Hi from Mayo!
Since the last update we've had the annual June Gathering, dug in at the camp after an eviction scare and had a week of action against Shell. Local Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway appealed his prison sentence and remains free to work against Shell but joins the other campaigners who got suspended sentences in February. Lots of events coming up soon on the camp and around the area. Read on and consider coming to visit and stay at the camp whenever you can.

1- Upcoming Events
Peoples' forum 7th July
Day of Action -13th July
Meitheal Iorrais-14th -15th July
Wind turbine course 4th - 10th August
The future of the camp weekend 1st September

2 - News and Actions
June Gathering
Week of action
Shell noise at Glengad
Earthquake!
County Council disrupted

3 - Court
Terence is free!
9 people up on public order charges

4 - Wishlist

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(1) UPCOMING EVENTS

Peoples' forum 7th July 2012
A Peoples' Forum will be held in Inver Community Centre on Saturday 7th July 2012, focusing on human rights reports and reportage.
Poster and details: http://www.shelltosea.com/content/peoples-forum-seminar-7th-july

Day of Solidarity 13th July 2012
In support of the communities in Erris under occupation by Shell and the state
There's a day of solidarity planned for Friday the 13th of July. We look forward to an unlucky day for shell and a lovely weekend, Click here for poster - please print and distribute and organise to get to the camp if you can: http://www.shelltosea.com/content/day-solidarity-13th-july-2012

Meitheal Iorrais 14th & 15th July, 2012V3
Meitheal Iorrais - a gathering to celebrate and grow community resilience - will be taking place at the Rossport Solidarity Camp in Aughoose, Erris Co. Mayo on the 14th/15th July, 2012.
The weekend will include a ‘meitheal' at the camp gardens and local farms, workshops, discussions, kids activities, music and fun! The programme has been put together to give as much time as possible to walk the land, to remember the beauty of this place, so we have placed our talks and discussions together, leaving space during the day for fresh air, work and play. We are open to suggestions so if you have any ideas for topics of discussion, let us know. Looking forward to hearing from you and hope to see you for the meitheal. Poster and more details: http://www.shelltosea.com/content/meitheal-iorrais

DIY Wind Turbine course at Rossport Solidarity Camp, Saturday 4th - Friday 10th August
This course runs from Saturday 4th August to Friday 10th August and will build a 4.2m grid-connected wind-turbine. It costs €300 (waged) or €200 (unwaged) and is part funded by Gluaiseacht. The course covers all the practical elements of building a 4.2 meter diameter wind turbine and gives an overview of all the technical aspects needed to create a wind based renewable energy system. Participants will get hands on experience welding a turbine mounting, carving wooden blades and building the electrical generator using magnets and copper coils. This is the third time the course has been run in Mayo and it has always been great fun and very empowering. The course will be run by V3 Power, a D.I.Y renewable energy cooperative and based on Hugh Piggotts wind turbine designs. It will be hosted by Rossport Solidarity Camp in Pollathomais, County Mayo - http://www.shelltosea.com/content/diy-wind-turbine-course-rossport-solidarity-camp

The Future of Rossport Solidarity Camp?
Weekend meeting 1st-2nd September
Venue: To be confirmed
The Rossport Solidarity Camp was set up in June 2005 with the primary intention of supporting the local community in their struggle against Shell and the Irish state. The idea of the camp was to provide a place for people from outside the area to stay when they came to see what was going on and hopefully get involved. We saw our other functions as providing protest ideas and training, links to other campaigns, and internationalising the campaign. In celebration of how far we have come and in response to how much the campaign and the world has changed over seven years we're calling a meeting of the minds invested in this camp and this campaign. We would like campers past and present to come together for a meeting over weekend to figure out one question on all our minds - where do we go from here? How should the camp continue?
The idea for this weekend meeting came from discussion at this year's June gathering. In preparation for the weekend we will be sending out the notes from the discussion, contacting campers past, sending out some thought provoking questions and gathering input from those unable to attend in person. Contact rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.com if you would like to take part in the weekend. Full details to follow shortly.

