Remember Remember the tenth of November,

national | anti-capitalism | feature

Tuesday October 30, 2007 20:44

by Sean Mallory (wsm pers cap) & Soundmigration (wsm pers cap)

November the tenth: lessons learned (or not)

Ogoni Nine Memorial in Rossport

Looking back at Shells history of brutality and looking forward to the comemmeration actions in Mayo on November 9th

The tenth of November is fast approaching. This day has come to signify across the world the brutality that is systematic behind Royal Dutch Shell's corporate image. It is also becoming a day of hope and resistance against this brutality. Twelve years ago this November the Nigerian government hung nine activists from MOSOP(Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) at the behest of Shell. These activists (who included the famous writer Ken Saro Wiwa) were accused of incitement murder by the Nigerian military Junta. The charges were absolutely spurious. Saro Wiwa was detained by the military as he tried to go the Niger delta the morning before the murders even happened. The case of gross injustice attracted worldwide support from many organisations such as the Sierra Club. Even John Major the Conservative Party leader at the time called the executions "judicial murder". Unfortunately, the massive efforts failed and the nine were hung on November the 10th 1995. One may ask what has this got to do with Shell, Ireland or us.

MOSOP arrived on the world scene with their now famous Ogoni bill of rights http://www.mosop.net/MosopOBR.htm in 1992. In this, the Ogoni people (inhabitants of a ogoniland a regionin the Niger Delta) demanded to be treated as human beings and essentially freed from the misery that the oil multinationals, particularly Royal Dutch Shell, were visiting upon them. Kuro (from the Niger delta) explained the reasons for the protests: "Farming is the main occupation of the Ogoni people.....there was alot of environemntal destruction to their farmland- oil spills, gas flaring effecting the day to day livelyhood of the people of the Ogoniland...they had to rise up and say "Shell, enough is enough!"

The Nigerian Governemnt under orders from Shell moved to crush MOSOP as the movement garnered widescale support through Ogoniland in the Niger Delta and further a field. In 1994 the actions of the Nigerian State reached boiling point as the miltary, on the invitation of Shell, launched a full scale attack on Ogoniland using helicopters loaned by Shell. This was carried out allegedly to find the murderers of four Ogoni leaders of the moderate faction within MOSOP (the crime which the Ogoni 9 were subsequently linked to). This attack more or less turned into an occupation. By 1995 the conflict had escalated to the point where 2000 people were dead and 100,000 were displaced.

Where's the direct Shell link?
Well firstly there's the fact that they loaned helicopters for the 1994 assault and subsequent occupation of Ogoniland illustrates direct involvement in the attrocities. It subsequently emerged that Shell funded the Nigerian military, despite claiming innocence. After Saro Wiwa's military trial and executions, two key witnesses admitted to being offered bribes and jobs at Shell to testify at the trial. Shell also benefitted enormously freom the execution - Shell's production returned to normal within a few months of the execution after having all but collapsed. It has emerged subsequently it was Shell who initially invited the military to the delta and gave them military hardware to carry out the assault. www.sierraclub.org/human-right.s/amnesty/report.pdf (page 22)

Where does Ireland come in?
During those hurrendous days in the mid nineties people in Ireland, whilst showing their anger against Shell and solidarity with the Ogoni, never thought they would ever face such an adversary. Sadly this came to pass. As we all know by now, through a series of sordid deal between politicians and greedy multinationals, the area of Ballinaboy was picked as the site for Shell to steal and process 51 billion of our gas. For more see http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84515 . As many of us are aware the communities from Erris have put up a tremendous Eight year struggle to stop their area being devastated by an onshore refinery whilst also protect our natural resources, a resource that could fund health service, pensions and renewable secure energy.

Throughout this struggle Shell have used their usual tactics, the extremity of which has been honed down as Rossport has the privledge of being situated in Western Europe. Unfortunately the stakes are equal; illhealth and potential death from emissions are equally lethal no matter where you are, and our lack of resources (if allowed to be stolen by Shell) in the future will be lethal if we can't fund our already crumbling health service. This is why the resistance is so dogged and so important. This was perhaps best encapsulated in the attached interview with Kuro an activist from the Niger Delta who has seen the lethal effects of what Shell's operations: "It is my opinion, every measure should be taken to make sure the community is not the victim for what we know that can happen to the environment.....It is a vital cause for every well-meaning Irish person to be involved in".

November the tenth is also a a dark day on Shell's record in Ballinaboy. On this day in 2006 the communities in struggle and their national supporters organised a day to commerate the execution of the Ogoni 9. The response fle was learned as Shell to Sea backed down. But over a year of violence, intimidation and bullying, Shell to Sea has definitely now learned that giving in, backing down or shying away from a bully only gives them confidence. This is why November the tenth is so important. This issue has grown so much bigger than Rossport. Without protests and blockades to mark November the tenth, we would be showing that batoning peaceful protestors works. John Monaghan from Rossport perharom the authorities was incredible. This peaceful protest was batton charged by the Gardai again brought to the local community by Shell. Several protestors were injured and some were hospitalised, one very seriously.

Shell seem to learned little from their experiences, from the Niger Delta to Mayo. They use violence harassment, bribery, division jail and worse as their modus operandi. Production from their fields in the Niger Delta is rarely anywhere near full production, whilst in ballinaboy, refining, although supposed to be up and running is sevral years behind schedule with no refinery or even route for their pipeline.

Kuro an activist from the Niger Delta who has seen the lethal effects of Shell's operations: "It is my opinion, every measure should be taken to make sure the community is not the victim for what we know that can happen to the environment.....It is a vital cause for every wellmeaning Irish person to be involved in".ng, is years behind schedule, with no refinery built and no pipeline route as of yet! Violence doesn't work in Nigeria and it won't work in Mayo.

What have Shell to Sea learned?
It was arguable after the batton charge last year, little was learned as Shell to Sea backed down. But over a year of violence, intimidation bullying, Shell to Sea on its learning curve has definitely now realised that giving in, backing down or shying away from a bully only gives them confidence. This is why November the ninth (the day chosen to commerate the tenth) is so important. This issue has grown so much bigger than Rossport. Without protests and blockades to mark November the tenth, we would be showing that batoning peaceful protestors works. John Monaghan from Rossport perhaps outlined the reasons to go to Erris in a nutshell when he quipped "Some people refer to Broadhaven bay where we live as Guantanamo bay. It's a very strange place. The rule of law seems to be able to be suspended for private companies".

We must show this cannot stand. It won't- we'll be there on the 9th of November to stop it. Will you?