Irish topic

[lugh]

Ok, here's the thing. They were in contempt of court for refusing to undertake not to interfere with a governmentally approved project. And they were jailed for it, because they broke the law, it's that simple. They are in jail for breaking the law, not for protesting.

Now that said, I don't agree with the terms of contact agreed with Shell, they're a relic of previous decades when governments were bending over backwards to get any kind of inward investment just to get people off the dole queue. Nowadays, especially in the oil market, with demand being so high, it's the governements who have the companies over the barrel but some little bureacrat in Dublin decided it was too much to draw up a new contract and just handed out a near carbon copy of one from the 70-80s.
However, it's good to hear that the Danish government (a new left wing alliance I beleive) is taking an interest in the issue and a representative from the Irish labour party has received promises that it will be raised in the parliament by the Danish Labour party.

[Grey_Fox]

They broke the law and the Courts did what Bunracht na hEireann demands of people that show contempt for it. It is not Shell that threw into the jail, it was themselves. They knowingly and willingly broke the law, and quite frankly they deserve it.

And the Sinn Féin have jumped on this bandwagon now. Kind of suitable, terrorists standing up for the rights of criminals.

[Tribesman]

Ok, here's the thing. They were in contempt of court for refusing to undertake not to interfere with a governmentally approved project.
A project that isn't yet approved as it is still under appeal before the courts . And the section of pipeline involved was constructed without permission .

They knowingly and willingl broke the law, and quite frankly they deserve it.
Would you permit a high pressure welded gas line to pass through your property ?

they're a relic of previous decades when governments were bending over backwards to get any kind of inward investment just to get people off the dole
What do you mean previous decades ? They are still doing it , or don't you consider the 10 year tax free incentive to be bending over backwards ?
Especially as after the 10 years is up the companies just up and leave , letting the tax payer pick up the redundancy bill . How many have gone this year alone once the 10 years was up , let alone all those that have gone in the past few years ?
Someone is getting bent over and shafted and it isn't the politicians , it is the tax-payer .

And the Sinn Féin have jumped on this bandwagon now. Kind of suitable, terrorists standing up for the rights of criminals.
Oh yes , and everone knows that the current government are not criminals

[Grey_Fox]

Would you permit a high pressure welded gas line to pass through your property?

Whether I agree or not with them is irrelevent, the fact is they broke a court injunction. They have the option of taking legal action against Shell or the Government, which option they decided against in favour of a sensationalist action which cost them their freedom (for a short time).

Oh yes , and everone knows that the current government are not criminals

Every government has less than reputable members, Sinn Féin on the other hand are part of a terrorist organisation that flagrantly breaks the laws of two nations on a regular and frequent basis and has condoned the murder of over 3000 people.

[Don Corleone]

Okay, there must be more to this story then I got from the links. What are these 70's era contracts that came up? Did the ROI government sell the land out from under the rightful owners to Shell? Well, there's only one thing to do... take the ROI government to the EU court for fraud. They sold something they didn't have the right to and should be forced to 1) return the money to Shell 2) pay restitution for trouble caused.

[Grey_Fox]

That would have been the right thing to do Corleone after exhausting all legal courses of action in this country, not this stupid sensationalist act.

In case you don't know the Rossport Five have been released after an appeal to the High Courts.

[Don Corleone]

You misunderstand me, Grey Fox. SHELL should be taking the ROI to the EU courts, for failure to deliver. These farmers never should have been evicted. As the property is rightfully theirs, they have every right to resist construction projects begun by a 3rd party to whom they have not given permission. Shell should thank it's lucky stars none of their construction workers got hurt.

Let me put it in plain English... the farmers have every right to do whatever they need to to block any unauthorized use of their land (assuming they actually OWN the land and aren't tenant farmers to the government that is). Just because a bunch of charlatans at the Dail (sp?) told Shell they could have the land, doesn't mean Shell has the right to just go in and start building. As for this judge, it sounds like he should be removed from the bench.