Ógra Shinn Féin play active role in Shell to Sea Day of Action

Yesterday, Friday September 14, members of Ógra Shinn Féin joined with Shell to Sea campaigners from all over Ireland. The activists, who came to show solidarity with the local community in Rossport, took part in a sit down protest outside the main gate of the proposed gas refinery in Bellinaboy.

At around 08.30, more than 80 of the assembled group including Ógra activists stormed the building site, after getting over the main gate. Inside the site the protesters were met with heavy handed tactics from both site security staff and Gardaí, who made it clear that the state’s priorities was the welfare of a private company rather than the citizens.

Upon entering the site protesters occupied building machinery, ensuring the stoppage of work on the site. Following that the protesters again engaged in a sit down protest on the site. At this point rank and file Gardaí stepped back in order to allow the public order unit to deal with the situation.

The public order unit used brutal and excessive measures to clear the protesters from the site, acting with almost absolute impunity as they bore no identification details similar to those usually seen on Gardaí. The public order unit employed whatever means necessary in order to clear the protesters from the site, including kicking and punching them. One Ógra member suffered a mild concussion after receiving a kick in the head.

Ógra Shinn Féin spokesperson and co-ordinator,

Áine Ní Dhúbháin said after the protest that she was very happy with the day’s events,

“I am extremely pleased with today’s protest. Ógra Shinn Féin, along with many other groups, came here today not just to protest against the building of this pipeline but also to show our solidarity with the local community in their fight for justice. The situation in Rossport is not now and has never been acceptable. A multi-national corporation is endangering the lives of the local community in Rossport in order to increase their profit margins. If this project is allowed to be completed it will set a dangerous precedent for developments like here and in other countries in the future.”

Speaking on the role of the Gardaí in the day’s events, Ní Dhúbháin said that,

“The Gardaí have today further isolated themselves from the local community, and the country at large. They have proven today that they are no more than professional security guards for Shell. However despite the actions of the Gardaí and on-site security guards, the protesters maintained their discipline and did not re-act to the continuing provocative actions of the Gardaí.”

“Today must act as a rallying call to every right-minded person in this country that Shell, have no right to abuse our communities, and exploit our resources for private gain. This is a message we must send not only to this multi-national company, but also to the pro-business, neo-liberal group who govern this state.”