This video represents the many people not given a voice in the mainstream media. They have been denied a voice mainly because of their dissenting views about the Corrib gas project in its current form. There are interviews with many people who have suffered both personally and financially for daring to oppose the oil and gas industry. This industry has been supported by the various intimidatory and violent methods used by the Garda. The mainstream media has consistently misrepresented the facts, and has failed to report human rights abuses taking place in Mayo. It has instead tried to demonise anybody who goes against their neo-liberal view-point on how Ireland should be organized and structured. Most of the interviews were filmed over the last month. Thanks to all of the people who generously gave up their time and energy to make this no budget documentary. This is the first part of an ongoing documentary about the Corrib Gas Project. read full story / add a comment

Kieran Allen has just written an extensive article on the current global financial crisis. Here are the opening sentences on it.

Most people are amazed to witness a new Wall St crash, when the spectacle of the 1929 crash was supposed to have vanished forever.

For the past thirty years mainstream economists claimed that the market worked perfectly provided there was no state interference or strong trade unions. ‘You cannot buck the market’ was repeated like a mantra against anyone who dared to ask for higher wages, better environmental controls or a more developed welfare state. ‘Market forces’ were seen as wise spirits who knew best about how to run an economy. No one knew who or what they were but they appeared to work anonymously behind the scenes to make everything right. In almost every country, people were told to leave matters to these ‘market forces’ and not to seek too much regulation. In reality, these ‘market forces’ were gigantic financial houses which could move money around the globe at will.

Today this mythology has been shattered. read full story / add a comment

In the last hour Shell has announced that the Solitaire pipe laying ship is to depart from Irish territorial waters and go to a British port for repair and assessment. The company has always claimed that it was not responding to pressure from protests against its plan to install an offshore section of production pipeline without any planning permission for the onshore section.

Maura Harrington, who is on hunger strike at the Shell compund at Glengad beach, has yet to make a statement, but it is hoped that if the company claim is true, and the ship leaves, then she may end or suspend her protest. read full story / add a comment

Latest from Rossport read full story / add a comment

Solitaire arrives, local woman goes on hunger strike, local fisherman arrested read full story / add a comment

Remember the 3rd of September. That is the day the economic conservative consensus died, when all the certainties propagated by our one-party state were shredded. Fiona Fail has panicked in the face of rapid economic deterioration, brought forward the budget by a few weeks, and in that simple, technical act has unintentionally composed a dirge. No one day heralds the end of something as complex and layered as an economic cycle. But they can serve up symbols. September 3rd is such a symbol – of a coffin, and the Ministers polishing it. read full story / add a comment

The Shell to Sea Flotilla took to the waves in Broadhaven Bay this evening towards sunset in an attempt to foil winching preparations in advance of the pipe-laying ship the Solitaire’s arrival possibly sometime soon. The intrepid S2S Flotilla were opposed in their mission by Shell’s fleet of security mercenaries, Gardaí, and the Irish Naval service, which were deployed in overwhelming numbers and in an aggressive, deliberately un-safety-conscious manner. Seven S2S marine protestors were arrested and taken to Belmullet Garda station. In a simultaneous action at the gates of the Shell Glengad compound a local man was arrested and taken to Belmullet Garda station. An earlier marine S2S sortie successfully held up shore-based dredging operations in the Glengad compound this afternoon for about two hours; there were no arrests that time. read full story / add a comment

The Rossport Solidarity Camp was originally set up on ‘Rossport 5’ Philip McGrath’s land in 2005. In the Spring of 2006 the camp was set up again close to the beach at Glengad near the ‘landfall’ for Shell’s proposed pipeline. Following a mendacious but successful application by Mayo County Council for an order of eviction against the camp in September of 2007, the camp agreed to leave the dunes by January 1st 2008. Since then the 'camp' has organised from the Rossport Solidarity House in Pollathomas.

On Saturday 16th August 2008 the camp was set up afresh for the purposes of reorganising Shell to Sea resistance to Shell's latest plans to construct its offshore section of the pipeline from Glengad out to the Corrib Gas Field. A number of actions against that work have already taken place and local, national and international supporters are returning to the area to continue the fight.

