Climate justice activists shut down a Shell petrol station in north London today (18.2.06) as part of two international days of action against a Shell-led gas pipeline and refinery development in County Mayo, Ireland.
(For photos and more details, see www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/334015.html)

They blockaded the entrance and exit to the forecourt, disabled the petrol pumps with ‘Caution Global Warming’ hazard tape, and hung a banner from the roof of the garage reading ‘Stop Shell Hell in North West Ireland Now!’ The petrol station was shut all afternoon, and part of Upper Street was closed off to traffic. The carnival vibe was provided by a noisy and righteous samba band, and a huge banner was held across one entrance saying Danger, Keep Out, Shell Hell in Operation. There was loads of interest from the public passing by who stopped to look on, dance and support the action. Two and a half thousand leaflets were given out. Along with hundreds of cars that were unable to fill up today, several supermarket lorries turned back in confusion, unable to get their oil fix to deliver the goods on time.

The cops were there with their mobile CCTV unit and 'Forward Intelligence Team' as usual but kept their distance until the roof dwellers tried to come down. The activists were attempting to protect the climbers as they left the roof, when around forty cops charged around the corner and contained everyone in against the side of the garage. One girl was violently arrested as the cops pushed and shoved people against the wall (but she was later released without charge). People were then detained and told to leave but that they would be arrested if they didn't give their names and addresses. Concerned to protect the climbers on their descent, activists stayed put until they were safely on the ground. Shortly thereafter the two climbers were snatched from the group and arrested; they were released at around midnight, bailed to return during March to find out if charges will be brought. The other detainees left one by one after being forced under threat of arrest to give a name and address to the cops and blinded by the police camera.
Earlier the same day a critical mass of over 30 bikes and a mobile sound system rode through Nottingham highlighting the evils of Shell to motorists and passers by. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out outside of the Shell petrol station forecourt on Woodside road and the A52. The entrances and exits were blocked for over an hour; www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333974.html

The previous day, Shell's headquarters in Dublin were blockaded by bicycles and other supporters of the Rossport campaign; www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333923.html

The international day of action was called to draw attention to the struggle to stop the construction of a gas pipeline and refinery in County Mayo, which would transform a remote conservation area of outstanding natural beauty into an environmental disaster zone with serious public health and safety implications.

The pipeline and refinery will poison the area, threatening the safety of the residents who live just metres away, endangering the marine environment and destroying livelihoods based on fishing. Shell’s plans are fully backed by the Irish State, which used compulsory acquisition orders to give Shell access to local people's lands.
(www.corribsos.com)

Local residents and people from across Ireland are fighting back, and in 2005, five Rossport residents were jailed for 3 months for attempting to prevent construction workers from entering their land. Last summer, residents and activists set up a protest camp on the site of the proposed pipeline and prevented construction by shutting down both the pipeline and refinery building sites. Work on the project has still not begun, and the camp is seeking as many people as possible to join them this summer to stop Shell again.

The battle in Ireland is just one of many struggles against Shell’s environmental and human rights abuses around the world. Shell’s oil empire is also making a huge contribution to climate chaos, trading over 14 million barrels of crude oil equivalent every day. The company’s recent record profits of $23 billion come only at the expense of massive damage to the climate. (www.risingtide.org.uk)

The concerned citizens were drawn in part from London & Reading Rising Tide, Rhythms of Resistance and other groups.

For more information and photos, call 07708 794665 or email london@risingtide.org.uk

See also:
www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
www.corribsos.com
www.shellfacts.com
www.indymedia.ie/mayo
www.struggle.ws/rsc
www.remembersarowiwa.com

SHELL PIPELINE AND REFINERY: ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE

PIPELINE: Shell plans to construct an unprecedented high-pressure, raw gas pipeline from the Corrib gas field, 65km off the beautiful N.W coast of Ireland, that would pass through villages and the land of small farmers to a massive gas processing plant for construction just 2 miles from the region's water source, Lake Carrowmore.
At five times the usual pressure, the pipeline would be built on unstable bog land with a history of landslides and also carry electrical cables, hydraulic fluids, cleansing acids and waste pipelines, as well as odourless raw gas making leaks undetectable.

THE GAS PROCESSING PLANT would be a huge combuston plant with nine chimneys, some 140ft high, releasing carbon dioxide and methane leading to health problems and air pollution. Sixteen houses are within a 2km radius of the site. The construction on unstable bog using previously untried methods to stabilise the bog surface is
reckless. Accidents, leaks and toxic releases could contaminate the whole environment with tragic results. The waste water storage sump design is inadequate for the regional rainfall and would overflow into Lake Carrowmore despite EU and UN protected status.

TOXIC WASTE would be pumped into Broadhaven Bay from the gas processing plant, including lead, arsenic, mercury and the radioactive gas radon. Due to the bay’s circular tidal pattern much of this toxic waste would stay within the bay rather than be washed out to sea, contaminating internationally important bird, whale,
dolphin and fish habitats. Broadhaven Bay is a Special Area of Conservation under EU regulations and also provides livelihoods to local communities through fishing. In Shell’s Environmental Impact Statement they omitted that the site was of importance to wildlife despite the findings of their own commissioned study which found that
the Bay was a breeding and rearing area for whales and dolphins, recording seven species including the rare Risso dolphin, two seal species, basking sharks & a sea turtle.