Workers Solidarity Movement

Earlier this week the government announced its intention to give away the last exploration blocks in the Irish sea to private corporations under its "open door" policy.  Today in Erris Shell starts the latest round of its long attempt to impose an experimental raw gas pipeline on the community, back from its defeat early in the new year when the long running community protests forced An Bord Pleanala to block the original ludicrous route for the pipeline that took it through the village of Rossport.  Meanwhile the community continue to resist Shell with borehole drilling being stopped for three hours on Monday as protesters evaded security at low tide.

On Saturday (14th Aug), around 60 people from different organisations, parties and community projects plus some individual activists gathered in Kilbarack community development centre for a 2 day activist workshop. The whole event was pleasantly very well organised with a lovely lunch provided.

A still defiant Shell to Sea campaigner, Niall Harnett, has been released after spending 118 days in Castlerea prison. On his release Niall announced that "I am going straight back to the Rossport Solidarity Camp to be with my fellow activists and Shell to Sea friends in the local community. We seem to bring out the best in each other, unlike Shell and the Irish government, who bring out the worst in each other."  Niall's release today means that for the first time in many months no Shell to Sea campaigners are in prison, however resistance to Shell still continues in Erris.

The WSM has signed an international statement that highlights the ongoing resistance of the Mapuche, an indigenous people in Chile who make up perhaps 5% of the Chilean population but comprise the majority of political prisoners in Chile.  The statement originated with anarchists organisations in Chile who are in solidarity with the Mapuche.

On Tuesday morning forty people from around Sruwaddacon Estuary in Erris brought Shell’s survey work in the area to a complete standstill when they walked out onto the mudflats at low tide to assert their cockle-picking rights and disrupt Shell’s borehole drilling survey.  Shell has two barges drilling over 80 test holes in this Special Areas of Conservation, work that is opposed by the local community as part of their ongoing resistance to Shell's plan to run an experimental high pressure raw gas pipeline near their houses.

Activist Fleadh – A Summer School for Radicals

Introduction
Thesummer school is an exciting opportunity designed to enable us all - activists and non-activists, radicals of all ages and people in many different communities, movements and struggles - to find spaces to talk to each other about what we have in common:

...- What are the big structures of power and inequality that shape our world, and how do we meet them?
- How can we find effective ways of protesting, disrupting, constructing alternatives and taking action?

Dublin Shell to Sea have called a picket of Shell HQ to mark the 100th Day of Niall's imprisonment which the WSM is supporting. Dublin S2S say "Many of you who have been involved in Shell to Sea over the years, or who have visited the camp, will know Niall. Please try and attend to show your support."

Dublin Shell to Sea organised a protest at Mountjoy prison Friday night after receiving the news that Shell to Sea campaigner Maura Harrington had been arrested for non payment of fines and was on her way to the prison for the 5th time in two years. Some 40-50 people turned up on a few hours notice including a contingent from the Critical Mass cycle that was taking place.

Over the June bank holiday weekend the 5th successive annual Rossport Solidarity camp took place. Over the decade that this campaign as been running, this weekend has become a focal point for activists and the community to get together, have workshops and share in some activities.  Radio Solidarity took along a recorder and tried to capture a flavor of the events, and we asked people how come they'd become invovled in this struggle against one of the biggest conglomerates in the World.

People gathered at the Garden of Remberance on the 10th of April - to support the family of Toyosi Shitta-bey, a 15 year old boy who died after being attacked on Good Friday.  People were there to send out a message that racist attacks have no place in the Irish society that we want, and that this should never happen again.