Bike-powered Protest Occupies Shell Forecourts In Bristol

mayo | miscellaneous | news report Friday February 18, 2011 02:48 by Jack the lad

Saturday 12th February, Bristol and Bath Rising Tide and friends went on a bicycle tour of Bristol’s Shell petrol stations. The ride was in protest at Shell’s activities in Co. Mayo where they are laying a high pressure gas pipeline; and in solidarity with the courageous local resistance to the project.

The 30 cyclists - and an escaped stegosaurus - occupied the forecourts at the petrol stations on Muller Road, St Philips Causeway and York Road, circling the pumps and handing out flyers to customers. They then dismounted and danced to the accompanying sound system. As a result the Muller Road petrol station was closed for a while. Lots of people were interested and asked questions about the action. The police were ‘in attendance’ but did not intervene. Two cops on bikes joined the ride as they saw how much fun we were having.

In Rossport, County Mayo, Shell have just been given planning approval to lay the final section of the high pressure Corrib gas pipeline, ignoring massive local opposition. The planned pipeline would run close to people's homes, up the centre of the beautiful Sruwaddacon estuary (a Special Protected Area and Special Area of Conservation) and over an unstable peat bog. Due to courageous resistance by the local community the project has so far been delayed for a decade and is 3 times over budget - impressive for a rural community fighting one of the biggest multinationals in the world. Throughout, the Irish Government has colluded with and supported Shell while ignoring the interests of its own people. The project as it stands will endanger their health, livelihoods & local environment; all for the profit of Shell. At a global scale it will also contribute to climate chaos.

Full Story | Rising Tide Meeting
This is just one example of Shell’s operations destroying communities and wrecking the environment: from oil extraction in the Niger Delta to the tar sands in Alberta, Canada. People all over the world are resisting by defending their communities and environment against Shell.