Protest Brings Pipeline to Shell: London. March 17, 2008

All-Irish environmental and social justice movement Gluaiseacht were in London for the weekend, and on St Patrick's Day itself gathered outside the Shell HQ at Waterloo, bringing with them a very large pipeline.
Pictures © Peter Marshall, 2008, all rights reserved.

Outside Shell in York Road

The pipeline is refused entrance to Shell's offices

"Shell sells suicide" was a popular song at the event

Some of the people from Mayo celebrate St Patrick's Day in the pipeline

Smiling police and protestor

'And the people of Mayo say "No, no, no, no, no, no.no..."'

The protest was over the Corrib Gas Project in Mayo in the north-west of Ireland, which the Irish Government has given at a knock-down price to Shell, Statoil and Marathon. It’s a project estimated to be worth over 50 billion Euros, but the Irish people will hardly benefit from the profits - and Shell gets the largest share.

Even worse the people in Mayo will suffer from the pollution around an inland refinery and a high pressure pipeline that will endanger local communities. Protests in Ireland have led to innocent people being jailed, and Gluaiseacht decided to bring the protest, including a rather large pipeline, to the Shell HQ in London on St Patrick's Day.

Around 30 Irish protesters along with some local supporters held a good-natured and lively protest, with a great deal of singing and dancing as well as that giant pipeline, watched by a number of Shell security men and a small group of police - including FIT and the inevitable photographer.

More pictures shortly at

http://mylondondondiary.co.uk/2008/03/mar.htm#mayo

Peter Marshall
e-mail: petermarshall@cix.co.uk
Homepage: http://mylondondiary.co.uk

Additions

old street shell garage vening of 17th march

18.03.2008 21:40

Members of Rhythms of Resistance Samba band visited Shell's old street petrol station around 8pm on the evening of 17th March to spread information about the pipeline to passers by and drivers visiting the petrol station.
We decided not to actually block the entrance/exit but instead to play on the forecourt (lovely accoustics!).
On arrival we noticed a tanker on the forecourt filling up the pumps. As he atemped to leave we decided to sand in front of his lorry and stop him leaving, and gave him a flyer explaining why we were present.
Several times the irate driver moved his vehicle forward attaempting to squash/scare those people standing in front of the lorry.
Eventually when he failed in running us over he decided to make a phone call instead,(we presumed to the police), and at this point we moved away from in front of the lorry but he just continued to sit there.
At this point we decided to leave before the police arrived and return once he had left and the police had been and gone.

On our return some 20 minuites later we again went onto the forecourt and commenced drumming, but this time two police appeared within some minuites.
We were asked to move to the pavement and complied, all the time drumming.
Soon the police returned from their car again and asked us if we'd promise to not go back onto the forecourt so they could leave and deal with 5 robberies!?
We said yes, of course.
So they left.
We continued for a while longer, witnessing a 'biodiesel' taxi enter the forecourt and fill up with regular diesel.
On talking to the driver he told me 'you gotta put diesel in it and there's nowhere to buy biodiesel' and when i said 'so the fact it says on the side "run on biodiesel" is a lie then?' he replied "yes'.
(see photo)

sambista

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Shell Sells Suicide — Carbon Town Cryer

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Protest Brings Pipeline to Shell: London. March 17, 2008

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old street shell garage vening of 17th march

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