Get Your Ass to Erris

mayo | environment | news report

Sunday July 10, 2005 01:18

by Terry - Shell to Sea

info at shelltosea dot com

Latest news and photos from Rossport Solidarity Camp.

The Rossport Solidarity camp is up and running, there have been people here from Louth, Clare, London, the north of England, Wales, Galway, Tipperary, Kildare, Dublin, Donegal, Antrim, Cork and Mayo.

Mostly what we are doing is picketing the compound at Rossport from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each working day. This is to dissuade workers contracted by Shell from entering. At the moment there is very little activity in the compound, as due to the popular action here in recent days Shell have called a temporary halt to operations, but we are continuing in our efforts, well aware that Shell have not halted for reasons of new found conscience.
We are slowly getting ourselves more organised and permanent. We aim to be ready for resumption of work by Shell-Statoil-Sicim-Roadbridge. On Tuesday morning some Italians working for Sicim, one of the main construction companies involved, attempted entry, but were persuaded not to.

There is generally a very low key Garda presence with a squad car driving past maybe once or twice a day. Initially it was less than this. We are doing this picketing with some of the local children, and with Ray, whose field played host to the solidarity gathering on the June Bank Holiday weekend, and Keiron, whose brothers Philip and Vincent are part of the Rossport Five.
Much of our role needs to be relieving local people who are over-worked – for instance the road side vigil (see earlier indymedia reports) was 24/7 for 12 days.

We operate under local leadership and with essential local logistical support.
More folk are very welcome up here, come for a day or a week or for the summer.
Another big job for us has been getting ready to provide accommodation for you when you travel up.
We are on the right hand side if you are facing the compound, and then in a field to the right again. See directions to Rossport here: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70581