Thursday 18th August 2011

At 6pm on Thursday evening, people gathered outside the Shell petrol station on the Carlton Road, Nottingham.

This protest was an act of solidarity with all those who are fighting against the building of Shell's destructive gas pipeline in Rossport, Ireland. Following over 10 years of battling with the local community, work began on laying the pipeline a few weeks ago, and people are continually blockading to delay Shell 

The police responded with a couple of officers arriving with 5 minutes from the banners being unfurled! 

To the amazement of those present, the filling station staff then closed down and put barriers across the entrances.  They did this on direction from mangement, apparently in the name of health & safety.

In about equal measure, drivers were upset at not being able to fill up .... and the number of people hooting support and taking leaflets.

Just up the road, the police had placed a sign saying that there was a police operation in progress and to excuse any incovenience that might be caused.  Gosh ..... all a bit OTT.

additionally ..... there is now an oil-spill emergency in the North Sea.

The flow of oil from the worst spill in UK waters in the past decade, at one of Shell's North Sea platforms, has been "greatly reduced" but not yet stopped completely, the government said on Monday.

Conservationists warned that the leak could harm bird life in the area, at a delicate time in their development, as the oil company worked to minimise the damage.

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland, said: "We know oil of any amount, if in the wrong place, at the wrong time, can have a devastating impact on marine life. Currently thousands of young auks – razorbills, puffins and guillemots – are flightless and dispersing widely in the North Sea during late summer. So they could be at serious risk if contaminated by this spill."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/aug/15/north-sea-oil-spill

I note about a week ago, the Shell PR dept were pushing the line that the spill was not at all significant.  No, not at all!!  Then, more recently, it has transmogrified into the most serious spill in the North Sea in last 15 years.

Oh ... then of course there are the many spills in the Niger Delta in Nigeria.  Plenty to complain about I think.

for more info ... email NSN@riseup.net

Rossport Solidarity Camp

http://www.rossportsolidaritycamp.org

____________________________________________

ALAN LODGE 

Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham.  UK

Email:                 tash@indymedia.org

Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu

Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]

____________________________________________

"It is not enough to curse the darkness.

                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"

___________________________________________

<ends>