Street Theatre In Derry As Shell Go On Trial In New York

Thursday May 28, 2009 00:21

by Shell to Hell - MAOR

Donegal and Derry activists are determined to keep the issues relating to what they refer to as 'the great gas giveaway' off the coast of Donegal firmly on the political agenda.

Since 2006, MAOR have been actively engaged in a surprising range of activities that push the boundaries of political discussion and bring the issues to the streets, the airwaves and back to communities. This week MAOR Street Theatre Group took to the streets of Derry in an exciting street theatre event, highlighting the human rights abuses perpetrated by Multinational giants that the Irish government is happy to do business with. Earlier this week Royal Dutch Shell went on trial for complicity in the torture and killing of Nigerian protestors in 1995.

Activist sings a moving song about the Shell refinery in Mayo.

For over fifty years, Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta have resulted in human rights abuses and environmental devastation. The lawsuit, Wiwa v. Shell, charges Shell with requesting, financing, and assisting the Nigerian military which used deadly force to repress opposition to Shell’s operations in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta. The lawsuit also charges Shell with conspiring with the Nigerian military dictatorship in the prosecution of the leaders of this movement – the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Shell is being charged with bribing witnesses to give false testimony, ultimately leading to a death sentence for nine men, including acclaimed author, activist, and leader of MOSOP Ken Saro-Wiwa. On November 10th, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were put to death by hanging.

The “Shell Guilty” International Campaign was launched by a coalition of NGOs and is supporting the plaintiff of the court case.

The street theatre event in Derry was a mark of solidarity with the people of Nigeria but also was a mechanism to highlight Shell’s behavior closer to home. The Erris peninsula in County Mayo, in the west of Ireland, is destined to become home to one of the largest gas processing plants in Europe under a £500m project by Shell. For the past 9 years Shell has found themselves in a battle against local residents in Rossport and Glengad (Co.Mayo) whose safety, quality of life and freedoms are to be curtailed in order that the company, with the support of the government and judicial system, can further its ongoing campaign of environmental degradation and human exploitation. Earlier today, Julia Black, a member of MAOR highlighted the similarities in the behavior of Shell worldwide; ‘Finally after many years, Shell is being brought to justice for financing and assisting the military and for bribing witnesses. Here at home, protesters have been beaten, their families placed under surveillance by private security firms and the government is doing nothing to protect the people. It is vitally important that there is more awareness of what is going on. MAOR is committed to raising that awareness and days like today are important in that way’. She also commented: ‘we have had a very positive response from the general public who stopped to watch the performance of street theatre and who expressed their concern by enquiring about the campaign and showing their support for all those suffering the consequences of the multinational’s destructive background’.

Furthermore in the North West, Shell was granted licenses for exploration off the Donegal coastline and began exploratory drilling in 2007. They have also held meetings with representatives of Donegal County Council. In addition, Shell has applied for further licenses to explore further out to sea in the Rockhall basin. MAOR is calling on the County Council not to issue any further exploration licenses and to seriously consider the implications for the wealth, health and well being of people here if projects like those in Corrib and Nigeria are allowed to progress here.

Activist gives a speech as the Shell/Topaz Public Relations Officer