The people of Rossport county Mayo are at present involved in a campaign against a shell, raw gas pipeline that is being forced through their community. The Shell To Sea campaign’s key concerns include the pumping of raw, unprocessed gas from the Corrib gas field, at a dangerous high pressure past the homes and the land belonging to the rural community.
However Shell plans to press ahead with their onshore gas terminal, neglecting environmental, health, safety, planning and economic concerns. The escalation in the protest has seen a local teacher, Maura Harrington go on Hunger Strike. The 4th day of her fast passed on Saturday. Also on Saturday 5 Shell to Sea activists were arrested in County Mayo. It was against this backdrop that Saturdays protest in Strabane and Lifford took place.
Ógra activists first blitzed Strabane town centre with leaflets raising people’s awareness about the ‘Shell To Sea’ campaign and the current Hunger Strike by Maura Harrington.
Protestors then made their way to Lifford Garda Station where they held a protest before handing in a letter of protest outlining their disgust at the behaviour of their colleagues in County Mayo. Following the handing in of the latter Ógra activists held a protest and handing out leaflets to passing motorists on the Lifford Bridge.
Lifford Ógra Shinn Féin activist Dervla Peoples said;
“We are here today with our activists in Strabane and Lifford to raise public awareness of the controversial Corrib gas pipeline in Rossport. Between Strabane and Lifford today we have distributed hundreds of leaflets, and engaged with the public on the issue. We also delivered a letter of protest to the sergeant at Lifford Garda station, we hope that members of An Garda Síochána who disagree with the heavy handed tactics of their colleagues in Mayo will speak out about it within their own ranks and with the Irish government. However experience has shown that there are many in the ranks of the guards who will be all to willing to attack peaceful protesters in Co Mayo.”
“We in Ógra Shinn Féin support the demands of the Shell to Sea campaign, and we salute the bravery of the activists involved in particular, Maura Harrington Who is currently engaged in a hunger-strike.”
The following is a copy of the letter that ÓSF delivered to Lifford Gardaí.
To whom it may concern;
With regard to the Shell Corrib gas pipeline project currently underway in northwest Mayo,we the undersigned would ask that all members of An Garda Síochána in the Lifford area take time to read this letter and reflect on the issues involved.
Ógra Shinn Féin are opposed to this disastrous project and we believe that the manner in which the Irish government are using the Gardaí (and the Irish navy) to defend the oil giants interests is a national disgrace.
The despicable and sickening manner in which the Gardaí are being deployed to crush opposition to this pipeline project, is a cause for growing concern among our organisation, and among right thinking people nationally and internationally. Protestors at the Shell compound in Rossport have been met with the now familiar scenes of Garda violence, harassment, intimidation and arrest. This is political policing at its worst, the fact that the state’s police force can be deployed en masse to brutally facilitate the capitalist interests of multi-national companies is very worrying indeed.
Last month the Gardaí released figures showing that, €11million has been spent policing the project since 2006 – more than half the amount your force spent fighting organised crime. With this in mind we conclude that the Gardaí are working for Shell and not the Irish people.
We are calling on all members of An Garda Síochána who are not involved in policing the Corrib gas project, and who disagree with the way in which the force is being used for political ends, to voice your concerns with your superior officers and with the Irish government itself.
Furthermore, Shell To Sea campaigner Maura Harrington is currently on Hunger-strike in opposition to the pipe laying operation, and unless more people speak out, we fear this woman could die. Those who stay silent within the Gardaí are morally responsible for a lot of what is going on at this controversial project.
We hope you take time to examine this issue.
Signed;
Strabane/Lifford Ógra Shinn Féin
3 comments:
Ógra in the 26 counties need to get active and send similar letters to their local garda stations.
I was speaking to Maura this morning over the phone and she is in high spirits considering the situation she is in. She is appealing to people to send messages to the solitaire and its owners, the addresses of which can be found on the Shell to sea website.
FUCK SHELL!!!!
Maura the brave
we will sing your praises
as we take our children down to the water
down to the water
we will take them
and we will sing to them of you
brave Maura
this is your water, we will tell them
these are your fish, we will tell them
silver, as your bodies in the ocean of
your mother's bellies once were
this is your wealth
the green sea of Ireland, who is the mother
of all of us
delicate and pure and green and unspoiled
because of Maura.
Maura the brave.
Maura, brave Maura
we will sing of you to our children.
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=7814255091
Post a Comment