Pat & Jonathan O'Donnell Arrested and Boats Commandeered by Gardai As Solitaire's Arrival Imminent

by SHELL TO SEA Tue Jun 30, 2009 00:45

Jonathan O Donnell (23) was arrested at sea thursday was held in prison over nyt n appeard bfore dublin district court on friday mornin and charged wit wilful obstruction and loiterin wen actually e was fishin.... the gards n da navy have also impounded der boats (the John Michelle) n da (James Collins) dey r tryin to make a criminal out of m which dey r.
FISHIN AND LOITERING ARE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS

why is the goverment letting this happen

ALL THE PEOPLE IN ERRIS NEED TO GROW UP N STAND UP TO SHELL NOW BEFORE IT IS TO L8.

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US GET PAT N JONATHAN BACK IN THE WATERS

N SOLITAIRE GO HOME

by James Kelly Sun Jun 28, 2009 19:47

Apologies Marc

I put your name up instead of mine re the above

by Marc Spring Sun Jun 28, 2009 19:29

Thanks Marc,

I was a bit turgid in making my point.

I am not saying I have anything approaching a resolution to this Eastern Front problem. I am rather suggesting that some hard individual and collective thinking should be done on the issue of state and corporate media censorship and twisting of the facts

I have the greatest respect and admiration for those who take the road to Rossport and put themselves on the frontline with the people up there, I would just very much like to see a concentrated focus on this theatre of, for want of a better term, we call the Eastern Front .

I am away for a week but will meet asap.

by Miss Ionary Sat Jun 27, 2009 18:03

Harkins is a conservative lady......won't fall for this one.

by Redneck Sat Jun 27, 2009 16:43

Anyone know if Marain Harkin MEP has any position on all of this?

by twit Sat Jun 27, 2009 15:16

WSMIreland #s2s Sean at RSC. About 70 ppl travelled in convoy. More arriving. 11 minutes ago from txt

WSMIreland #s2s Sean at RSCAt ballyglass pier. Uniformed cops and public order unit are surroundin the o donnel's impounded boats.

feker RT @mediabite: Army plane joins police and navy in service of Royal Dutch Shell in Mayo http://tinyurl.com/ohupuo #s2s about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

by peter odonnell Sat Jun 27, 2009 12:59

Great idea the tV license to withhold i mean. this should bring down the bastards all right. we should stop paying dog lisences and all. I am withholding all fees and taxes due to the govt.

Let all us unemployed people go to mayo and make our statement, we have the time now to do this dont regret this when your old and dying that you dodnt do this. i am sending a letter to Barack Obamma today by registere post too.

Come on lets get to mayto. Are there any directions to the place here?

by lulu Fri Jun 26, 2009 21:56

A few people in N Mayo are fighting on behalf of all the people dispossessed by the corrupt politicians and greedy big oil companies, and struggling for the rights of the people who do the work, who don't own shares, who are losing their hospital services.....
.Show solidarity now in the towns - get the banners out, ask drivers to honk their solidarity.

by old codger - pensioner Fri Jun 26, 2009 20:01

Just a few people witholding payments for tv licence ,tolls etc wil not work ,what is needed is a citizens resistance movement where afected citizens like Shell to sea , people against corrupt lawyers and Judiciary, cheated motorists and any groups that are denied human rights can combine to take direct action against their abusers. Maybe some of you bright young honest people could organise such a body.
Shell may have bought their way out of the murder charges of the Ogoni nine, but we can't let them do the same thing here.

by D Mammy Fri Jun 26, 2009 19:58 W. Cork

I phoned the RTE comment line the other day and spoke thus:-
Hello, my name is ***** *****. I am phoning to complain about the biased reporting that RTE is currently presenting regarding the ongoing protest in North Mayo. Peaceful non-violent demonstration is not a criminal offence, citizens have a right to express their views without being criminalized. However, water pollution and project-splitting are both offences. E.U regulations clearly state that planning permission for projects must be obtained in total, applying for permission for this bit and then that bit and then another bit is not allowed and yet RTE is strangely silent on this. Water pollution is an offence. Shell are guilty of polluting a local lake in North Mayo, the Co. Council have the results of tests done and yet no action has been taken and RTE is strangely silent on this issue. The present site works at Glengad beach have no planning permission, that piece of pipeline I think is exempt, the siteworks aren't. And, guess what RTE are strangely silent on this.
I believe that somewhere in the constiution it says something about the role of RTE to educate or inform, I'm not sure of the wording, but, guess what? RTE is not doing this. So my response to this glaring omission will be to omit paying my tv licence which is presently overdue, I am quite willing to go to court, I will not be paying any fines, as a result of which I presume I will face imprisonment, so be it.
Anyone out there going to join me??????????????