(2) NEWS AND ACTIONS

June Bank Holiday Gathering
Well we had great weather during the gathering which had the theme "linking community struggles". There was a great atmosphere, lovely sunny evenings, music around the bonfire, and thought provoking workshops. The camp was lively and cheerful as everyone pulled together to fortify it from the threat of eviction by Mayo county Council
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/rossport-solidarity-camp-june-weekend-experience

Week of action
The week of action started with fortifying the camp against eviction, and as the camp was still happily pitched on Tuesday morning, we decided to put our energy into stopping Shell.
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/week-stopping-shell-rossport-solidarity-camp
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/new-release-further-garda-violence-corrib-protests-continue

Shell hydro testing noise
Shell chose the June bank holiday weekend to hydro test the off shore pipeline. This caused an unbearable high pitched noise audible across Glengad and even across the bay in Ceathrú Taidhg Residents had no where to turn - the county council had allowed and shut up for the weekend.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0605/1224317294120.html

Earthquake!
On Wednesday 6th June 2012, Mayo was hit by the largest ever earthquake in Irish history: the location of the epicentre was near the Corrib gas field, funny enough Shell had just started carrying out a seismic survey.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0607/1224317443871.html
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/shell-corrib-gas-project-ireland-shaky-ground

Mayo County Councils AGM disrupted by a mysterious noise
For the entirety of the June bank holiday the people of the area were disrupted by a terrible noise coming from Shell's work in Glengad. Mayo County Council said that they had "no issue" with the work being carried out so residents brought the noise to the Council AGM in Castlebar to help Mayo Councillors understand the local disruption they gave permission for.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/102028
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0626/1224318727468.html

Visiting Norwegian Fisherman warns of dangers of Seismic surveying
Shell and Statoil are currently carrying out Seismic surveys off the Mayo coast. In this video Norwegian fisherman Bjørnar Nicolaisen warns of the consequences that "seismic shootings" has had on marine life and the fishing industry when it was carried out in Norway. Fishing catches reduced by 60% in the year after the seismic surveys started and still hasn't returned to normal levels.
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/norwegian-fisherman-warns-destruction-seismic-survey
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/norwegians-unaware-role-statoil-says-economist

The curious case of the missing bowl
http://www.shelltosea.com/content/shells-begging-bowl-recovered-ballyglass-pier

(3) COURT
Nine people appeared in Bellmullet District Court on the 13th of June on public order charges from the week of action and are due to reappear in court on 12th of September to plead and fix a date for hearings. Terence Conway also appeared in Castlebar Circuit Court on the 14th of June. His 3 month prison sentence was appealed and reduced to a 3 month suspended sentence.

(4) WISHLIST
- People!
- Bikes and bike tools
- Cameras and people to use them!
- Working mobile phones (either unlocked or Irish Vodafone)
- DVD recorder

About the Rossport Solidarity Camp
At the invitation of the local community, the Rossport Solidarity Camp was set up in June 2005 on the route of the proposed Shell pipeline. The camp has progressed through a number of different locations in the last 7 years and played a role in the fight against Shell. As an organisation, the camp functions out of a permanent house & office. The camp infrastructure is set up seasonally at strategic points of opposition to Shell, and is run on the principles of non-hierarchical organisation, collective decision making and individual accountability, with a disciplined work ethic. It can be a dynamic and fun place to be. The Rossport Solidarity House & Camp provides a base for people who wish to visit the area to - learn more about/take action with - the community campaign called Shell to Sea.

Camp Aims
- Support the community in its struggle against Shell's Corrib gas project
- Provide a base for people to visit, learn and support the struggle through a number of ways including non-violent direct action
- Work as part of the national Shell to Sea campaign
- Link with other communities under threat from the fossil fuel industry and international campaigns against Shell & other oil companies
- Try to become a model of sustainability

Rossport Solidarity Camp
Barr na Coilleadh
Poll an tSómais
Ballina
Co Mayo

Tel: 0851141170
www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org
www.shelltosea.com