Top Oil Direct Action/Public Meeting in Galway

galway | anti-war / imperialism | press release Monday September 29, 2003 18:23 by Sylvia Pankhurst

Report on last Saturday's direct action at Top Oil, news of public meeting in Galway on the anniversay of the attack on Afghanistan (October 7th) and some opinions.

Many people think the war ended with the fall of Baghdad. Well it didn’t end for 12-year-old Mohammad al-Kubaisi shot on the 26th of June as he was carrying the family bedding up to the roof. As he lay injured American troops enforcing the curfew prevented his neighbours from bringing him to the nearby hospital. He died. (1)

Nor has it ended for American troops whose discontented e-mails and letters are publicised by the group Military Families Speak Out.

One such reads: "There is no real reason for us to be out here!!!!, We're protecting the oil is all, and as far as the supposed war ending, it hasn't. Not when everyday soldiers are still getting mines placed in front of convoys. Rocket propelled grenades thrown at us."

Another:
"Most soldiers would empty their bank accounts just for a plane ticket home."

Yet another:

"At night time you think about all the people you killed. It just never gets off your head, none of this stuff does. There's no chance to forget it, we're still here, we've been here so long. Most people leave after combat but we haven't…Some soldiers don't even fucking sleep at night. They sit up all fucking night long doing shit to keep themselves busy - to keep their minds off this fucking stuff. It's the only way they can handle it. It's not so far from being crazy but it's their way of coping. There's one guy trying to build a little pool out the back, pointless stuff but it keeps him busy." (2)


During the first few months of this year the movement against the White House’s war effort saw the mobilisation of the largest numbers of people by any social movement here since the seventies. Estimates of the February 15th march range from 100,000 to 150,000. Well I wasn’t counting but the march from the march to the pubs was bigger than most marches in Dublin. However none of this has won the peace movement here any of its successes. But a variety of forms of non-violent direct action saw 3 of the charter companies hired by the American military forced out of Shannon airport.

So, on the eve of the September 27th demonstration in Dublin, a call was put out by a shadowy group styling itself “Direct Action Against War”. A call for a continuation of these successful tactics. This time directed against Top Oil. Top Oil, or Tedcastles, is the company who’s ‘Aviation Division’ provide the pitstop services to the U.S. military at Shannon.

They are a smallish company, by oil industry standards, Irish based, with about 100 petrol stations and most of their business in home heating oil. In Galway Top Oil’s distributor is called the ‘Galway Oil Company’ and they have been selling oil to this university. Peaceniks are also sussing out what other companies are complicit with the turning of Shannon into a warport.

Unfortunately this action was only organised in a few days so there wasn’t much promotion.

Nonetheless a small horde of fashionably black clad troublemakers broke away from the main rally, and set off across the streets.

Inelegantly moving through the city in stops and starts the mob turned a corner, reached the quays, and happened upon a navy ship.

One lone protester shot across to it spray can in hand.

A moment of stillness as you could almost feel the watching sailor’s eyes widen and jaws drop, then in a flash, like automations they had armed themselves with clubs and were down the gangplank.

Two sailors ready to fend off the be-draggled forty strong crowd, who were now moving on to their ultimate target, with the screech of a naval siren heralding their approach.

Traversing by the Financial Services Centre, with not a cop in sight, the demonstration reached Top Oil on Amien Street, where they were all waiting.

A bit of a push and shove as the blockade attempt was made. Then the station was basically shut down and shut off by the police, in their efforts to prevent entry to the forecourt and shepherd traffic. The staff came out for a long fag break and protestors went into tomfoolery mode. The station was effectively closed for the best part of an hour, more by the threat of action than action.

But there is a problem with all this. Relative to the numbers protesting the numbers engaged in resistance actions have been tiny.

If we want a peaceful world, then we want a world free from political and economic hierarchies and bureaucracies. Only an empowered people can make this a reality. Direct action is the means of empowerment. However it’s effects are nullified unless more and more people are involved in it – hundreds, then thousands, not ones, twos and then dozens.

So some networks attempt to organise mass non-violent direct action. Such as the Top Oil blockade last Saturday, or the mass trespass at Shannon this time last year.

However even with these there are still major issues of numbers participating, inclusion and accessibility. Which is the great advantage of the Top Oil boycott campaign. The consumer boycott is a force that can be deployed by anyone - it doesn’t matter if you live on the other side of the island from Shannon, have four kids and a mortgage, - you can still participate in it. Consumer boycotts have pretty minimal chances of encountering state violence, and as a small company in a competitive market Top Oil is susceptible to one.

On October 7th the Ecology Society is hosting a public meeting with a speaker from the Top Oil boycott campaign plus many more speakers. This is on the second anniversary of the American assault on Afghanistan.

Confirmed speakers include:

Mary Kelly, a nurse and mother, who did solidarity work in Palestine, including bringing medical care to people trapped and under siege in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and who was lately on trial for disarming a military plane at Shannon.

Nuria Dunne, an Iraqi exile and peace activist, who has recently returned from a visit to Iraq, and will be giving an eye witness report.

Deidre Clancy, one of the Pitstop Ploughshares Five, who disarmed a military plane in Shannon in February, and who are awaiting trial.

More speakers to be announced!!!!

This is happening at AC 203 on the Concourse (long low building with the two towers) in NUI Galway Tuesday October 7th at 8pm.

(1) web.amnesty.org/pages/iraq_summary
(2) www.occupationwatch.org