by Bernadette Fri Jun 26, 2009 18:47

An internal Nigerian military memo written in May 1994 stated: "Shell operations [are] still impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken for smooth economic activities to commence." The document suggested that 400 soldiers should begin "wasting operations" against Ogoni leaders who are "especially vocal individuals." Twelve days later, Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested on murder charges. He repeatedly asserted that Shell was behind the ongoing violence in the Ogoni homeland.

by Boadicea Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:59

Dáil Éireann (the House of Representatives/Commons in the Republic of Ireland ) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate) need to be added to the list below ...

"In old days men had the rack. Now they have the press. That is an improvement certainly. But still it is very bad, and wrong, and demoralizing. Somebody — was it Burke? — called journalism the fourth estate. That was true at the time no doubt. But at the present moment it is the only estate. It has eaten up the other three. The Lords Temporal say nothing, the Lords Spiritual have nothing to say, and the House of Commons has nothing to say and says it. We are dominated by Journalism." Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Oscar Wilde and The Fourth Estate:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Oscar+Wilde+and+Th...&aqi=

by krossie Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:48

That video is spectactular well done!!!

kp

by John B Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:34

I'm up for it. I'm a self-employed gardener. I don't earn much anyway especially not now cos I can't focus on work with this going on. If anyone else is up for it let's get together, come up with a statement and refuse to pay tax going very public about it. We can give the money to Shell to Sea instead.
What about mortgages too? How many folk are struggling with repayments to an unfair system. F**k that! Why put up with it?

by old codger - pensioner Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:52

I have had the same thought for a long time but as a pensioner i get a free licence which causes a dilema for me . Your line of thought is right what is needed is civil disobedience on a large scale in Ireland. If people would join together and refuse to pay their tv licence, road tolls, car tax and test fees etc it would hit the politicians where it hurts. They dont have enough prisons to put us all in, although judging their fascist mentalities to date they will probably be opening concentration camps soon.
They will of course get IRMS to man the furnaces.

VOTE NO TO LISBON 2

by C - RSC Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:50

On the 25th June at around 10pm, Shell to Sea Kayakers visited the Solitaire which was stationed 10 miles out from Broadhaven Bay. The kayakers got within 100 metres of the Solitaire, but the Solitaire just managed to disconnect from an adjoining ship in time and flee from the kayakers. Two Navy warships as well as around 10 Garda & Navy RIBs were in Broadhaven Bay at the time.

Here's a youtube video recorded via headcam on one of the kayakers

by by george Fri Jun 26, 2009 01:59

statoils headquarters is near the financial service centre. would a protest by anarists envionmentalists republicans etc not put the shits up the state in that district, what ever the issue might be. might be something for the eastern frount to think about, maybe divide police lines?

by Billy idle Fri Jun 26, 2009 01:25

I see RTE are again operating a news Blackout to save the state and Shells blushes. This country is rapidly heading towards a fascist banana state. Decent citizens need to fight back - refusing to pay the TV license would be a start!!

by Local but not from here Fri Jun 26, 2009 00:45

Live and work locally and try to stay neutral but reading about todays events, I can't help wondering what lengths Royal Dutch Petroleum will go to in order to get their way. Are they prepared to murder to acheive their aims in Erris? I'm not sure. I no longer have any trust in the so called Gardai Siochana and resent their over-representation in the area. At this point I am ready to join any protest against Shell, simply because of the way they have 'bulldozed' over people. They deserve what is coming to them, roll on wave energy

by Marc Spring Thu Jun 25, 2009 23:58

James Kelly, nicely put. The Dublin Shell to Sea group meets each Tuesday at 7 in the Seomra Spraoi, I'm a relative newcomer to them but they are doing their damndest with their few volunteers to do what you are calling for here - organising press conferences, issuing press releases, meet TDs etc. A suitable theatre to give battle on the Eastern Front?

