Shell return to Glengad in force

mayo | environment | news report

Wednesday April 22, 2009 23:34

by A - RSC

Protestors beaten by Gardai

Todays fencing (and gates?) in Glengad is right now being removed by the community

Shell returned in force to Glengad early this morning on Wednesday 22nd April 2009. Willie Corduff & 2 others lay under a Shell truck where Willie lies as we write, and is not for moving, despite the efforts of a number of Gardai to remove him.

The gates go up

A camper sat atop a digger for approximately 10 hours without food, water or warm clothing, until Shell replaced that digger with another and he was forcibly removed by Shell security.

Willie Corduff and co had stones thrown at them by the Gardai, Willie had his ankle beaten with a rock by the Gardai and another protestor under the lorry had his head repeatedly banged off the ground by Gardai. Willie was also scratched and stuck in the privates by Gardai.

Shell returned in force today to Glengad, arriving about 6.45, by about 7 protestors from the community and camp had started to gather.
Willie Corduff, Goldman Environmental Award Winner and 2 others climbed under a truck carrying palisade fencing on the SAC. A camper climbed onto a telescopic loader, later changing to a 20t excavator/digger used for lifting the fencing panels.
Maura Harrington partially blocked the front entrance of the compound with her car, and throughout the day many folk jumped the fence and tried to stop the destruction of this pristine habitat.
Shell had dozens of security and dozens of workers, but were severely hampered in their activities by stiff local resistance. The occupation of truck and digger meant that they had only limited resources for their work, but in the late afternoon they had another digger and another truck load of fencing dropped to site.
The Gardai tried to talk the digger jumper and Wille & co out but to no avail, they simply kept stating that they wanted to see Shell’s permissions to be carrying out the work. When this failed they took a more direct approach with the men under the lorry. They managed to pull Willie’s boots off and stared twisting his toes, they threw stones at them and beat Willie on the ankle with a rock, while another lorry protestor had his had repeatedly banged off the ground by a thug masquerading as a Inspector. Willie was also scratched and stuck in the privates by Gardai.
As the hours ticked by the Gardai had Maura’s car towed by plant hire owner Carey. After 9hrs on the digger the camper was grabbed by security and forcibly pulled off, severly bruising his legs and arm. The other 2 people under the lorry spent approx 8hrs under it.
The weather turned nasty with gale force winds and driving rain, which made life difficult for protestors and workers alike.
This evening Willie remains under the lorry and the Gardai have left. Another man manged to get under the lorry with Willie this evening. There is a large security force still in Glengad, with a crowd forming of solemn protestors standing near Willie in the dark but the situation still seems potentially volatile. Rumour is that several fire brigade units are on their way to lift the lorry and remove him.
The local radio station, Midwest Radio, have been openly calling in their news for Shell to produce documentation to the effect that they have the necessary permissions to work in Glengad which they don’t seem to have.
Around noon or so the portaloos that Shell had dropped on the SAC blew over and all their chemicals poured out onto the SAC, no attempt was made to clean up the chemical spill and the portaloos were only stood up again about 7pm.
Today Shell eventually managed to put up large front gates and create the top compound section with a 2nd set of gates leading down into the SAC.
Despite telling 1 or 2 people they were arrested no arrests were made.
People are frustrated & angry but determined, they need all the help they can get, so now is the time to get to Erris if you can, for whatever support you can give.

Maura faces security and Gardai alike

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Comments (6 of 6)

Re Contacts

by Arm-a-Gedden

Sun Apr 26, 2009 23:25

I hope this will be of help to you, contact your local T.D.'s, Eamon Ryan the minister who currently presides over this state crime, Sen, David Norris, Michael D Higgins, your family, friends, and the wider public, you will also find other information in the link.

Dont forget this is your lawful inheritance that has been given away by your very own Government,there are times and I do wish that this was a sick joke unfortunately it is not we have been conned again.

http://www.corribsos.com/

problem with the government

by estrema

Sun Apr 26, 2009 17:08

The government always fulfills the needs of the majority- meaning the people with the majority of wealth in our country. This means that big business is always more important than people... Congratulations to the hard work shown by this community. If only others could lead by example.

As a person of the younger range of the population, it is nice to see people who are of their more senior years still not comprimising their quality of lives for big corporate monsters like shell. My parents always tell me that when im older i will be less idealistic because life wears you down after your early 20's... im glad to see such an inspiring group of people standing together for what they believe...

although i cant actually go to mayo to join ye in your actions, is there any letter writing to people that i could do, i dont know who you approach about this matter... i would be grateful of the help!

