On November 10th 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues were hung by the Nigerian state for campaigning against the devastation of the Niger Delta by oil companies, especially Shell and Chevron.
On the eve of the tenth anniversary of this execution, activists from London Rising Tide, Rhythms of Resistance, Rossport Solidarity Camp and London Earth First! came together to take action against Shell for its activities in Nigeria, in Ireland and worldwide.
Nine nooses were hung from lampposts directly in front of Shell’s UK headquarters on London’s South Bank. A pipeline decorated with slogans celebrating resistance to the curse of oil in the Niger Delta and in County Mayo in the past and right now were also on site, as were banners and a small but noisy samba band.
Also part of the picture was the situation in County Mayo, north west Ireland, which is the proposed site of a major new Shell gas development, currently being opposed energetically both locally and internationally: www.corribsos.com
The action was also in direct opposition to the new law designed to clamp down on protest in central London: www.freedomtoprotest.org.uk
Shell is also currently laundering its tarnished reputation by sponsoring the Rubens exhibition at the National Gallery, so the group made an unwelcome (to the gallery at least) visit there later in the day; www.artnotoil.org.uk
There were no arrests, but it was a close-run thing.
The following day saw the culmination of the art/activism project Remember Saro-Wiwa: www.remembersarowiwa.com, as well as actions and commemorations all around the world: www.november10.org
Photos & more information on this action:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/11/327645.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/11/327611.html
Film of the two actions: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/11/327724.html
UK Shell in County Mayo Solidarity Campaign: stops_hell@yahoo.com
London Rising Tide: 07708 794665; london@risingtide.org.uk
www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
www.artnotoil.org.uk
See also: www.rhythmsofresistance.co.uk
Rossport Solidarity Camp 2006: www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72740
www.freedomtoprotest.org.uk
And for more on Shell and the rest of them:
www.groundwork.org.za
www.gcmonitor.org
www.bucketbrigade.net
www.eraction.org
www.shellfacts.com
www.pacificenvironment.org/article.php?id=246
www.carbonweb.org
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