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp Thu Jun 25, 2009 22:38

Jonathan O'Donnell will be up in the District Court in Westport tomorrow to face the loitering charges brought against him today. The 40-or-so Gardai that were on the beach below the Solidarity Camp remain there as of 10pm this evening, and have undergone two shift changes today. Tony O'Donnell and his boat have returned safely to Ballyglass pier tonight, without undue hassle from the Gardai or the navy. Solidarity Campers and locals held an impromptu party on the beach this evening in order to re-assert their right to be there and to preserve access to the bay. An attempt to get some kayaks on to the water ended with the Gardai seizing one kayak before even it got to the water - seizing people's property without a 'crime' being committed seems to be the style of Shell's Law these days.

Shell's Cops reading Solidarity Camp notice board - maybe there's hope for some...

There's a party goin' on, but Shell won't let the cops join in.

Sunset over Broadhaven Bay - beautiful!

by Andrew - WSM (personal capacity) Thu Jun 25, 2009 22:01

This is an 8 minute audio interview with Fin who arrived at the camp today about getting there, what is going on, the events of this morning, the level of policing and what is to come. We are also running a twitter feed which is getting regular updates from the camp and elsewhere at https://twitter.com/WSMIreland or seach for the tag #s2s We'd encourage others to tweet on the situation with #s2s

Interview with Fin at Rossport Solidarity Camp June 25 2009
Interview with Fin at Rossport Solidarity Camp June 25 2009 3.94 Mb

by Niall Thu Jun 25, 2009 21:46

Here's the first pic of the Solitaire this year. Poor quality photo because she's sitting about 12 miles north of Glengad, in ''international waters' it appears, but she intends to come in to Irish waters real soon, according to reports.

Solitaire just north of Glengad.

by James Kelly Thu Jun 25, 2009 19:03

Rossport is the Western Front in this war.

The Eastern Front is the broadcast media and the national daily print media which is mostly based in Dublin.

Another Front is the law courts.

The Eastern Front is every bit as important in this war as the Western Front.

This may well be stating the 'bleeding obvious', but is it not well past the time when activists and all concerned citizens should apply their attention, their learning and intelligence, to this issue of the Eastern Front ?

Horatio.. on another thread made the point that Shell have all the buttons pushed and the levers pulled for dealing with the media.

That's for certain; palms are being well greased and back channells, which we will never likely hear of, are working treble time in the Fourth Estate.

All that said, surely a meeting of minds should be convened as a matter of urgency, to attempt to make some fissures in this wall of evil silence.

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp Thu Jun 25, 2009 18:46

There are now two Irish naval service vessels in Broadhaven Bay. The LE Orla arrived this morning to complement the already-arrived Shell War Boat the LE Emer. Indymedia.ie readers without long-enough memories can have them refreshed by clicking the link at the end of the post. Added to this is the presence in the skies of the Garda helicopter, spotted over Broadhaven Bay at 5:15pm approx. It just shows the lengths that the Irish state is prepared to go to defend a corrupt deal that robs us all of our rightful wealth and that robs the directly-affected communities of their safety and their beautiful environment.

In other news, Jonathan O'Donnell (Pat O'Donnell's son and fellow fisherman) is being held in remand overnight in Castlerea prison following an appearance in Westport District Court this afternoon. He is being charged with 'loitering', presumably under section 8.1.b of the Public Order Act. Johnathan was taken by Shell's Gardai from his place of work in Broadhaven Bay this morning to Ballina Garda station, then on to a court appearance in Westport, and then to a remand cell in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. There is a cruel nickname for this kind of treatment of captives from the criminal injustice system of the United States - they call it 'diesel therapy'. One more inhuman tactic employed by Shell's Gardai to attempt to break opposition to the iniquitous Corrib Gas Project.

A new arrival but an old 'friend' - Shell War Boat Orla

Three Shell boats - a winching barge and two War Boats

Shell's eye in the sky - the Garda helicopter in the skies over the bay

by keano Thu Jun 25, 2009 18:45

the big men of ireland and eastern euorpe causing havoc with the powers permisson on defense less fisher men THE BIG BIG MEN tough as nails in their BIG BIG GANGS no indivduals to be seen under their DARK DARK shades surrounded by fenches , tis a sad day again for irish citizans no law no protection just CAPITALIST THUGGERY the castles will fall and the small fish will have to swim surrounded by irish, shell to eternal hell

by Malachy Steenson - Workers Party Thu Jun 25, 2009 17:03

Dublin Workers Party activist Malachy Steenson has condemned the actions of the Gardaí in North Mayo for their continued harassment of opponents of the Shell Oil operation in Mayo and in particular for their victimisation of local fisherman Pat O'Donnell and his family.

