Security at Bellanaboy

by Bright Eyes Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:58

I have to say I am with you all the way on fighting Shell and the Gardai and various other elements employed to protect the robbery that is going on up in Erris, but your comment "There is also a new type of motley crew appearing at Bellanaboy, Poles and Russians," is well out of order. Suggesting that someone is motley and suggesting it applies to certain ethnic groups does nothing other than to confirm to me that you have lost your way in what his entire struggle is about. I think you should withdraw the comment...

by cik Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:29

Your point about the emply of foreign workers (non-nationals) is well made. They can have little idea of the subtleties of this dispute. They are in ireland to earn money, that's all, and I would guess that few of them care about the objections that Irish people may have to the destruction of their environment or the giveaway of their natural resources.
The fact that they know that they can freely assault protesters shows that the gardai have done a nod-and-wink deal with Shell and their contractors.
Just when you think the gardai can't sink much lower.............

by Mr. Big Tue Nov 13, 2007 12:48

BRENDAN GILMORE SECURITY;
Involvement; Provision of site security.
More info; Mr. Gilmore, owner of the company is a former garda and Progressive Democrat Town Councillor for Longford.
Employees of Mr. Gilmore have been recently involved in intimidation of Shell to Sea campaigner Maura Harrington.

Address (Brendan Gilmore);
Laurel Avenue,
Longford
Phone; 087 2405406

Address (Brendan Gilmore Security);
Aisling Hse.
53 Teffia Park,
Longford
Phone; +353 43 48256

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75229

by Dave Wright Tue Nov 13, 2007 13:06

The simple answer to avoid any further injury or conflict with the security guards is for you to obey the law a nd stay off what is private property. You have no right to be there without permission from the owners and developers.

by JB Tue Nov 13, 2007 13:47

"The simple answer to avoid any further injury or conflict with the security guards is for you to obey the law a nd stay off what is private property. You have no right to be there without permission from the owners and developers."

Interesting how Shell thought it had the right to go onto the farms of Rossport to tell them where Shell would be putting the pipe though?

by Ed D Tue Nov 13, 2007 14:31

Complaints about the conduct of any security provider can be made to the Private Security Authority but given the close links between the PSA and gardai I wouldn't hold my breath.

http://www.psa.gov.ie/psa/psa.nsf/home?Openform

http://www.psa.gov.ie/psa/psa.nsf/the_private_security_...t.pdf

by HGV Tue Nov 13, 2007 15:05

That's still an assault.
Legally they can try to drag you off the premises using reasonable force.
If they start thinking that they are Jackie Chan, then make an assault complaint against them, make the Gardai do the job they're paid to do.

by hamish Tue Nov 13, 2007 19:51

The comments about workers from eastern europe is offensive. We don't need to resort to implicit racism to critisise the behaviour of the security on site. Violence was perpertrated by workers on site from Ireland as well as those from eastern europe. Lets leave the offensive rhetoric about immigrant workers to right wing polititions.

by Peter Wed Nov 14, 2007 09:14

So lets get this straight. Security contractors are allowed to deliberately employ foreign workers because of their lack of knowledge of the situation but anybody who realises this is not allowed to point it out or talk about it without being labelled racist.

by Bright Eyes Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:35

What's racist you ask? Well to me the comment that "There is also a new type of motley crew appearing at Bellanaboy, Poles and Russians" is clearly racist and I object very strongly to what it implies. We all know lot of motley people but to add that these are 'Poles and Russians' is a slur on anyone of from those ethnicities. Come on now - this is not rocket science.

by Bill Wed Nov 14, 2007 13:25

"We all know lot of motley people" ???

Define Motley:

- Having elements of great variety or incongruity; heterogeneous:
- Having many colors; variegated; parti-coloured: a motley tunic.

Sometimes people are anxious to find offense where none exists or was intended.

by tommy lee Wed Nov 14, 2007 14:24

MOTLEY CREW
-is a roughly-organized assembly of characters.
Typical examples of motley crews are pirates, rag-tag mercenary,western posse.

by Madame K Wed Nov 14, 2007 14:50

"the site security is to be entirely in the hands of people from eastern Europe"
You can barely see their horns!!

by Margaretta D'Arcy Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:49

I seem carelessly to have allowed my original posting to be open to an unfortunate racist interpretation, which is not at all what I intended. I should have qualified my remarks about Poles and Russians by saying that the issue is not who they are but where and how they were employed before they came here – Police? Army? Prison service? For historical reasons, such institutions in Eastern Europe do not have a good reputation, as many can testify who have come into Ireland from those countries. I insist that it is imperative that the background of all workers in the security industry be subject to scrutiny. A ruthless and unaccountable para-constabulary acting on behalf of multi-national corporations, to take the heat off the Garda Síochána, is not a fantasy. There seems to be no legislation as to exactly what powers security employees have, or what are the criteria that render them suitable for the job. Are they registered? Are their police-records checked (whether in this jurisdiction or outside it)?

