“I’m happy with the way the Gardaí have conducted themselves”. Garda Press Officer, Supt. Ray McHugh at Bellanaboy.

In the wake of Tuesday’s dramatic events outside the gates of Shell’s proposed refinery site at Bellanaboy, campaigners were out in force Wednesday and Thursday undeterred by the heavy police presence and inclement weather. For the last two days over 200 local residents and Shell to Sea activists gathered in the semi darkness of the early mornings to voice their opposition to the Corrib gas project and to underline the fact that although work has temporarily recommenced on site, Shell to Sea resistance to this project will continue. In the face of deliberate attempts by Gardaí to opportunistically provoke and inflame the tempers of the protestors at this sensitive time, the nature of the last few days’ protests has been consciously peaceful, as usual, in an effort to diffuse the tension imported by An Garda Síochána.

The effective occupation of the Bellanaboy area by police since Tuesday morning continues. Hundreds of Gardaí who have been drafted into the small community to facilitate Shell’s work remain in the area and have maintained a strong presence outside the proposed refinery site since then. In the same way that Nigeria’s “oil police” violently suppress dissent to Shell’s corporate rape, the Gardaí are effectively Shell’s state provided private army protecting the global giant from the community which it is attempting to destroy. Public roads have been blocked and Garda checkpoints erected. Wednesday morning’s protest witnessed a heavy police presence with luminous coated Gardaí lining the roadside. This morning police presence was more low-key with Gardaí waiting on standby in buses.

A Photo From Tonights Reading

At this point in time it is a rare and welcome event when a book by an Irish activist is published and rarer still when a book by an Irish anti-capitalist writer receives widespread praise and acclaim. Clandestines: the Pirate journals of an Irish Exile, which has received a slew of positive reviews following it’s publication in the US by AK Press, is just such a rarity, and as it is being launched in Ireland this week means readers here will soon be able to make their own appraisal of the book.

Although this is Ryan's first full length book many Indymedia readers may have already come across Ryan’s articles and essays before as the author is relatively well known and his work is included in probably two of the most notable collections of anti-capitalist writing of recent years- the Verso Press’ ‘We are Everywhere’ and Softskull Press’ ‘Confronting Capitalism.

Links to some more of Ramor's Writings: We Are Everywhere | Confronting Capitalism | Days of Horror Nights Of War | More online pieces

First Protester Injured By Cops

Late Monday saw a call out from Shell to Sea as rumours circulated that the state was ready to force the construction workers through the blockade at Ballinaboy. At 3.30 a.m. Tuesday morning there was a large amount of police activity with roadblocks being set up and then a woman is injured as the guards insist on forcing the entry of the security staff (who have been previously allowed onto the site without confrontation). At 6.30 a.m. the order goes out to 'Send in the Carrying Squad' and protestors are carried away from the blockade - with one man receiving a broken finger.

By 8 a.m. it was obvious that the decision had been made to re-take Ballinaboy for Shell on the same day that gas prices rise 30% and the Taoiseach is appearing in the Dail over his loans / gifts / whatever your having yourself. According to the guards they deployed 170 directly at Ballinaboy with riot police borught up from Cork on standby. But the mood amongst protestors is resilient and solidarity protests are being organised.

More Coverage:Galway protest at 6pm outside Mill street garda station, Tuesday 2nd Report and pics | Protest outside Shell HQ Lwr. Leeson st. Dublin, at 1 pm Wednesday | Cork Protest Wed. 4th October, 8:30am, Anglesea Garda Station. | Mainstream media claims Shell to Sea is infiltrated by IRA | Audio Updatefrom John Monaghan

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After nearly a fortnight of political turmoil, which Bertie really wishes would have died down by now, today seems to be the D-day on which all of his future will be decided. After his Nixon-esque interview on Six-One, the FF strategists were surely hoping that his personal life being laid bare for the cynical public, as well as his stated intention to pay back the "loans", were enough to silence the hounds. However the Manchester payment, by some group of businessmen, for some vague reason or other, is going to cause him enormous damage, and it remains difficult to see how he could come out on the other side of all this with his image as a simple man of the people intact. Surely even FF are going to be wondering if sticking with their leader is worth it. In the last general election, his face was the face of Fianna Fail, adorning the posters on the lamposts, with the slogan 'A Lot Done, More To Do'. They face losing the next election if Bertie is still at the helm and is the brand of FF.

But by the end of play today - if McDowell does pull the plug and Bertie gets the chop in an internal putsch, and we're all watching a leadership contest, or maybe even a general election nine months sooner than expected - will whatever happens make the slightest bit of difference? I find it hard to believe so. I dont think that any replacement for Bertie will be any less susceptible to corruption. Fianna Fail has always been the friend of the builder, developer, businessman, and whoever else is interested in getting access to the tent at the Galway Races - for the right price.

The Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI- which includes residents of Ringsend, Irishtown, and Sandymount) handed over 3,000 objections on Monday afternoon to An Bord Pleanala. The signatures were collected from people across Dublin, including members of the Crumlin and Ballyfermot Anti Bin Tax campaigns, against the proposed incinerator for Dublin Bay.

CRAI opposes the siting of an incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula on grounds of health fears and traffic and environmental concerns. They are calling for alternatives to incineration such as public recycling and for democracy in planning and development.

Dublin City Council along with the other Dublin Local Authorities, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County councils have applied to An Bord Pleanala for approval on the Poolbeg Peninsula of an incinerator that will burn 600,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste per annum.