"The Gardaí" said Malachy "are tasked to defend and uphold the law and the rights of the citizens. Sadly in North Mayo that seems to have been changed to defending the rights of a huge and ruthless Multinational Oil mogul and trampling all over anybody who tries to assert their rights as individuals or as a community. The latest announcement of a lock-down and virtual curfew on the village of Glengad is what we would expect from some third world despot rather that from a first world economy which recently celebrated the 90th anniversary of its parliament's inaugural meeting.".

The propaganda which is pumped out by the Corrib Gas conglomerate continually asserts that this project will be of huge economic benefit both locally and nationally. This lie is faithfully reproduced by the government and by the apologists for Shell and its sister companies. Corrib Gas is in reality a massive scam on the Irish people which will rapidly deplete a priceless economic resource. The irony of the situation is that the Norwegian government, through their ownership of Statoil will gain more from the Corrib Gas field than the Irish economy ever will. Once again this raises the central question: why are the resources of the Gardaí and the Naval Service deployed fulltime to defend the Oil interests of Shell, Statoil and Company"

"We had hoped" concluded Malachy "that when the era of Haughey, Burke and Lawlor concluded that we had seen the end of corruption in Irish public life. What is being clearly demonstrated in Erris and North Mayo is that corruption has permeated downwards into those very institutions which are supposed to be the bulwark to defend the rights and freedom of the citizen".

Issued Thursday 25th June 2009

by James Kelly Thu Jun 25, 2009 16:51

Detention without trial for earning a livelihood.

There should be writs and motions flying in the High Court to shoot this down.

This seems to me to be the weakest link in the chain forged by Shell and the State.

It will not however remain a weak link unless legal process is activated and the High Court is made to carry out it's function.

They already gave in, as someone pointed out, last year, two minutes before a High Court enquiry under Article 40 of the Constitution, into the detention of Pat and his son.

Shell have indeed got the media sown up but that does not mean that that same media should be ignored.

The film 'In the loop' is a very instructive piece in how the set up operates behind closed doors.

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp Thu Jun 25, 2009 16:12

Pat O'Donnell was released from Garda custody earlier this afternoon; it is not known if he has been charged with anything. his son Jonathan has been taken to a sitting of the District Court in Westport at 3:15 this afternoon. We have received no news as yet concerning what he has been charged with, or whether he has been released from custody yet. The second of testerday's arrestees has made arrangements to be released soon from the 'care home' in which they were held. They are reported to be safe and well. About one hour ago, it was reported locally that a navy rib was about to approach Tony O'Donnell's fishing boat in Broadhaven Bay (correction: It was Tony and not Martin that was out fishing today, our apologies) but the outcome of this encounter is not known yet (no answer from Tony's phone).
The 40-or-so Gardai remain on the beach blocking access to the water, and there are more gardai on the road across from the gates of the Solidarity Camp. The Solitaire is reported currently to be at anchor about 12 nautical miles from shore somewhere near the Stags of Broadhaven.

by krossie - none at present Thu Jun 25, 2009 15:38

Observer: ...not a word on the news or wires.

And for very good reasons – perhaps you should take a read of Andrew Flood’s excellent article above – especially the analysis of the media and in whose interests they are being paid to work in…

kp

“Shell’s PR buys results

Shell spends huge amount of money on PR, in 1998 “Shell spent US$30 million on contracts with PR company Fishburn & Hedges alone.”(32) The article “Irish Times Shell PR” in the May 22 issue of the Phoenix looks at how in Ireland Shell have successfully changed the line of the Irish Times over the last two years to the point where now the Irish Times now frequently send their crime correspondent to cover protests in Erris. The Irish Times is not unique in this respect, media outlet after media outlet considers it suitable to send crime correspondents to cover the protests despite not only the bias this reveals but also the fact that crime correspondents depend on developing and maintaining positive relations with the Gardai to continue to get news stories. If they want to continue to get the scoops their jobs depend on they are not in a position to bite the hand that feeds them such stories.

