Rossport Solidarity Camp the story so far… www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLpDmh4BU8w Solidarity Gathering, June 2005 Rossport Solidarity Camp was established in the middle of June 2005, at the request of residents of Rossport, in north-west Mayo, Ireland, opposing the construction of a high pressure gas pipeline and inland gas refinery in their area. It was born out of a solidarity gathering held in Rossport on the first weekend in June that year. That weekend over two hundred people, from every corner of the island and beyond, gathered in Rossport to learn about the issues surrounding the Corrib gas project at first hand. The Lorry Action Those involved in organising the gathering kept in contact with people in the area and we got the call to return to Rossport on June 18th, after residents had begun a particular action. This action related to the virtual absence of a traffic management plan for Rossport, despite the fact that Shell aimed to put 60 to 70 trucks a day on a narrow country lane. Basically if you are driving up that wee road, going from your house into town to do the shopping or pick up the kids from the train station, and you meet a lorry carrying pipeline to build a unprecedented high-pressure pipeline next to your house, then you have to turn around and leave the road, that road being too narrow for both cars and the Shell lorries. This despite the fact you have right of way. One day a Rossport resident met a Shell lorry on the narrow road and instead of reversing to let the lorry pass simply parked on the side of the road halting the lorry, which was too wide to pass the car, but allowing ordinary traffic to pass. Other residents parked their cars along the road and thus began a 12 day, 24 hours a day, vigil by the roadside holding the Shell lorry hostage. At this stage there were only 3 or 4 “campers”, who were actually staying in a house and assisting with the lorry vigil. Some days before this Shell made an attempt to access the farmlands adjoining peoples’ houses, having been refused, on the basis, later shown to be correct, that they didn’t have ministerial permission. They then sought the imprisonment of five men from among those who refused them entry, Willie Corduff, Brendan Philbin, Vincent McGrath, Philip McGrath and Michael O’Seighin. On the 28th June the five men were summoned to the high court and subsequently imprisoned for contempt of court for refusing to abide by the court injunction barring them from interfering with Shell workers laying the pipe on their land. The Camp is set up, June 2005 After the jailing of the five men it was feared that Shell may attempt to lay the pipe in their absence. Campers and residents began to picket the Shell compound site in Rossport. During this time campers moved out of the house in which they had been staying and began to set up a camp. In a short space of time, and in a fairly ad-hoc, spontaneous and improvised manner, the camp was assembled. Cooking equipment and experience came from the Bitchin’ Kitchen Collective, who were to be at festivals and protests around Europe, but fortunately didn’t get much further than a field in Mayo, a marquee was donated by Dissent, one of the groups organising the G-8 protests in Scotland, some tents were borrowed from here and there, some bodies came from NUI Galway Ecology Society, some from environmentalist group Gluaiseacht. All this was put together early in July, on Philip McGrath’s small farm and right on the supposed pipeline route. A further camp, or more of an off-host from the main camp, was set up on the other side of the estuary from Rossport, in Glengad, where the supposed land fall for the off-shore pipeline is to be. From the end of June 2005 the main activity of the camp was picketing the construction compound in Rossport in conjunction with Rossport residents. This was done from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, with two people on three-hour shifts keeping watch. For two months there was also a constant gárda presence at the compound sites. In early July Shell, unable to continue work due to the constant pickets, announced a suspension of work on the pretext of calling for a ‘period of calm’. Solidarity Week & the Grassroots Gathering, August 2005 At the end of August Rossport Solidarity Camp organised the solidarity week culminating in the Tenth Grassroots Gathering. A lot of people from England travelled over to join the camp at this time. The solidarity week featured a social night for campers and residents, workshops, a Rossport Five street theatre in Castlebar, and a blockade of a Statoil depot in Ballina. At the Tenth Grassroots Gathering there were speakers from, or speaking about, Derrybrien Development Society, the Woodland League, Galway for a Safe Environment, Gorleben anti-nuclear protest camp, anti-pylon groups from Roscommon and Donegal and the campaign against Merrill Dow in Cork in the late 80’s. There were also skills share workshops. Over one hundred people attended the Gathering that weekend, with Rossport Solidarity Camp briefly