SF accused of hijacking Corrib oil pipeline protest
Saturday October 21 2006
As gardai continue to investigate complaints of intimidation against supporters of the project, splits have emerged in the Shell to Sea campaign.
Opponents of the project, including Sinn Fein supporters, were again involved in clashes with gardai yesterday as work continued on the site at Bellanaboy, Co Mayo. Independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley was mocked and heckled by groups of Shell to Sea members after he urged protesters to behave in a peaceful manner.
Groups of Dublin-based anarchists have also attached themselves to the campaign and yesterday the supporters bussed in from the capital led attempts at disrupting site traffic.
"Most of the faces, in fact all of the faces, were outsiders," said a senior garda source last night. "They want to cause trouble."
Sean Hannick, a prominent businessman and chairman of the Council for the West, claimed "there is fear, intimidation and bullying. Sinn Fein has hijacked and manipulated the issue and have grabbed hold of the genuinely-held concerns of some decent protesters.
"It's a bit worrying. Sinn Fein's tactic is to support and fuel any agitation, to provide a nest of support for that and to convince people that all the experts are somehow conniving with Shell to pull the wool over our eyes," Mr Hannick.
Shell to Sea spokesperson Dr Mark Garavan said "it's a loose campaign and as such anyone can turn up and get involved in Shell to sea".
FEAR AND LOATHING IN
BANGOR ERRIS: P13
- Ciaran Byrne
