Irish Independent: Symbolic oil blockade in support of Rossport prisoners: “The five Co Mayo men have been imprisoned for over 70 days due to their objection to work being carried out by Shell, without the necessary ministerial consent, in the village of Rossport in the north of the county.”: Saturday Sept 10, 2005

A SYMBOLIC blockade of the Statoil Depot in Dublin's East Wall is being staged this morning, in support of the Rossport Five.

Campaign group Dublin Shell to Sea has called for the public's help in its protest against Statoil's links to Shell E&P (Ireland) Ltd and Marathon International Petroleum Hibernia Ltd over the controversial Corrib gas pipeline.

The five Co Mayo men have been imprisoned for over 70 days due to their objection to work being carried out by Shell, without the necessary ministerial consent, in the village of Rossport in the north of the county.

Maire Ni Sheighin, daughter of one of the five jailed men, Michael O Sheighin, said: "Statoil, which is a 36.5pc shareholder in this project, has remained silent on this issue, and we are calling on the company to take responsibility for its participation in this impasse, and to use its influence to lift the injunction which has led to these men's imprisonment.

"It is disingenuous for the companies involved to declare they wish for dialogue with the men now known as the Rossport Five, while they continue to refuse to lift the injunction which has imprisoned them."

The blockade will be held from 9.30am onwards at the Statoil Depot, Promenade Road, with an additional clutch of protesters at the roundabout beside the Point Depot at the Eastlink Bridge.

"We call on the general public to show their support for the release of the Rossport Five and support for the Shell to Sea campaign by joining the blockade," added Miss Ni Sheighin.

Helen Bruce

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