shell-sponsored play closed at national theatre
rikki | 05.01.2009 22:12 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Energy Crisis
yesterday saw the last performance of the run of sophocles' oedipus at the national theatre. it has been met by continued stunts from the 'artnotoil' group, including a spoof press release, mass leafletting of theatre-goers, and on saturday, an impromptu performance in the foyer
on saturday, 'artnotoil' activists put on an impromptu performance in the foyer of the national theatre prior to the matinee performance of shell-sponsored 'oedipus'.
while a singer took to the stage (where there was a conveniently placed live microphone), another activist handed out leaflets, including a glossy spoof that looked like the national theatre was inviting an open discussion about the morality of accepting oil company sponsorship. a third person joined in on a trumpet as security guards surrounded the singer.
after making their point, and some noise, for a few minutes, they ended the protest peacefully, to a gratifying round of applause from the theatre-goers who had watched the performance with interest.
after being ejected from the building, the three activists continued to leaflet late-comers outside the main doors. the response was generally good.
this short film of the action is available in wmv and mp4 formats (mp4 can be read by the excellent free cross-platform player 'vlc' - a free download from videolan)
while a singer took to the stage (where there was a conveniently placed live microphone), another activist handed out leaflets, including a glossy spoof that looked like the national theatre was inviting an open discussion about the morality of accepting oil company sponsorship. a third person joined in on a trumpet as security guards surrounded the singer.
after making their point, and some noise, for a few minutes, they ended the protest peacefully, to a gratifying round of applause from the theatre-goers who had watched the performance with interest.
after being ejected from the building, the three activists continued to leaflet late-comers outside the main doors. the response was generally good.
this short film of the action is available in wmv and mp4 formats (mp4 can be read by the excellent free cross-platform player 'vlc' - a free download from videolan)
rikki
e-mail:
rikkiindymedia[@t]gmail(d0t)com
Homepage:
http://www.socpa-movie.blogspot.com
Additions
Shell Sells Suicide in the NT Foyer
06.01.2009 18:55
Here are the words to the song sung blue in the NT foyer:
'there’s a bird dressed in black
there’s a world nearly cracked
there is me, there is you -
what the hell shall we do?
it’s not hard to explain
all the ways we can gain
from a world without oil
no more spills, no more spoils
Shell sells suicide on the forecourt
Shell sells suicide
Shell sells suicide with such forethought
Shells sells suicide
(Verse from a Shell AGM:)
there I stood with one share
asking Shell - could it care?
when I knew it could not -
of Big Oil let's get shot
Shell smells sweet gas off the seashore in Mayo
they think it’s theirs just ‘cos the government says so
but they forgot about the will of the people
and the people of Mayo say ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no -
it’s Shell that’s got to go!’
here I stand by the river
asking it what it plans to deliver
‘will you dump a hundred thousand tonnes of water
into the foyer of this Shell-sponsored theatre?’
the beauty of that irony I can live without
there’s a bird dressed in black
there’s a world nearly cracked
there is me, there is you
what the hell shall we do?
(Verse for Jan 4th ’09, sung outside the day after the foyer intervention):
Monday 4th of January, nineteen ninety three,
Ken Saro-Wiwa said the people of the Delta must be free
Sunday 4th of January twenty oh-nine
it surely must be time
to stop Shell’s climate crimes
And an alternate verse:
Shell buys South Bank silence completely
Shell sells wild lies
Shell kills wildlife and still smiles so sweetly
Shell kills wildlife...'
-----------------
Here's more on Ogoni Day:
'on 4th January 1993, some 300,000 Ogoni celebrated the Year of Indigenous Peoples by peacefully protesting against Shell's activities and the environmental destruction of Ogoniland. It remains the largest demonstration against an oil company ever. "We have woken up to find our lands devastated by agents of death called oil companies. Our atmosphere has been totally polluted, our lands degraded, our waters contaminated, our trees poisoned, so much so that our flora and fauna have virtually disappeared", said an Ogoni leader to the crowd. 4th January became known as Ogoni Day.'
(
http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/struggle.htm)
Jan 4th is also the date the head office of Shell UK in 1999 was occupied - ten years to the day!
http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no8/shell.html
'there’s a bird dressed in black
there’s a world nearly cracked
there is me, there is you -
what the hell shall we do?
it’s not hard to explain
all the ways we can gain
from a world without oil
no more spills, no more spoils
Shell sells suicide on the forecourt
Shell sells suicide
Shell sells suicide with such forethought
Shells sells suicide
(Verse from a Shell AGM:)
there I stood with one share
asking Shell - could it care?
when I knew it could not -
of Big Oil let's get shot
Shell smells sweet gas off the seashore in Mayo
they think it’s theirs just ‘cos the government says so
but they forgot about the will of the people
and the people of Mayo say ‘No, no, no, no, no, no, no -
it’s Shell that’s got to go!’
here I stand by the river
asking it what it plans to deliver
‘will you dump a hundred thousand tonnes of water
into the foyer of this Shell-sponsored theatre?’
the beauty of that irony I can live without
there’s a bird dressed in black
there’s a world nearly cracked
there is me, there is you
what the hell shall we do?
(Verse for Jan 4th ’09, sung outside the day after the foyer intervention):
Monday 4th of January, nineteen ninety three,
Ken Saro-Wiwa said the people of the Delta must be free
Sunday 4th of January twenty oh-nine
it surely must be time
to stop Shell’s climate crimes
And an alternate verse:
Shell buys South Bank silence completely
Shell sells wild lies
Shell kills wildlife and still smiles so sweetly
Shell kills wildlife...'
-----------------
Here's more on Ogoni Day:
'on 4th January 1993, some 300,000 Ogoni celebrated the Year of Indigenous Peoples by peacefully protesting against Shell's activities and the environmental destruction of Ogoniland. It remains the largest demonstration against an oil company ever. "We have woken up to find our lands devastated by agents of death called oil companies. Our atmosphere has been totally polluted, our lands degraded, our waters contaminated, our trees poisoned, so much so that our flora and fauna have virtually disappeared", said an Ogoni leader to the crowd. 4th January became known as Ogoni Day.'
(
http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/struggle.htm) Jan 4th is also the date the head office of Shell UK in 1999 was occupied - ten years to the day!
http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no8/shell.html
Carbon Town Cryer
Homepage:
http://www.myspace.com/carbontowncryer
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