June Bank Holiday 2009 protest against Shell compund in Erris - video

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Over the June Bank Holiday weekend dozens of people traveled from all over Ireland to Erris to join locals in ongoing resistance to Shell's project of imposing an experimental gas pipeline on the local community.The weekend consisted of workshops that covered everything from various forms of 'direct action' training to the details of the 'Great Gas and Oil giveaway' that looked at just how many billions the Irish state had given to Shell and other corporations. Then on the Sunday around 150 people went down to the Shell compound where they attempted to remove a section of the fence. They were prevented doing so by a very large force of Gardai led by the Public Order Unit although three people did manage to enter the compound. Eight people were arrested, all were released later that evening. There were also a number of minor injuries.

The video below records what happen on the Sunday. On the Monday a couple of dozen people did gain entry to the site at low tide and demolished part of the causeway that had been constructed. And on Tuesday when a dredger arrived in Broadhaven bay it was prevented working for a few hours when two people evaded the Shell/Gardai patrol boats in the bay and climbed onto the dredger for a few hours. Indymedia.ie has regular updates from Erris as resistance to Shell's project continued.