NO CONSENT

by MARGARET

Thu Apr 23, 2009 07:41

Right thinking people ,people of conscience must witness what is happening in our country .The brutality that is been done in their name and for WHAT? A handful of SHELLS dirty Blood money .There is no profit ,no gain from the CORRIB GAS not one cent !!!!
We are survivors of the great famine ,when shiploads of our food was taken from our country to feed Britain,leaving countless thousands to die.Today we watch the preparition to rob our natural resources .we are an educated people ,we should know better.Do whatever you can ,phone every politican, protest where ever you are.,DO something!!

"Peaceful objection or disobedience can be an obligation -Not a choice"

Brutal force used against locals in glengad today

by damhnait - shell to sea

Thu Apr 23, 2009 00:30

Legality of shells presence in glengad is in question
today the 22nd of april, saw the return of Shell and its body guards and gardai back in Glengad, north west mayo where the gas controversy takes on new chapter. ocal people today braved the brute force of the gardai and the private security and jumped fences, climbed JCB's , blocking the work with their cars or simple themselves .. n several times , they the remainder of the Gardai watching were laughing and totally at ease with the situation. Its unbelievable that these Gardai were happy to be filmed carrying out such actions and being a witness to such violence.
Today despite the absence of planning permission from An Bord Planneala , Shell and its partners returned to the site at Glengad to reommence work that was abandoned last autumn due to community pressure and the legal framework. Once again it fell on the local people of Kilcommon and others to stand together and use direct action to highlight the fact that Shell and its partners had no lawful permission to begin work in Glengad again.
Several local people and good citizens of the earth today braved the brute force of the gardai and the private security and used direct action to stall work . Some jumped fences , climbed Jcb's and used their cars to block lorries etc. Another three men managed to lie under a lorry carrying steel gates and stop work. It was local Rossport 5 man , WIllie Corduff that managed to lay there well into the evening. I witnessed several gardai drag one of the men out after several hours and attempt to remove Willie aswell with brute force and much torturous methods but to no avail. The Gardai finally gave up and left him there in much pain after having injured his ankle. I have to admit that I was alarmed at the behaviour of the Gardai on the scene, whilst their comrades went about using sheer violence on Willie causing him to cry out in pain several times, the remainder including a ban garda simply stood about chatting and smiling in total denial of the situation. ITs unbelievable that these are our Guardians, paid for by the state to carry out such violence onto a man driven by passion and civic duty to protect his family and his environment.. Ironic is an understatement.

What has the Republic of Ireland become ! A Facsist state that forces its citizens to obey and stand in line by brutal force and with no regard of gender or age or any human rights. All over the world human rights are being abused and we dont have to look further then the scene I witnessed today and the many more that have occured over the long years that have past with Shell and its conglomerates desperate to force their way into to this pristine landscape here in Erris, Mayo to plunder and steal our oil and gas resources.

Tonight as I write this there are several local people and other s who stand in solitarity, watching over Willie Corduff who despite the GARDAI 'S BEST ATTEMPTS , still lies under the lorry some 12 maybe 14 hours later and with no intention of coming out either .
Tonight Willie will lie on a bed of stones and damp ground after heavy rain and continue his direct action .

WIllie is a reasonable man but he has endured several years of torment and assualt from Shell and partners aswell as a 94 day jail sentence , for preventing the Oil barons onto his own land. If the whole of Ireland could understand this would they still lie dorment in their homes and watch the pobal here in Erris be assaulted time and time again or would they finally say enough is enough and demand Justice.

The facts remain clear , Shell does not have planning permission to enter this site at Glengad today.,. Minister Ryan has granted them leave to recommence work offshore but no permission has been agreed by the local authority or an bord planneala for them to enter Glengad and attempt to recommence work on the land there. THis is not the first time Shell has attempted to jump the gun and shown complete disregard for the proper procedures and planning law here in Eire and world wide. For the past few weeks locals have done their utmost to prevent an illegal net being placed over the cliffs at Glengad to inhibit sand martins from nesting. Sand martins are just one of the rare species that are protected by European law under the EU Habitats Directive.

WHat can I say, I take my hat off to you the people of Kilcommon and Erris for caring and believing in the power of the citizen against the machine of the 21 century. Eire was liberated from the hands of the empire by the same brave sentient beings.
Good night Willie and well done. And to those on the wrong side of the fence its never too late to get on the side of righteousness and justice.