You put in enough details to make yourself almost plausible, but then you let yourself down. Hard luck.
Trying new tactic I note - the 'I was there' one!
Won't work any better than previous attempts.
This private property belonged to Coillte (in a Republic, this means it was the property of the people of the land!) till it was sold off in a questionable transaction to Shell, with no consultation with the public locally or nationally.
Shell have shown no respect for private property, either in their attempt to invade the land of the Rossport 5, or in their Garda-managed violent invasion of the road to Pollatomish Pier.
The comment about foreign workers does not seem bigoted, especially with regard to the criticisms of incoming 'foreign' Shell to Sea supporters who've come from exotic Monaghan, Cork, Dublin, and UK, to help defend the Mayo land and people.
Lads, comrades, whatever, if were going to tell a story about the site security then lets make sure its correct, lets not bend the truth for the sake of gaining more support for us, lets have some pride in our vision for what S2S stand for. I was one of the 20 odd who entered the site by walking through Shell property for about an hour. I was one of those who helped cut through the fence to gain access to the building site.
When we eveuntally gained access to the main building works we were surrounded by the 'goon' security guards. some of our more energetic friends tried to break away from the main bunch and they were prevented from doing so by the guards. we were not treated bad in anyway whatsoever. those who broke away were followed and surrounded. I can only assume that the goons were doing this for our own safety.
Stating that a piece of barricade fencing was deliberately crashed down on a woman’s leg is incorrect. once again, lets tell the truth, one of our supporters was trying to break through a ring of goons, he himself was quite violent, they, the goons pushed him back and he fell against a barrier, this barrier then fell against the woman. She was a maker of her own destiny. No court in this land would see it any other way.
If I recall the goons continously told us to leave the site as it was a dangerous place, I now agree. I myself fell on some of the poor footing. it was my own fault, I had flat shoes, trainers, with no support. I also noticed three other older women with simular shoes on too. the eldest woman had plastic shoes, in fairness its lucky none of us got twisted ankles or even worse. It was a building site, and we broke into it, without concent of the owner. We were breaking the law, the goons repeated this to us, remember...
Whatever happened outside gate one and at the bridge, I can say the C Murray's comment above which states that that One Rosssport woman was thrown six foot into a ditch and banged her head off a stone that was lying in the ditch is incorrect, this did not happen inside the terminal.
Finally, from what I can recall, not many guards said much when we spoke to them, other than leave the site. The one Polish goon had perfect english, but I assume he was instruicted not to engage with us for obvious reasons.
One last thing, we did have about 6 or 7 camcorders with us, if they were that bad to us, then lets see the evidance, lets show the Gardai and the press, lets post on youtube, lets for once tell the truth as it is.
With the security gaurds and company.Lodge a protest with the Private Security Authorithy in Tipp Town,Co Tipp.Ask them to investigate the firms employed and the personel.If they are genuine security and not employing any old person from East Europe that can claim military experiance.
Under the Security Act ALL security personel employed wether in house or sub contracted by a company must be registerd with the PSA and carry visible ID.Might be one to keep in mind...
Maybe you should think of leaving people to LIVE in peace
There would be no need for east europeans or security if you all stayed at home and let 700 people go about making a living in peace
One Rosssport woman was thrown six foot into a ditch and banged her head off a stone
that was lying in the ditch.[ she has not gone back there since].
Workers in Tara have assaulted campaigners including at night, the images of the assaults
on one of the women were on the Newswire.
There have been calls at all hours of the day and night from campaigners complaining of attack ,
variously with nailed planks, sticks+ photographing the children of campaigners.
11 are before the courts on charges whilst none of the contractors have been charged with anything.
(in Tara)
Its not good enough that the charges of assault go unrecognised in both Rossport and Tara.
These assaults are alleged against the Siac/Ferrovial contractors btw.
