Roads were blocked off and activists separated in an attempt by Gardaí to force through vehicles involved in Shells operations in the area. Despite these efforts, a determined and passionate crowd of over 300 people including locals, neighbours and concerned Irish men and women from as far as Dublin, Belfast and Cork, managed to converge on the main road leading to the site. Gardaí held protesters on one side of the road to force through traffic to Gate 1 and 2, but as soon as the first truck appeared people began peaceful civil disobedience by sitting down and blocking the road. Gardaí responded aggressively, pulling, punching, kicking and throwing activists out of the way. Those who simply sat in the road were brutalised by Gardaí many of whom reeked of alcohol and appeared inebriated. One protester's foot was run over by a truck, only to be saved from losing it by his hob-nailed boot. Three peaceful protesters were arrested while many sustained minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, as well as damaged to property.
So it continued for over an hour as the people of Rossport and their supporter ground Shell's building to a halt for the day.
Ógra spokesperson Oisín Ó Dubhláin had this to say:
"Though the Gardaí were unreasonably brutal and unapologetic in this fact we must not be distracted or forget why we are here. Shell continue to build their unsafe refinery which will pump the natural resources of Ireland which belong to the people out of the sea and into their pockets and their's alone. The Irish people have been and continued to be robbed and sold down the river by Shell, Fianna Fáil and now the Greens.
Last year almost to the day Shell's Cops the Gardaí batoned peaceful crowds of men, women and children. Twelve years almost to the day, the Nigerian Government executed Ken Saro Wiwa at the behest of Shell. We must continue the fight for justice against Shell and their partners in Government, we must continue to make it impossible for Shell to carry out the theft of Irish resources and endangerment of the people of Erris. Shell To Sea! Victory to Rossport!"
Show your support, make sure you are on the bus for the next Day of Action or organise a solidarity protest in your area.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eAaFPByAbtE
"Against brute force and injustice, the people will have the last word, that of victory - Ernesto 'Che' Guevara Lynch"
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