blossoming into three camps on the pipeline route. Winter; preparing for Rossport Solidarity Camp ‘06 The camp disbanded at the end of the construction season in October both because Shell had ceased work and because conditions on the campsite became too wet as autumn advanced. People involved in the camp did not want to leave the area and so a house was rented not far from Rossport where we set up an office with Internet and phone access. Throughout the winter months we prepared for the coming summer’s camp which we wanted to be bigger and better than summer ’05 . Camp participants spoke at meetings around Ireland and we organised specific ‘building the camp’ meetings in Dublin and Galway to get more people involved. Two participants in the camp went on speaking tour of England before Christmas, speaking at social centres and various other venues in London, Brighton, Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Lancaster, and Oxford. A further speaking tour of Scotland and England happened in February and we spoke in locations in Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as visiting several protest camps; Faslane near Glasgow, Bilston near Edinburgh, Nine Ladies near Sheffield and Camp Bling in Southend-on-Sea. In January a camper attended the World Social Forum in Venezuela on behalf of the Shell to Sea campaign. As well as promoting the camp through talks and meetings we also worked on how we would organise and run the camp in regard to issues such as our approach to the media, decision making structures, dealing with sexual harassment etc. A skill share weekend was held at Halloween with workshops on permaculture, alternative energy, campaign tactics, media and safer spaces (dealing with issues of sexual harassment within ‘activist’ circles). On the 17th and 18th of February actions of solidarity were held across Ireland and the UK as well as in Holland and Sweden aimed at highlighting the reopening of the camp and marking the beginning of a new season of resistance against Shell and the state. The Camp reopens, February 2006 Rossport Solidarity Camp re-opened on the 25th of February 2006. Whereas in 2005 the camp was located on the route of the pipeline in Rossport, it was decided that this year’s camp would be located on the landfall of the pipeline, on the beach at Glengad. On the weekend of the 25th over thirty Shell to Sea supporters from across the country assisted campers and Rossport residents in the construction of the camp. A marquee and several benders (structures made from bent hazel poles) were constructed that weekend and in the subsequent weeks we have built more benders, compost toilets, food composting facilities, a grey water system, pathways, and a kitchen. So far we have had visitors from England, Scotland, Wales, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Italy, Spain, New Zealand and the United States. On the weekend of the 10th of March 50 students from N.U.I.M and U.C.D. as well as campaigners from Dublin Shell to Sea visited Rossport Solidarity Camp to learn more about the issues and to contribute to the building of the camp. Rossport Solidarity Camp Gathering, June 2006 On the bank holiday weekend 2nd to 5th of June we marked the first anniversary of our involvement in the resistance to Shell in Mayo with another gathering on the camp. Reports are here: http://indymedia.ie/article/76731 http://indymedia.ie/article/76711 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/06/343030.html http://indymedia.ie/article/76500 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76466 Latest news, reports and pics at www.indymedia.ie Threat to Civil Liberties in Erris Gardaí banned peaceful protest Nov 24 Solidarity Day postponed due to 'fear of out of control Gardai' "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. " Gandhi Government turns on it's people Press Statement, Nov. 13 Press Statement/proposal: Nov. 6thNorwegian government (via Statoil) are responsible too! Beaten and bloodied but never bowed! Shell to Sea return to the bridge on which they were baton-charged by the Gardaí on Friday 10th Nov 06 Gardai baton charge (RTE TV) Police punch young female student (video) Police seal of local roads for corporate giants Protesters batoned and hospitalised Protesters batoned and hospitalised Recordings made. Legal action to follow Shell using state force as they did in Nigeria 10 years ago - Shell in Nigeria McDowell, as per usual, claims 'provo tactics' Bertie rejects inquiry, says 'negotiations are over' Kenny fudges and says 'respect the law' Community under siege and slander Campaigners say 'we've only begun!' NOV 20: Cork: Micheal O'Seighin talk - NOV 21: Mayo: Shell 'open evenings' - NOV 23: Ennis: Shell to Sea meeting - NOV 24: Mayo: POSTPONED! - Bellanaboy day of solidarity - NOV 25: Mayo: Meeting of all S2S groups (TBC) corkshelltosea@gmail.com "We do not seek conflict, we know the strength of the forces arrayed against us. Know that because of them we can only use peaceful means, but we are determined that justice will be done!" Mohandas K. Gandhi