Saturday 4 July 2009

Tripod Man and lock-on friends stop Shell in its tracks

Shell to Sea protestor James Marlow was arrested in Glengad Mayo on Sunday, 28 June, after he had delayed work on a controversial Shell pipe-line for up to six or seven hours. He suspended himself from the ground on a seventeen foot high tripod to protest and to impede Shell's work. GardaĆ­ took three hours to build a scaffold around him. 

Work was further delayed on the highly controversial Shell project by a five-member lock-on team, arms bound together with cement sleeves. The total delay time was estimated at 12 hours.

Because the Irish Government gave away the rights of the Mayo oil field for nothing to a Shell led consortium and Shell bull-dozed their way over private property, bird sanctuaries, and through land owned by others, there has been local, national and international protest. A vibrant and heroic Shell-to-Sea protest group have made it difficult at every turn for Shell to realise their pipe dream.

The State and Shell are not happy. As a result of Sunday's action nine people have been charged but even while in prison on remand a Judge Devins put out warrants for the arrests of some of them.

One protestor received a vicious wound on the hand and arm from a Garda, a note-taker was deprived of note-book, a number were arrested for crossing the road.

Read an exciting account of the whole episode with brilliant pictures here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/92918

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