THE SUNDAY TIMES (UK): Corrib threat to
Shell sell-off: “SHELL’S plan to sell 50 petrol stations in Ireland could be
stalled by protesters in Co Mayo. Five men jailed last Wednesday for blocking
the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline across their land have called for
solidarity pickets at all Shell Ireland and Statoil garages. The multinational
company has admitted that a national boycott would threaten its plans for a
quick sale.”: Sunday 3 July 2005
Douglas Dalby and Siobhan Maguire
SHELL’S plan to sell 50 petrol stations in Ireland could be stalled by
protesters in Co Mayo.
Five men jailed last Wednesday for blocking the construction of the Corrib gas
pipeline across their land have called for solidarity pickets at all Shell
Ireland and Statoil garages.
The multinational company has admitted that a national boycott would threaten
its plans for a quick sale. Protests are planned for tomorrow with hundreds
expected to travel to Castlebar, Co Mayo, where the families of the jailed men —
dubbed the Rossport Five — will address the crowds.
“The protest will be an act of support for those men,” said Jerry Cowley, the
Mayo TD. “If the pipeline was planned for my land, I would be in jail with them
as well. Boycotting Shell products is another way people can voice their anger
over what has happened.”
Shell announced two weeks ago that it was in talks to sell the 50 forecourts it
owns in Ireland and a further 160 it services, saying it “hoped to make a
decision in the coming weeks”.
Any sustained boycott could damage the Shell brand in Ireland, having a knock-on
effect on the value of its Irish assets, analysts said.
“It would be a very disappointing development indeed (a boycott) and would not
be good news for the sale process, which is ongoing,” said a Shell spokesman.
“It should be remembered that the majority of garages with the Shell logo are
owned independently. Actions like these would threaten businesses and discomfit
drivers.”
The jailing of the men for refusing to end their protest has galvanised local
opposition to the pipeline in Erris, a picturesque part of north Mayo. An
attempt to secure their release will be made in the High Court this Wednesday.
Three of the five, Willie Corduff, and brothers Philip and Vincent McGrath, were
brought to the High Court last Friday in relation to a separate injunction
preventing them from obstructing a road leading to the gas terminal.
Contempt proceedings were dismissed after the men gave assurances that they
would abide by the court ruling.
The other two are James Philbin and Micheal O’Seighin.
Cowley, who visited the men in Cloverhill prison, Clondalkin, on Friday, said:
“These men are determined to stick to their protest: people in New Mexico died
in an explosion from a gas pipeline. These five are expected to live within 70
metres of such a pipeline. Can you blame them for their determination to put a
stop to this?”
Shell wants to pump gas from the Corrib field off the coast of Mayo along a nine
kilometre pipeline to a refinery at Bellanaboy. The objectors want the terminal
to be located offshore but Shell says rough sea conditions make that too
dangerous and costly.
The oil giant said it has no intention of stopping its operations on the €900m
project or withdrawing from Mayo.
The company said it would be available for “constructive dialogue” with the five
Erris residents in prison, but campaigners claimed Shell has so far refused to
hold any public debate on the matter.
Ed Moran, a local campaigner, said: “There have been many calls for boycotts and
protests. There is enormous support for these men who have been jailed because
they have come across as sincere men who have been put in the most invidious
position.
“Shell believed they had this one in the bag. They were shown the red carpet by
the local authorities but there was no way that people who were expected to live
with this pipeline could sit back and do nothing. We will carry on supporting
this campaign for as long as we have to.”
As the number of protesters swelled to 500 last week, some workers were told not
to report to work until Tuesday.
“There was no threat to our safety but the foreman told us it would be better to
go while we could, in case the crowd decided to block the road and we would not
have been able to drive out,” said one worker.
Locals have now organised shifts to picket the narrow road into Rossport, the
site the pipes have to cross on their way to Bellanaboy.
A contractor’s lorry surrounded by parked cars and vans has been sinking into
the bog beside the road for the past three weeks.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1678727_1,00.html
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