Street Theatre In Derry As Shell Go On Trial In New York
derry |
crime and justice |
news report
Thursday May 28, 2009 00:21
by Shell to Hell - MAOR
Donegal and Derry activists are determined to keep the issues relating to what they refer to as 'the great gas giveaway' off the coast of Donegal firmly on the political agenda.
Since 2006, MAOR have been actively engaged in a surprising range of activities that push the boundaries of political discussion and bring the issues to the streets, the airwaves and back to communities. This week MAOR Street Theatre Group took to the streets of Derry in an exciting street theatre event, highlighting the human rights abuses perpetrated by Multinational giants that the Irish government is happy to do business with. Earlier this week Royal Dutch Shell went on trial for complicity in the torture and killing of Nigerian protestors in 1995.
Activist sings a moving song about the Shell refinery in Mayo.
For over fifty years, Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta have resulted in human rights abuses and environmental devastation. The lawsuit, Wiwa v. Shell, charges Shell with requesting, financing, and assisting the Nigerian military which used deadly force to repress opposition to Shell’s operations in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta. The lawsuit also charges Shell with conspiring with the Nigerian military dictatorship in the prosecution of the leaders of this movement – the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Shell is being charged with bribing witnesses to give false testimony, ultimately leading to a death sentence for nine men, including acclaimed author, activist, and leader of MOSOP Ken Saro-Wiwa. On November 10th, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were put to death by hanging.
The “Shell Guilty” International Campaign was launched by a coalition of NGOs and is supporting the plaintiff of the court case.
The street theatre event in Derry was a mark of solidarity with the people of Nigeria but also was a mechanism to highlight Shell’s behavior closer to home. The Erris peninsula in County Mayo, in the west of Ireland, is destined to become home to one of the largest gas processing plants in Europe under a £500m project by Shell. For the past 9 years Shell has found themselves in a battle against local residents in Rossport and Glengad (Co.Mayo) whose safety, quality of life and freedoms are to be curtailed in order that the company, with the support of the government and judicial system, can further its ongoing campaign of environmental degradation and human exploitation. Earlier today, Julia Black, a member of MAOR highlighted the similarities in the behavior of Shell worldwide; ‘Finally after many years, Shell is being brought to justice for financing and assisting the military and for bribing witnesses. Here at home, protesters have been beaten, their families placed under surveillance by private security firms and the government is doing nothing to protect the people. It is vitally important that there is more awareness of what is going on. MAOR is committed to raising that awareness and days like today are important in that way’. She also commented: ‘we have had a very positive response from the general public who stopped to watch the performance of street theatre and who expressed their concern by enquiring about the campaign and showing their support for all those suffering the consequences of the multinational’s destructive background’.
Furthermore in the North West, Shell was granted licenses for exploration off the Donegal coastline and began exploratory drilling in 2007. They have also held meetings with representatives of Donegal County Council. In addition, Shell has applied for further licenses to explore further out to sea in the Rockhall basin. MAOR is calling on the County Council not to issue any further exploration licenses and to seriously consider the implications for the wealth, health and well being of people here if projects like those in Corrib and Nigeria are allowed to progress here.
Activist gives a speech as the Shell/Topaz Public Relations Officer
MAOR Derry Street Theatre Group do a piece on the trial against Shell in New York for crimes against humanity and the environment in Nigeria.
Activist speaks as one of the Rossport 5
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Jump To Comment: 3 2 1What's the Latest?
Does anyone have any links or updates on the Ken Sara Wiwa v's Royal Dutch Shell trial in New York? I have searched the internet and can't find any more reports, not even a mention on the New York Times website.
The video here is an interview with Ken Sara Wiwa''s son, Ken Junior, outside the courthouse in New York.
The article below is the most recent that I can find on the net.
The trial of Anglo-Dutch super major, Shell, over its alleged complicity in the death of Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa, leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), will begin today.
Lawyers from the company will today represent the oil major in a New York court as it faces charges that it colluded in human rights abuses and torture in the Niger Delta which led to the hanging in 1995 of Ogoni campaigner and renowned poet, Saro-Wiwa.
The troubled oil giant had refused to comment on the court case ahead of the hearings, but the continued flaring of gas in the Niger Delta, a practice Saro-Wiwa challenged, had exposed the company to greater criticism from environmentalists.
Environmentalists group, Friends of the Earth, said in its latest report that Shell is becoming the most polluting company in the world.
In a newly compiled report titled: "Illegitimate Energy", Friends of the Earth and other groups claimed that Shell's Nigerian and Canadian operations portray the oil major as the most polluting oil company in the world.
Part of the report says: "When Shell's total resources are taken into account, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per barrel of oil equivalent produced will outstrip those of its nearest competitors."
The data shows that in the age of carbon reduction, Shell is fast heading in the opposite direction, massively increasing the carbon intensity of its production of oil and gas.
Though Shell admitted that it had a problem, it insisted that the amount of its carbon emission was exaggerated.
The company's latest Sustaina-bility Report says: "Our upstream energy intensity has risen by around 27 per cent since 2000 as fields' age and heavier and harder-to-reach oil is produced."
However the company denied the sort of carbon estimates attributed to its Canadian operations, saying they were exaggerated and might largely be solved through the use of Carbon, Capture and Storage (CCS). THISDAY had reported exclusively last year that the oil giant would go on trial in the United States on February 9, 2009 for alleged complicity in human rights abuses in the Niger Delta.
The case entitled Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Shell and Wiwa v Anderson concerns the November 10, 1995 hangings of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) known as "Ogoni Nine" and the shooting of a woman protesting the bulldozing of her farm by Shell in preparation for a pipeline project.
After several years of litigation, Judge Kimba Wood ruled that the trial would he held this year.
According to a Financial Times of London report, proceedings are due to open at a New York court today in a suit filed by plaintiffs including Ken Saro-Wiwa Junior, the late activistís eldest son, accusing Shell of complicity in human rights violations committed by the former military government.
The plaintiff's action was brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and alleges violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO).
The 219-year-old federal law, which dates back to 1789, allows foreigners to sue over alleged human rights abuses committed in their countries.
http://remembersarowiwa.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogoni_Nine
The Ogoni Nine Memorial - Bellanaboy, Co. Mayo, Ireland.
The most renowned Nigerinan anti Shell protester.
Boycott Topaz Garages - Boycott Shell Sponsored Events. Pics (c) Michael Gallagher - poster copyleft.
Caption: Video Id: pFIaB66c9og Type: Youtube Video
Ken Sara Wiwa Jnr., outside the courthouse in New York.
A moving theatrical performance higlighting the continuing injustice in OGONILAND and here in ERRIS.Long may we have that free spirit to expose corruption ,greed and the abuse of power.Well done MAOR and DERRY.
another pic
Activist speaks as Maura Harrington