Belfast shell to sea picket

[PRC-UTE]

Belfast shell to sea picket
24/11/06

Republican Socialists attended today’s Shell to Sea picket on the
Andersonstown Road in Belfast. A crowd of around thirty activists
blockaded both the entrance and exit of the garage for a period of around
thirty minutes. The public generally responded positively with many
stopping to ask what the cause was and passing motorists beeping horns.
This, however, did not prevent a young supporter of the Republican
Socialist Youth Movement being assaulted by a motorist who ploughed
directly into the crowd then threatened by members of Shell staff.

Sinn Féin Councillor Chrissie MacGiolla Mhín approached those organising
the protest and asked for the blockade to be called off and instead a
whiteline picket be mounted. After a further ten minutes some protesters
stopped the blockade and took to the center of the road.

At this point Republican Socialists withdrew from the protest over the
Sinn Féin influence in diverting the event from its intended purpose.

[Seven Stars]

Good work by the IRSP as always.

[Fawkes]

Where in Ireland do you live (either of you), I just came back from a visit there.

[Conghaileach]

Shell to Sea Belfast response
28/11/2006

We want to respond to the comments made in regards to the protest in Andersonstown on Friday. At the start of the protest there was a discussion about the merits of a blockade; some were for it and some against. It was decided to go ahead with a blockade based on the argument that there would be no major trouble. However, when protestors were almost knocked down and a fight almost broke out with the driver of a car, it became obvious that the argument for a blockade had been lost. Most people accepted this, but two people decided to leave at this point.

Sinn Féin councillor Chrissie Nic Giolla Mhín was one of the people present at the protest, and expressed her own views to the organisers, as did others. Shell to Sea Belfast welcomes the support of people from all progressive organisations and none and hopes they will be able to stand in solidarity at future protests leaving political differences aside.

The whiteline picket was not the end of the protest. It was at this point that the PSNI arrived and started threatening to arrest people. The protest finished at the time it was meant to, regardless of police harassment and threats.