Daily Ireland: Shell to Sea campaigners plan public meeting in city: Thu 09 Feb 2006 03:33 AM EST

By Connla Young

The ongoing struggle against the Shell oil corporation by the people of Co Mayo will be the focus of a public meeting in Belfast next week.

The What’s up with Shell event will bring together people directly involved in the Shell to Sea campaign and supporters in Belfast.

Last June, the Rossport Five were jailed after being accused of breaching a High Court order prohibiting them from interfering with pipe-laying work on their own land.

Shell and their partners, Statoil and Marathon, want to pipe unrefined gas past residential properties in the Rossport district of Co Mayo. Locals say the pipeline is too dangerous to be put near homes and a refinery should be constructed at sea.

Event organiser, Steve McConville, encouraged people to get along to the public meeting that will feature members of the Shell to Sea campaign.

“The latest community movement against a multi-national giant is happening on our doorstep. Last summer, controversy kicked off when five Co Mayo residents were imprisoned indefinitely. They had been required by court order to allow contractors hired by Shell access to their farms and those of their neighbours; they refused. Their struggle has won a significant victory in securing their release, and in successfully preventing Shell continuing the destruction of the bay.

“The Rossport Five are free and work on the Corrib gas pipeline has stopped for the winter but the battle is far from over. Their supporters are currently touring the UK to explain the background to the campaign and what they plan for the coming spring,” he said.

The What’s up With Shell talk will take place on February 16 in the Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast. The talk starts at 6.30pm and is free of charge.

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