by C Murray Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:58

One Rosssport woman was thrown six foot into a ditch and banged her head off a stone
that was lying in the ditch.[ she has not gone back there since].
Workers in Tara have assaulted campaigners including at night, the images of the assaults
on one of the women were on the Newswire.
There have been calls at all hours of the day and night from campaigners complaining of attack ,
variously with nailed planks, sticks+ photographing the children of campaigners.

11 are before the courts on charges whilst none of the contractors have been charged with anything.
(in Tara)

Its not good enough that the charges of assault go unrecognised in both Rossport and Tara.
These assaults are alleged against the Siac/Ferrovial contractors btw.

by tom m Thu Nov 15, 2007 17:56

There would be no need for east europeans or security if you all stayed at home and let 700 people go about making a living in peace

by . Thu Nov 15, 2007 18:03

Maybe you should think of leaving people to LIVE in peace

by PSASecurity Fri Nov 16, 2007 00:54

With the security gaurds and company.Lodge a protest with the Private Security Authorithy in Tipp Town,Co Tipp.Ask them to investigate the firms employed and the personel.If they are genuine security and not employing any old person from East Europe that can claim military experiance.

Under the Security Act ALL security personel employed wether in house or sub contracted by a company must be registerd with the PSA and carry visible ID.Might be one to keep in mind...

by AP - Outsider who was there. Sat Nov 17, 2007 16:05

Lads, comrades, whatever, if were going to tell a story about the site security then lets make sure its correct, lets not bend the truth for the sake of gaining more support for us, lets have some pride in our vision for what S2S stand for. I was one of the 20 odd who entered the site by walking through Shell property for about an hour. I was one of those who helped cut through the fence to gain access to the building site.

When we eveuntally gained access to the main building works we were surrounded by the 'goon' security guards. some of our more energetic friends tried to break away from the main bunch and they were prevented from doing so by the guards. we were not treated bad in anyway whatsoever. those who broke away were followed and surrounded. I can only assume that the goons were doing this for our own safety.

Stating that a piece of barricade fencing was deliberately crashed down on a woman’s leg is incorrect. once again, lets tell the truth, one of our supporters was trying to break through a ring of goons, he himself was quite violent, they, the goons pushed him back and he fell against a barrier, this barrier then fell against the woman. She was a maker of her own destiny. No court in this land would see it any other way.

If I recall the goons continously told us to leave the site as it was a dangerous place, I now agree. I myself fell on some of the poor footing. it was my own fault, I had flat shoes, trainers, with no support. I also noticed three other older women with simular shoes on too. the eldest woman had plastic shoes, in fairness its lucky none of us got twisted ankles or even worse. It was a building site, and we broke into it, without concent of the owner. We were breaking the law, the goons repeated this to us, remember...

Whatever happened outside gate one and at the bridge, I can say the C Murray's comment above which states that that One Rosssport woman was thrown six foot into a ditch and banged her head off a stone that was lying in the ditch is incorrect, this did not happen inside the terminal.

Finally, from what I can recall, not many guards said much when we spoke to them, other than leave the site. The one Polish goon had perfect english, but I assume he was instruicted not to engage with us for obvious reasons.

One last thing, we did have about 6 or 7 camcorders with us, if they were that bad to us, then lets see the evidance, lets show the Gardai and the press, lets post on youtube, lets for once tell the truth as it is.

by lulu Sun Nov 18, 2007 13:26

This private property belonged to Coillte (in a Republic, this means it was the property of the people of the land!) till it was sold off in a questionable transaction to Shell, with no consultation with the public locally or nationally.
Shell have shown no respect for private property, either in their attempt to invade the land of the Rossport 5, or in their Garda-managed violent invasion of the road to Pollatomish Pier.
The comment about foreign workers does not seem bigoted, especially with regard to the criticisms of incoming 'foreign' Shell to Sea supporters who've come from exotic Monaghan, Cork, Dublin, and UK, to help defend the Mayo land and people.

by Maura Harrington - S2S; Davitt League Sun Nov 18, 2007 14:29

Trying new tactic I note - the 'I was there' one!

Won't work any better than previous attempts.

by LP Mon Nov 19, 2007 13:09

AP, you're full of it. You put in enough details to make yourself almost plausible, but then you let yourself down. Hard luck.