As one supporter put it, "If there was ever a time to come to Mayo, this is it". read full story / add a comment

That the production wing of global energy corporation, Shell, has a presence in the west of Ireland is now well known. Shell have been joined by another of their kind; Exxon Mobil, sometimes known as Esso. It's a company which, like Shell, has left a long dark oil slick like trail of controversy and notoriety across the globe. Exxon Mobil are in alliance with Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Ireland’s most influential businessman read full story / add a comment

This morning at 10am, 15 Shell to Sea activists entered the water at Glengad Beach to stop Shell pipeline excavation work. Dinghies, surfers and swimmers surrounded the machine and stopped the work by their presence in the water.

3 members of the Garda water unit then began picking people out of the boats and the water and bringing the protestors into the Shell compound where other Gardaí conveyed them then to Belmullet Garda station. Gardaí were questioned by activists, asked to identify themselves and give reasons why they were pulling people from the water. Gardaí were questioned as to what authority they had to give directions or use force against protesters in the water. They refused to account for themselves. “Public Order Act” shouted one very aggressive Garda.
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Wicklow County Council has no flood plan and it's Fire Service is not allowed respond to flooding. read full story / add a comment

Today (Saturday) at noon a flotilla of sea kayaks reclaimed Glengad beach, Pollathomas, Co Mayo; the landfall site for Shell’s offshore pipeline.

Members of the ‘Great Rebel Raft Regatta’ recently deployed at the E.ON coal fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, England, have made their way from Climate Camp UK to Erris, in order to assist Shell to Sea campaigners in their opposition to this pipeline construction at Glengad.

The first wave of the Rebel Regatta arrived today following Marine & Public Information Notices which announced the arrival of the world’s largest pipe-laying vessel, the Solitaire, in Broadhaven Bay, anytime from today onwards.

Captain Ahab of the Rebel Crew states, “It’s unacceptable what Shell are being allowed to get away with here in Mayo. We intend to plunder Shell’s compound at Glengad and board the Solitaire when she arrives in the bay. We take no prisoners. It’s the gang-plank for these boys. This environment needs protection from these marauders of Shell’s.”

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Brian Guckian, a researcher into sustainable development and transport in Ireland, lays out the case against the proposed Cork to Limerick (M20) Motorway. Mr Guckian claims that the scheme is not supported by traffic counts, that it breaches EU Law and government environmental policies, and that councils could face fines and funding penalties if it goes ahead. read full story / add a comment

This is a series of daily video reports from the Climate Camp 2008 in Kingsnorth, Kent, UK read full story / add a comment

Jim Keys, a member of the Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign (FEIC), was arrested on Friday after their monthly peace vigil outside Raytheon’s Derry software facility. His crime? He touched up a three year old spray drawing of The Black Shamrock on the public pavement outside Raytheon! The charge? Criminal Damage? read full story / add a comment

The software used to run the Indymedia website has now been upgraded with the latest release (Oscailt 3.2) which now allows users to post stories and comments with multiple embedded videos and audios.

Previously you could only have embedded one video per story or comment. The embedded video was also recently upgraded a few months back to allow for embedded Politube.org video which are preferrable to YouTube videos because of licensing and the fact that they support independent media outlets and activists and are a non profit organisation. read full story / add a comment

When corruption is uncovered in functional jurisdictions a long established and well tested series of events come into play. Police investigate and if sufficient evidence is collected suspects are brought before the courts to account for themselves. If found guilty, they are given appropriate punishment. In dysfunctional jurisdictions such procedures are often ignored in the interests of protecting the powerful.
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The new book of poems, Time Gentlemen Please, by Galway poet Kevin Higgins, which was published this March, is causing consternation and disagreement on the Left.

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This is a short interview we conducted with Gearóid Ó Loingsigh on the state of affairs in Colombia at the moment after the release of Ingrid Betancourt and after years of the implementation of Plan Colombia. Gearoid is an Irish researcher for social organisations in Colombia and author of "La Estrategia Integral del Paramilitarismo en el Magdalena Medio" and "El Catatumbo: Un Reto Por La Verdad" as well as a forthcoming publication on the oil industry. read full story / add a comment

Hammers back in the hands of anti-war activists. war continues as normal in Ireland.... read full story / add a comment