Letter of support from Nuremberg Shell to Sea

Greetings to all the participants in the sit-down protest at Ballinaboy. We in Shell to Sea Germany support your resistance to the destruction of your environment and your means of livelihood through the Corrib gas project. On our own visits to Rossport and the surrounding area, we have been able to get a picture of the destruction that Shell, Statoil and Marathon are bringing to your beautiful landscape. But we also encountered your courage, your determination and your cohesion.

It is an outrage that people are criminalised because, of all things, they try to defend their means of livelihood and seek to take responsibility for future generations. On the other hand, the politicians, police and justice system appear to put the narrow interests of capital before the common good, while some elements of the media defame your justified protest sometimes in violent language.

Shell is known internationally for its disregard for people and environment, as the example of Nigeria shows. The arbitrary approach of these large companies is not only relevant in Ireland. This pilot project opens the door throughout Europe to their abusive way of dealing with human beings. Natural resources belong naturally to the whole population and not to individual companies.

We have heard about the prosecutions of Patrick and Jonathan O’Donnell and Enda Carey, which appear to us to be entirely specious. The brutality of the police behaviour we see as part of a strategy of escalation to hinder further protest. We have shown pictures and videos of the police attacks to the public in Germany and will continue to publicise your campaign here.

In the spirit of the Irish saying “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine”, we wish you good luck and success in your protest today.

Nuremberg Shell to Sea
Solidarität International, Nuremberg