Such is the success of Shell’s PR machine that when Colm Rapple, a guest on RTE’s ‘Marian Finucane’ show managed to slip in a mention of the Bolivian story Cathal McCarthy howled in anguish in The Independent going so far as to threaten that “it might be unwise of RTE to allow anyone to suggest outlandish and ruinous speculative motives to what was, at the very least, the violent killing of an Irish citizen in the most dubious circumstances of which it is possible to conceive.” (33)

The Independent is controlled by the O’Reilly’s, pre-crash billionaires who co-incidentally holds a “40% stake in Providence Resources Plc, the Irish based oil and gas exploration and development company.” (34) The Independent group also owns the Evening Herald, Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday World and the Irish Daily Star, as well as 14 regional titles and two free newspapers. Plus a 98% stake in the Sunday Tribune. The observant reader will perhaps notice that none of these titles have named names on the Shell – IRMS – Bolivia story although most if not all of these titles have been happy enough to throw all manner of weird and wonderful accusations at the locals who oppose the Shell pipeline and their supporters.

You can see why journalists in this country are not prepared to commit hari kari on their career by naming names in this story. Even if your not a journalist currently working for an Independent title you’d want to be careful of pissing off the family who own a 40% state in an Irish oil and gas exploration company as you may well be looking for a job at one of those titles in the future. And its not like what it left of the Irish media has been a whole lot better with the honorable exception of The Phoenix and the Irish Examiner, both of which are sadly rather small circulation niche titles.

Another consequence of Shell’s highly successful PR offensive is the routine appearance of articles in the media that seek to portray the locals and their supporters as subversives. Sometimes this can be quite farcical, for example the Phoenix points to the Irish Time’s Peter Murtagh getting away with publishing an article in March where he links the struggle to “ ‘notorious INLA murderer’ Dominic McGlinchy” on the weird grounds that “his son supports the protests.” While there have been acres of coverage in the media on that sort of basis the facts revealed in the aftermath of the killing of Dwyer have received scant coverage.”

by gphs Thu Jun 25, 2009 15:35

...Nigerian rebels say major Shell pipeline blown up

By Susan Njanji – 9 hours ago

LAGOS (AFP) — Nigerian rebels said Thursday they carried out a pre-dawn attack against Royal Dutch Shell facilities in a warning to Russia not to invest in the country's oil and gas industry.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said the attack was to coincide with a visit to Nigeria by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during which major energy investment deals were struck.

The attack on Bille-Krakrama pipeline, which feeds the key Bonny export terminal in southern Rivers State, was carried out shortly after midnight Thursday.

"This is the fate that awaits the gas pipelines you plan to invest in (in) Nigeria if justice is not factored in the whole process," MEND said in a message to Medvedev sent in statement to the media.

excerpt from world section google news

by old codger - pensioner Thu Jun 25, 2009 15:09

If our corrupt state and their cronies think that they will be home and dry with this treason ,They will be mistaken.
All they will achieve is the creation of another terrorist organisation
When ordinary decent citizens are treated in this fashion and denied democratic human rights they will have no choice, either sucumb to traitors or fight for their Country.

by Wing Thu Jun 25, 2009 14:30

Observer, you should try getting the mainstream media to cover something like this. Shell to Sea is sending out press releases every day and sometimes more than one a day, updating on arrests and assaults of fishermen, beach closures, and other examples of the suspension of law and order. (I receive these releases in my inbox). The "wires" aren't terribly responsive. The press releases also constantly remind journalists about the largely unreported facts of the issue: the giveaway of gas, pipeline safety, evidence at the oral hearing etc etc.

by Supporter Thu Jun 25, 2009 14:28

Another example of state and corporate thuggery - spurious arrests once again

by trixie Thu Jun 25, 2009 13:52

I really can't believe this is happening again,
not only have we been denied access to our local beach in this great weather we are having and can't travell our roads without permits but now pat and his son has been victimised again by the very people that promised to protect him.
This country is a joke - it has no leadership, no values and does not give a damn about the people who live in it - unless of course your passing a big brown envelope around.

by Observer Thu Jun 25, 2009 13:51 aj at eircom dot net

Shell should pay some of the protestors in North Mayo for marginalizing the protests. The PR wing of shell to sea are idiots, preventive detentions and not a word on the news or wires. The direct action stuff and confrontations are providing cover to shell & the state while the real action of removing the fishermen goes unnoticed or confused as some eco-warrior fantasyis played out.

by FSB! - Rossport Solidarity Camp Thu Jun 25, 2009 13:31

Latest reports to the Rossport Solidarity Camp tell us that Martin O'Donnell has recently been warned by Gardai under Section 8 of the Public Order Act while fishing in Broadhaven Bay. Once again Shell's privileges trump fishermen's rights in this corrupt state. In other news, Gardai are using Section 8 of the Public Order Act at Ballyglass pier in an attempt to keep campers away from Pat and Jonathan O'Donnell's boats. Erris is now a full-on Shell police state.

by jack tar Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:40

The Naval Service, on a recent exercise. If this was happening in Iran, the Irish government would condemn it.

by Seán Ryan Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:39

I hear that Pat's boat has been impounded.

