Armed gang attacks Corrib site

[PRC-UTE]

Armed gang attacks Corrib site

Gardaí are investigating an incident at Shell’s Corrib gas pipeline site in Co Mayo in which they say up to 15 people wearing balaclavas and carrying tools, bars and chains vandalised the area last night.

Some of the group managed to start a mechanical digger in the compound at Glengad, Belmullet and badly damaged the compound fence and gate, according to gardaí.

One of the security guards on the site sustained an injury to his wrist when he was hit by a protestor armed with an iron bar. Security guards ran for cover and effectively abandoned the site until back-up arrived in the early hours of this morning.

Gardaí believe the masked men attacked the site because of their opposition to the controversial project.

Earlier this week Shell EP Ireland decided to resume efforts to lay the offshore section of the controversial Corrib gas pipeline after its environmental management plan was approved by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan.

Gardaí have launched an investigation into last night's incident and the construction site is now a crime scene. A sledgehammer, iron bars and fence posts with nails were found at the scene. A truck was also vandalised.

“This is a serious escalation, we’ve never had people wearing balaclavas and so on breaking into the site in a group with implements,” said one Garda source.

Members of the group were carrying bolt cutters, iron bars and chains when they broke into the compound at Glengad, where the gas pipeline will come to shore.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0423/breaking20.htm

[Cumannach]

Any idea who they were?

[Dóchas]

thats great!!!! did they do much damage or just scare some security guards?

[Black_Flag]

WILLIE CORDUFF IN HOSPITAL AFTER SEVERE BEATING BY MASKED MEN AT SHELL PIPELINE SITE

-- Goldman Environmental Prize winner was trying to block work on pipeline --

-- Shell still has no planning permission for this section of pipeline --

Mayo farmer and anti-Shell protester Willie Corduff is recovering in hospital after being badly beaten by at least six men in balaclavas and dark clothing at the site where Shell is attempting to lay an onshore, high-pressure pipeline

Corduff, one of the Rossport Five and winner of the 2007 Goldman Environmental Prize, was dragged from under a truck at around 3.45am on Thursday morning by at least six men who then beat him viciously about the head and knees.

"I thought they were trying to kill me," Corduff said. "They beat me until I stopped moving. I heard one of them say, 'Stop now lads, he's nearly finished.' "

It is unclear whether these men were employees of I-RMS, the company providing security for Shell's operations in north Mayo. Security personnel and gardai were nearby at the time of the attack.

Corduff, a 55-year-old grandfather, was taken by ambulance to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, where he is being treated for his injuries. He has undergone several x-rays. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Corduff and two other local men had climbed under the truck at midday on Wednesday in an attempt to halt work at the site at Glengad. The other two men were removed but Corduff vowed to stay under the truck until he had evidence that Shell had authorisation for their work. He said gardai threw stones at him to in an attempt to remove him.

Locals kept a vigil near the truck, but by 3.45am, several of them had left to get food, leaving only Corduff's brother-in-law, Pete Lavelle. At least six men in dark clothing and balaclavas dragged Corduff out and beat him violently. Lavelle witnessed the incident and when he tried to come to Corduff's assistance, he was also beaten by the men. He reported being bitten on the ear.

Taken from the Shell to Sea Website


Did these two incidents occur on the same night?

[Sean]

It would seem so, Black Flag. In this version of those events (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0423/breaking39.htm), notice how much the Irish Times say that he claimed he was beaten up.

[Jorge Miguel]

Seo scéal ó Shell chun Sáile: Tá Willie Corduff san Ospidéal tar éis bheith buailte go dona aréir. Bhuail fir ainaithnid, gléasta i mbalaclava agus éadaí dorcha, Willie Corduff, duine de 5 Ros Dumhach agus buaiteoir an Duais Goldman aréir (22/4/09) ar 4 a.m. Bhí Willie ina luí faoi lorraí mór Shell mar chuid de agóid ag iarraidh cosc a chur ar obair ar Thrá Ghleann Gad inné. Bhí triúr faoin lorraí mór ach tarraingeodh an bheirt eile amach. Bhí Willie dearfa go bhfadfadh sé faoin lorraí mór thar oíche, cé go raibh an-droch aimsear ann. D’fhan bacla beag daoine áitiúla leis, ansin tháinig na fir gléasta in éadaí dorcha le balaclavas orthu.
Bhuail siad Willie go done. Tá sé in Ospidéal Mhaigh Eo anois agus x-gathú á dhéanamh air.
Go bhfóire Dia ar an tír agus muintir na Gaeltachta ag iarraidh an fós a sheasamh in aghaidh gadaíochta agus coiriúlachta. Cuidigh leo ar aon bhealach agus scaip an scéal.

Source: http://workersrepublic.wordpress.com/

[Sean]

^ Translate that please. This is the English language section of the boards.

[STJ]

Thats great news.

[la lucha sigue]

Gardaí believe the masked men attacked the site because of their opposition to the controversial project.


looks like the gardai have cracked it! Well done lads!

[Black_Flag]

notice how much the Irish Times say that he claimed he was beaten up.

Right enough. Thats ridiculous, i mean how else would you explain the injuries to his head and knees? He hardly did it to himself. Hopefully we'll get a clearer picture as to what happened soon enough.

[Sean]

Right enough. Thats ridiculous, i mean how else would you explain the injuries to his head and knees? He hardly did it to himself. Hopefully we'll get a clearer picture as to what happened soon enough.
He did it himself. God forbit the IT would write something that would remove a big advertiser. I bet there was even debate whether or not they should run it before it was snipped. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model#Funding)


EDIT: sorry for slight derailment but i just fucking raged at this bit after reading the wiki article I linked:


The theory argues that the people buying the newspaper are themselves the product which is sold to the businesses that buy advertising space; the news itself has only a marginal role as the product.Thats not an argument its a proven fact. Give me the tax records of any major media outlet and thats proof in itself. Thats the reason big newpapers can distribute for free.

[PRC-UTE]

^ Translate that please. This is the English language section of the boards.

ach nil ann bórd Gaeilge é ar revleft agus tá se nuacht ó Ros Dumhach. cuirfidh mid Béarla ar é go luath.

but there isn't an Irish language forum on revleft and this is news from Rossport. we will translate it later.

[Andropov]

This is an interesting turn of events.
Perhaps a peoples militia should be formed in defence of the protestors if these are shells new dirty tactics?