To date residents and supporters of the Shell To Sea campaign have been staging an ongoing picket outside the Shell gas refinery gates in Ballinaboy. Numbers on average at these chilly weekday morning vigils vary between 40 to 60 people. The picket is a reminder both to the government and the petrochemical multinational that local residents are against the construction of the refinery and the laying of gas pipes in their area.

A national day of support was called, inviting people who empathise with this campaign to come up to Mayo on Friday 16th February 2007.This is what one person saw:

Related Links: Announcement of National Demonstration · Breaking News of the Morning's Events (incl. Audio Reports) · Another Report of the Occupation · Photographic Report · Solidarity Action in Scotland

Will The State Turn to Thuggery Again?

Amid Widespread Fears of State Violence and Thuggery, Shell To Sea Call Another Day of Support

Since October 3rd 2006, residents living near Shell's proposed refinery site have peacefully protested each morning despite increasing levels of state violence. Erris Shell to Sea campaigners have demonstrated their protest in a number of ways slow car drives, sit downs and protest walks. On Friday, November 10th, a national day of action was called in Bellinaboy, which saw a huge show of violence and intimidation from the police.

Now, another national day of support is being held on Friday 16th February at Bellanaboy. The aim of the day is for people from around the country to show their support and solidarity with the community of Erris in their struggle against Shell. Buses have been organised for supporters from Dublin, Galway and Belfast. Shell To Sea has once again called for a peaceful protest and their supporters have urged the state not to repeat the violence, thuggery and intimidation displayed on previous protests.

Latest Protest News

• Thursday, 7pm: Buses Leave Dublin, Watched by the Guards
• Friday, 7.40am: Crowds begin to gather
• 8.20 am: Crowd arrives at refinery
• 10.15 am: Break-away section travel cross-country to follow pipeline
• 10.46 am: Protestors entire Bellinaboy refinery and work has stopped
• 11.20 am: Protestors march out of refinery

EU Propaganda

Climate chaos has begun to rate as newsworthy for the corporate and state media in Ireland with both Prime Time and The Irish Times recently covering the issue.

These came in the wake of scientific report after scientific report underlining the gravity of the situation. However, the main corporate/state media focus is on reducing individual consumption, with technical fixes coming second. This focus on individual consumption serves to mask the routes of environmental crisis, routes which are inherent in the structures of society, i.e. in the way society is organised. It is no co-incidence that we see EU governments promoting the idea ‘You control climate change’ and that the solution is a personal reduction in individual consumption.

Related Links: Indymedia Feature on Arctic Climate Chaos | Social Change not Climate Change | Ecology and Class: where there’s brass, there’s muck | Green Communism | Eco-Socialist Manifesto | Plane Stupid | Mark Lynas | Rising Tide

The Free Derry Museum is a community based museum telling the story of the people of the Bogside, Creggan and the Brandywell over a four year period ending with the events of Bloody Sunday, where 14 people were killed by the Paratroop regiment of the British army.

John Kelly was standing at the museum entrance, chatting to a woman about the 35th anniversary commemoration of Bloody Sunday. He welcomed us in and told us how his brother Michael was one of those killed on that day. This was a true community museum, in the heart of Free Derry. Unlike most museums, it doesn’t ‘own’ any of the items on display; rather, they are all on loan from the families and individuals involved.

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IMC interview with John Kelly of the Free Derry Museum
IMC interview with John Kelly of the Free Derry Museum 4.15 Mb

Jim Travers claims that the match between the Republic of Ireland and San Marino has given us the space to reflect on our beliefs, that what we thought in the past has now come true. Ireland was terrible by any standards and deserved to walk away with nothing more than a loss.

So Do We Kiddo