Pat's brother Martin, who is working in the immediate area, has been ordered to leave under Section 8 of the Public Order Act and has been informed by the gardaí that they will pass his concerns about his fishing gear on to someone who might give a damn.

by John Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:37

Martial law returns for first time since the Black & Tans left. Shame on our government, shame on the gardaí and the partial courts.

by krossie - none at the mo Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:37

This has to be unconstituitional as well as simply illegal?

kp

by anarchaeologist Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:17

Gardaí are issuing permits to locals in Glengad for use of roads. Access is denied without a permit!

by Shell to Sea Erris Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:06

This morning between 8-8.30am, Pat and Jonathon O’Donnell were arrested while working at their fishing grounds in the waters off Erris, Co.Mayo. In two separate incidents, Jonathan was arrested, and his boat tugged, while Pat was injured by Gardai and has been taken to hospital. Both were arrested for ‘loitering’ – in their workplace.

These incidents make a mockery of guarantees made by the Gardai on Tuesday to protect Pat, Jonathon and two other fishermen while they are going about their work in the wake of the recent sinking of Pat O’Donnell’s vessel the Iona Isle. The fishermen have a lawful right to fish in the bay, and neither Shell nor the Gardai have been able to show any legal reason to stop them from doing so.

The fishermen are opposed to the damage being done to the bay by Shell’s works, and particularly the danger from their discharge pipe to the environment of Broadhaven Bay. The Solitaire is due to arrive in the Bay today.

In a separate occurrence, upwards of 40 Gardai, including members of the Public Order Unit, have moved into place below the Rossport Solidarity Camp, and have stated their intention to deny access to the public beach and to the sea, but they have failed to state any reason for this. This group forms part of a much larger force of Gardai who are stationed in Shell’s compound at Glengad.

Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway said: “Pat O’ Donnell was illegally arrested twice last year from his boat. The Gardai are aware that these were illegal arrests as Pat's boat is not only private property, but also his workplace. This stance has been vindicated by the fact that Mr. O’Donnell has not been charged, never mind convicted, of any crime from these incidents.”

ENDS

For verification or comment, please contact:

Maura Harrington 087 9591474
Terence Conway 086 0866264

by Andrew Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:03

This follows on from Gardai actions last summer when the repeatedly arrested Pat under the pretext of Public Order act simply in order to get his boat out of Broadhaven Bay to make room for the Solitaire. As the Mayo News explained “On one occasion he was released from Belmullet Garda Station two minutes before his lawyers in Dublin were due to present papers to the High Court for an inquiry into his arrest under Article 42.4.2 of the Constitution.”Because he had been released the High Court refused to proceed with the inquiry! His arrest, and the prefect timing of his release, was just one example of how the Gardai in Erris have been making up the law as they go along in order to fill Shell’s needs safe in the knowledge that those further up the chain have their backs.

BTW couple of WSM members en route are twittering at https://twitter.com/wsmireland using #s2s

by anarchaeologist - Shell to Sea Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:02

The Solitaire is visible on the radar just over the horizon to the northwest of the Stacks of Broadhaven. Two boats are still fishing in the vicinity, as is their legal right. The Irish tax payer is paying for the several RIBs buzzing around, protecting corporate theft on a grand scale.

There's a heavy police/I-RMC presence on-shore, with access to the public beach completely blocked off. For the moment we've confined the Public Order Unit within the Glengad compound. However, this unit has the support of several I-RMS squads and their handlers (themselves trained by the Irish state as Army Rangers). The Irish Navy are out there too of course. It's mad.

Things are tense but spirits are good.

For just how long do they think they're going to get away with this?

by observer Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:55

At its most stretched moments police are expected to have spokespersons available to the public in local protest situations. I made a note of that in former instances in Erris for human rights attention. What is the police regulation on such matters?