Rossport Solidarity Camp
May - June 2009
At the end of May, Bristol Rising Tiders joined others from around the UK and the Republic of Ireland for a weekend gathering at the Rossport Solidarity Camp at Glengad in County Mayo. The gathering had been called to support the local community in their fight to stop Shell and Statoil from wrecking their environment and destroying their livelihoods of farming and fishing. Shell and Statoil (the Norwegian State oil and gas company) are extracting gas off the coast of Co. Mayo and are now planning to lay a gas pipeline to connect the drilling rig to the gas refinery they are building on seized land at nearby Ballanaboy. The 150 people who came to the gathering took part in direct action workshops led by the Tripod collective from Scotland and learnt from local activists about the massive oil and gas developments planned for the Atlantic seaboard of Ireland. A workshop run by an activist from Platform also showed that the struggle at Rossport was just one of many being waged by small communities around the world against Shell - the multinational oil company. The hallmarks of Shell’s operations are disregard for the environment, destruction of livelihoods, coercion and violence against local activists and gaining favourable terms by giving backhanders to politicians.
On Sunday the whole gathering and a large group of locals went to Shell’s enclosure where they intend to bring the pipeline ashore. Unsuccessful attempts were made to pull down a section of fencing this being thwarted by the large numbers of private security and police. Several people scaled the fence. The confrontation ended in seven activists being arrested – one on trumped up charges of assault. A further small-scale action on Monday afternoon saw activists start to dismantle the causeway that would carry the pipeline up the beach.
The numbers at the camp fell to about 30 on Monday evening as people headed home after the weekend. It was at this point that the ‘fleet’ arrived filling the previously tranquil bay. Two large dredging platforms were towed in by tugs accompanied by freighters to carry away the spoil, survey ships and a flotilla of 9 security vessels (rigid inflatable boats and motor launches) including one police RIB. The dredgers were there to dig a trench in the seabed to take the pipeline. They started work immediately and continued through the night. Tuesday saw the protest camp take to the water. 12 activists went out in an assortment of craft – most in inflatable kayaks. The initial aim was to test out the capabilities of Shell’s security vessels. A game of cat and mouse went on for over an hour as the kayakers danced around the larger security vessels – then the police RIB moved in and by using police divers grabbed one kayaker (from Bristol). Following this arrest the protest fleet retreated only to come out a few hours later. Now intent on disrupting the dredging, the kayakers spread out and successfully drew the security boats off as two of their number made it through to the larger dredger. Meeting no opposition on the dredger they quickly climbed up onto the arm of the giant digger and halted work. They continued their occupation for the next ten hours and only gave themselves up at 4.00 a.m. when hunger and cold prevented them from remaining longer.
Two days later the kayakers of the ‘Irish Flotilla’ struck again and this time succeeded in getting several people onto a dredger. This time they met violent resistance from Shell’s private security guards resulting in several injuries to activists. One protestor again occupied the digger arm and prevented work (see a full account at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92596). Following this direct action, Van Oord, the subcontractor running the dredgers said they were unwilling to work with ongoing protest activity and the excessive use of force by the private security. This resulted in the entire dredging operation being halted and the fleet returning to harbour.
This experience shows that private security in expensive boats cannot stop dedicated activists in flimsy inflatable kayaks - direct action can and has stopped work for now. While this is a great victory, the campaign has already been a long one and the people of Rossport need our active and continuing support. Several local activists are now facing jail terms following repeated arrests and refusal to pay fines. Later this summer the specialist pipe-laying ship ‘Solitaire’ is expected to arrive. If you have got the time get out there – it’s a beautiful place and great people.
See http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.110mb.com for info on transport and how to support the local campaign.
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