Cork Shell to Sea visit French Navy

cork | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Saturday September 13, 2008 13:38 by Elinor - Cork Shell to Sea

This morning representatives from Cork Shell to sea took advantage of the presence of French Naval vessels in the Port of Cork and payed a visit.

At 9am this morning Cork Shell to Sea members approached docked French vessels in order to inform their crews of the role of the Irish Navy in protecting Shells interests and of Maura Harringtons hunger strike. The approach was made non threatening by the attempt to buy their services for Shell with a wad of €100 euro notes. Once reassured that we were not there to confront them about Sarcozy, their initial assumption ! An officer and crew members were eager to learn more and took leaflets with great interest. Unfortunately a returning superior officer arrived after a while and ordered all offending leaflets and letters lo be returned to us which was complied with in a slightly embarrassed manner. After being escorted out in the most courteous way we continued handing leaflets to Crew returning from their morning jogs.

It was interesting to make comparisons with our experience with Irish naval personnel yesterday , the French seemed in good morale, had a sense of hummour, had virtually no security ( No gardai present, in fact a passing guard measuring the pavement ! payed no attention to us at all ), and generally seemed in good shape. The feeling from the Irish was a jaded resignation they did not look in great shape and officers were overheard expressing righteous indignation that they would be targetted and falsely accused of bashing Shell to Sea. Obviously this is a generalisation based on limited observation but worth noting none the less.