Friday, March 26, 2010

Nine activists who are opposed to the €180 million onshore Corrib gas terminal have had public order charges against them struck out.

A judge ruled yesterday that they had been unlawfully held for more than 27 hours in custody before being brought before a judge of the District Court.

The protesters were arrested by gardaí on June 28th last and held on public order charges after incidents near Glengad beach in Co Mayo, where it is planned that natural gas from the Corrib field will come ashore.

25 out of 27 people prosecuted for resisting Shell’s experimental gas pipeline have cases withdrawn or dismissed

Around the time of the visit of Shell’s pipe-laying ship the Solitaire in June it became clear that the Gardai had been told that they could do anything to remove Shell to Sea campaigners from the scene and they would be looked after. Rulings from the district court, in particular the denial of bail to 7 campaigners charged with the most minor of public order offences removed people with vital water skills from the area by interning them in Mountjoy and Castlerea prisons. Local fisherman Pat O’Donnell had one of his boat sunk from underhim when four masked men boarded the boat in the middle of the night and held Pat and the other crew member at gun point while they sabotaged the boat leading to its sinking. When Pat took to sea in another boat as the Solitaire arrived he was arrested under the Public Order Act for loitering and once more sent to prison leaving the way clear for the Solitaire.