Workers Solidarity Movement

A consortium of Shell, Statoil, and Marathon do a deal with the government allowing them exclusive exploitation rights to the Corrib gas field, off Mayo. Not only that, but they are allowed to write off their costs against taxes, meaning that the whole project is being funded by the PAYE taxpayer, who will receive nothing, not even lower gas prices. It may sound a bit iffy but there is no garda investigation into possible bribery or corruption.

The month of October saw the community of Rossport occupied by the Gardai Siochana. This occupation is the State response to a community trying to protect themselves against Shell: a multinational with a track record for maltreating communities which they operate in.

Last Friday's events in Rossport were a clear example of the brutality of the state; non-violent protesters were viciously assaulted with fists, boots and batons. It is important to remember however, that these events are part of the same logic that saw five men imprisoned for 92 days last year for refusing to allow Shell to construct a dangerous pipeline through their land.

This is the account of James - a WSM member from Cork - of what happened to him at the November 10th day of action in Rossport. James was the person with the bloody face whose image was featured on indymedia and the TV3 footage of the event.

Interview about National Day of Action in Rossport which saw repeated attempts to blockade the road to the refinery and Gardai (police) attacks on those doing the blockading. "The struggle against Shell's attempt to impose a dangerous gas pipeline on a local community in Rossport (in the West of Ireland) continued today with a national mobilisation, called for by the locals, where people travelled from around the country to go down and support them. "

The peaceful and carnival atmosphere at yesterday evenings (Saturday 12 August) FEIC's monthly vigil in front of Raytheon was shattered when 2 landrovers full of riot gear clad PSNI de-bussed and began filming and corralling protesters.

The deaths of Terence Wheelock and John Moloney in Garda custody have again focused attention on the brutal nature of policing in this state. Brian Rossiter and John Carty are other names from a long list that have a public resonance.

If you were anywhere in Ireland in the last week of February you can't have missed the hype ahead of the March 1st direct action called at Shannon by the Grassroots Network Against the War (GNAW). Suddenly every politician, reporter and even bishop in the country was joining the queue to denounce the planned 'violent' protest. The morning before the protest irony died on its feet when Sinn Fein announce it was pulling out of the unrelated Irish Anti War Movement protest at the airport for fear of violence.

BELMONDO WANTETE, an electrical engineer from the Congo, has lived in Ireland with his wife and young children for the last four years, and is a legal resident. He had to flee from his own country because of political persecution. Ireland was supposed to be a safe refuge.Last year, on May 1st, gardaí raided his home at 3am. They had a warrant ...but with someone else's name on it. They shouted threats and racist abuse, and pushed a gun through his letter box. Then they broke in and beat Mr Wantete. His children were dragged from their beds

The Awareness League in Nigeria is to become the first African section of the IWA. Readers of Workers Solidarity will remember the League from the reports of the jailing of four of its members by the state for opposing the military coup there. The international appeal launched on this occasion raised nearly $2000 dollars, saw pickets and demonstrations in many countries including Ireland and resulted in the publication of over 54 articles in languages including Japanese and Hindi. The four comrades were released.