Thursday Update from Bellanaboy

mayo | environment | news report Thursday November 09, 2006 16:52 by Eve - Rossport Solidarity Camp

As the siege enters its sixth week Shell to Sea campaigners continue to maintain their morning pickets of Shell’s refinery site. Security outside the gates has been stepped up with the erection of a six-foot tall sheet metal fence around the main site entrance late last week. Around the same time Shell to sea signs were removed and defaced by Gardaí including one reading “community under siege”. Gardaí also ordered that the Shell to sea H.Q. trailer be moved. The trailer was moved a nominal few feet down the road and the picket continues.

How the site gates now look.

This morning, as for the last few weeks, campaigners gathered from 7am before walking down the ‘Shell highway’ in small groups escorted by a number of Gardaí, with more on standby in buses. Protesters engaged in sporadic blocking of Shell’s convoy of workers and trucks, standing in front of vehicles before being forcibly pushed aside by police. Police were noted for their excessive use of force when removing protesters, partially licensed by the lack of video cameras by campaigners. Gardaí attempted to push several campaigners down the six-foot ditch flanking the road. One female protester commented, “After standing in front of a truck one guard flung me forcefully to the verge and when I tried to stand up another guard ran towards me and pushed me down the six foot ditch.”

Gardaí gloated to several campaigners about the money they were making. It was apparent from the demeanour of certain guards that at least some of their big money is being invested into local drinking establishments. A particularly worrying incident occurred this morning involving drink driving by a guard. The guard in question, LY84, attempted to drive into a group of campaigners standing to the right of the white line on the oil road. The guard inched his car into the small group of men who refused to move before stopping and exiting his vehicle in order to move the men. Protesters noticed that the guard smelt of alcohol and accused him of having drink taken upon which he replied “a heap of it.” Protesters called on other guards to breathalyse the man, who quickly got back into his car and proceeded to make rude gestures at the assembled campaigners before removing his identification numbers.