I seem carelessly to have allowed my original posting to be open to an unfortunate racist interpretation, which is not at all what I intended. I should have qualified my remarks about Poles and Russians by saying that the issue is not who they are but where and how they were employed before they came here – Police? Army? Prison service? For historical reasons, such institutions in Eastern Europe do not have a good reputation, as many can testify who have come into Ireland from those countries. I insist that it is imperative that the background of all workers in the security industry be subject to scrutiny. A ruthless and unaccountable para-constabulary acting on behalf of multi-national corporations, to take the heat off the Garda Síochána, is not a fantasy. There seems to be no legislation as to exactly what powers security employees have, or what are the criteria that render them suitable for the job. Are they registered? Are their police-records checked (whether in this jurisdiction or outside it)?
"the site security is to be entirely in the hands of people from eastern Europe"
You can barely see their horns!!
MOTLEY CREW
-is a roughly-organized assembly of characters.
Typical examples of motley crews are pirates, rag-tag mercenary,western posse.
"We all know lot of motley people" ???
Define Motley:
- Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous:
- Having many colors; variegated; parti-coloured: a motley tunic.
Sometimes people are anxious to find offense where none exists or was intended.
What's racist you ask? Well to me the comment that "There is also a new type of motley crew appearing at Bellanaboy, Poles and Russians" is clearly racist and I object very strongly to what it implies. We all know lot of motley people but to add that these are 'Poles and Russians' is a slur on anyone of from those ethnicities. Come on now - this is not rocket science.
So lets get this straight. Security contractors are allowed to deliberately employ foreign workers because of their lack of knowledge of the situation but anybody who realises this is not allowed to point it out or talk about it without being labelled racist.
The comments about workers from eastern europe is offensive. We don't need to resort to implicit racism to critisise the behaviour of the security on site. Violence was perpertrated by workers on site from Ireland as well as those from eastern europe. Lets leave the offensive rhetoric about immigrant workers to right wing polititions.
That's still an assault.
Legally they can try to drag you off the premises using reasonable force.
If they start thinking that they are Jackie Chan, then make an assault complaint against them, make the Gardai do the job they're paid to do.
Complaints about the conduct of any security provider can be made to the Private Security Authority but given the close links between the PSA and gardai I wouldn't hold my breath.
http://www.psa.gov.ie/psa/psa.nsf/home?Openform
http://www.psa.gov.ie/psa/psa.nsf/the_private_security_...t.pdf
"The simple answer to avoid any further injury or conflict with the security guards is for you to obey the law a nd stay off what is private property. You have no right to be there without permission from the owners and developers."
Interesting how Shell thought it had the right to go onto the farms of Rossport to tell them where Shell would be putting the pipe though?
The simple answer to avoid any further injury or conflict with the security guards is for you to obey the law a nd stay off what is private property. You have no right to be there without permission from the owners and developers.
BRENDAN GILMORE SECURITY;
Involvement; Provision of site security.
More info; Mr. Gilmore, owner of the company is a former garda and Progressive Democrat Town Councillor for Longford.
Employees of Mr. Gilmore have been recently involved in intimidation of Shell to Sea campaigner Maura Harrington.
Address (Brendan Gilmore);
Laurel Avenue,
Longford
Phone; 087 2405406
Address (Brendan Gilmore Security);
Aisling Hse.
53 Teffia Park,
Longford
Phone; +353 43 48256
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75229
Your point about the emply of foreign workers (non-nationals) is well made. They can have little idea of the subtleties of this dispute. They are in ireland to earn money, that's all, and I would guess that few of them care about the objections that Irish people may have to the destruction of their environment or the giveaway of their natural resources.
The fact that they know that they can freely assault protesters shows that the gardai have done a nod-and-wink deal with Shell and their contractors.
Just when you think the gardai can't sink much lower.............
I have to say I am with you all the way on fighting Shell and the Gardai and various other elements employed to protect the robbery that is going on up in Erris, but your comment "There is also a new type of motley crew appearing at Bellanaboy, Poles and Russians," is well out of order. Suggesting that someone is motley and suggesting it applies to certain ethnic groups does nothing other than to confirm to me that you have lost your way in what his entire struggle is about. I think you should withdraw the comment...