NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
It tore the heart out of a community. There was heavy handed policing and brutality towards protesters. Men who had never put a foot wrong in their life were jailed. The military were deployed to obstruct protest. Fishermen’s livelihoods and in some instances their boats were destroyed. There were hunger strikes.
No it wasn’t in some despotic Middle East State or some South American ‘banana republic’ it was Ireland over the last decade.
The fight of the North West Mayo community to resist the Shell oil company’s plans to bulldoze its way through their community and establish an on shore gas terminal became a fight that was publicised and supported world wide. Documentaries were made about the fight of ‘little people’ against a mighty multi-national corporation.
It could only end one way particularly as the Irish government from the outset used the full weight of the state against their own people, usurping planning law, gerrymandering the criminal law and in the final act of despotism deploying the Irish Naval Service against the protesters. Probably the most shameful act of a force tasked to defend the people – instead lining up with the multi-nationals and the ‘gombeen government’ in Leinster House.
Now the gas is ready to flow. The protesters won some concessions but failed in their main objective to have the terminal offshore.
We and many other supported them from the outset. Celtic League reported on the first meeting to organise opposition to the plan. We protested to the Irish government we protested to European bodies. However the gas will flow into the terminal soon, see link to Irish Times story by Lorna Siggins who from the outset was one of the few journalists to report on Shell and Corrib objectively and consistently.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/shell-corrib-project-looks-forward-to-delivering-gas-1.2386079
‘Shell to Sea’ the protest movement and other groups may not have succeeded in their objective but from the outset they commanded the moral high ground and still command it today!
Links to related items on CL News (for all reports just type Shell, Corrib or Mayo into our search facility):
https://www.celticleague.net/news/eire-mayo-message-of-support-from-celtic-league-for-jailed-shell-campaigner-11-3-2010/
https://www.celticleague.net/news/gardi-allefged-assault-at-shell-corrib-site/
https://www.celticleague.net/news/ireland-broadhaven-bay-policing-issue-coe-respond-23-2-2010/
https://www.celticleague.net/news/eire-no-role-for-military-in-policing/
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
14/10/15
THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE
The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues
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