Solidarity camp update

Hey folks! Well, the camp is back up and open for business once again. We’ve had a very productive few weeks up here in Mayo. We started rebuilding the camp in beautiful Glengad the weekend of the 25th Feb. Thankfully we had good weather so we were able to get a fair bit of work done. About 30 people travelled up to the camp from all over Ireland and we had loads of help from local people too. A local farmer, one of the Rossport 5, brought all our building equipment down to the beach in his tractor and trailer. We put up the marquee, built two communal sleeping bender, a grey water system for the kitchen, made a beautiful wooden floor in the marquee, toilets and lots of pathways so the Machairs we are camped between don’t get trampled down. At the start of the following week we had snow!! The place looked amazing. http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74533 for report & pics. Some folk we met on our speaking tour of England arrived later on in the week, but sadly not in time to see the snow. They were great, pitching in with all the work giving us no end of advice and good cheer! We had a lot of work to do for the weekend of the 10th, as we were expecting round about 50 people on site. We had some apprehensions about whether we could accommodate for that many but the weekend has come and gone now and everyone enjoyed themselves. On the Saturday folk were given a tour of the area, where the got to see the proposed pipeline route and refinery site. The residents also came out in strong numbers to welcome the visitors to the area and talk to them about the various aspects of the local campaign. That night back at camp there were talks given on North American Anarchism, Nine ladies anti-quarry protest camp and Climate change and the Earth First! summer gathering by visitors David, Ruth and Emma respectively. The following day films about the campaign were shown and that night we went to the pub for a bit of a social. Good craic! Indymedia report here: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74783 Lets see, what other news is there… Well our greywater system is up and running, Tracey has a report up on Indymedia about it if ye care to learn more http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74884 . Shell announced recently on national news that they will be commencing work on the wellhead out at sea in April. Details of the contractors involved who have UK offices are to be found here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/03/335655.html As a lot of you may be aware the Rossport 5 were due back in court for further punishment for breaking the high court injunction. Well the court date has been set back again to March 27th!We called for two days of solidarity actions way back in February and you good people provided. Here are links to reports on the various actions that took place http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74329 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/03/335754.html http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333974.html http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/333999.html http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/334015.html http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/02/334046.html http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74410 Also in February prominent Shell to Sea campaigner and local school teacher Maura Harrington was subjected to an attempt at intimidation, when her car was tailgated from the weekly Shell to Sea meeting, by a carload of young men, driving without lights, number plates or tax or insurance discs. After this car was cornered and the police called it transpired the driver was a security guard employed by Shell.We also had a visit from the saving Iceland campaigners; follow this link for a report and interview http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74725 .The former Chief Superintendent of the Mayo Garda Síochána, John Carey, has been appointed as a local consultant to the Corrib Gas Project: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74861 . Just yesterday there was a temporary reclamation of the refinery site. Waste water filled with aluminium has been flowing off site for several months now into Carrowmore lake, the source of drinking water for the region and no one is taking responsibility or even attempting to rectify the water treatment issue. So people marched on site demanding answers. There isn’t a report up yet about the this but keep an eye on indymedia.ie cause ones sure to follow. In the meantime however there is a report up about what led to this direct action at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74344 . Oh yeah, and the camp is to take part in the local St. Patrick’s Day Parade, so that should be fun. So the camp is ready for people to come and stay. Get in touch with us if you’re planning to come: Office 00 353 97 20944 Tracey 00 353 87 6543425 Michael 00 353 86 3588890 Or email us at rossportsolidaritycamp@gmail.comHope to see/hear from ye all soon Michael and all at the Rossport solidarity Camp