Shell to Sea Complaints to Garda Ombudsman.

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Tuesday May 08, 2007 17:00

by Shell to Sea

SHELL TO SEA TO BRING COMPLAINTS OF ABUSE TO GARDA OMBUDSMAN ON FIRST DAY OF BUSINESS.

NEWS RELEASE
Issued by Shell to Sea
Tuesday May 8th, 2007
For immediate release.

-- Campaigners from four provinces to hand in complaints on Wednesday 9th May at 2.30pm at 150 Upr Abbey St, Dublin 1. --

Residents of Erris, Co Mayo and Shell to Sea supporters from around the country will travel to Dublin on May 9th, to present complaints of Garda violence to the new Garda Ombudsman Commission at 2.30pm -- its opening day of business.

Hundreds of Gardaí have been mobilised to police the ongoing protests at Shell's proposed refinery site at Bellanaboy since October 3rd, 2006.

Shell to Sea spokesperson John Monaghan said: "This Garda operation, which has cost the taxpayer over €5million so far, has unfortunately revealed a policy of physical violence and verbal abuse against legitimate protest, instead of applying the rule of law and due process. Local people have been living in what is effectively a Police State since last October, and it's still going on today."

Numerous people have been assaulted by Gardaí over the past seven months, including local and national supporters who have continued to travel to Bellanaboy in support of the ongoing Shell to Sea picket.

At 2.30pm on Wed 9th at the Garda Ombudsman Commission, 150 Upper Abbey Street, Dublin 1, Philip Mc Grath, one of the Rossport Five, will be joined by supporters who will have travelled from the four provinces to present their complaints to the Ombudsman.

The new Garda Ombudsman Commission is independently set up to replace the old Garda Complaints Board, to which Shell to Sea campaigners have also made complaints. Private prosecutions were also initiated in open court last week against a number of Gardaí.

Mr Monaghan said: "We should all welcome the setting up of this new Independent Commission and we look forward, in good faith, to having our complaints investigated fairly and in full."

ENDS

For verification or comment, contact:
John Monaghan
086 3123439

For further information or assistance, contact:
Niall Harnett
086 8444966
clareshelltosea (at) gmail (dot) com

NOTES TO EDITORS:
* Philip Mc Grath of the Rossport Five and other Shell to Sea campaigners will be gathering outside the Commission offices
from 2pm (on Wednesday, May 9th) and will be available for interview/photographs.
* The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is located at 150 Upper Abbey St, Dublin 1, www.gardaombudsman.ie .

SHELL TO SEA WEBSITE:
http://www.shelltosea.com