Four north Mayo men have been released by gardaí in Belmullet following their arrests at yesterday's protest outside the Shell Corrib gas terminal site in Bellanaboy.
Three of the four arrested by gardaí were released yesterday afternoon without charge, and a file is to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). A large crowd had gathered outside Belmullet Garda Station last night when a fourth man was released shortly after 7pm.
Gardaí say the men, three of whom were in their 20s and from the area, were detained for alleged public order offences. One of those arrested allegedly assaulted a Garda officer at the scene who subsequently had to receive medical treatment for a facial injury.
However, the Shell to Sea campaign said it "noted" that all of those detained were fishermen, and the arrests came a day after the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association issued a statement criticising the Government's deployment of gardaí to facilitate Shell. More than 100 gardaí are still stationed in north Mayo to escort Shell contractors into the terminal site at Bellanaboy.
Campaign spokesman Dr Mark Garavan said that over the last two weeks since Shell staff resumed work at the site, the objectors had been subjected to a "a co-ordinated assault designed to delegitimise and criminalise local opposition to Shell's project in Mayo".
"Garda policing of local protests has become increasingly aggressive and is adding to tensions on the ground. Numerous incidents have been logged by monitors and will be pursued in due course.
"On the other hand, a concerted campaign has been waged by some sections of the media alleging that our campaign is centred on intimidation and effectively run by subversive elements," his statement said.
"The reality is that Shell's project does not have the consent of the majority of the people directly affected by it. We are defending peacefully our community from the unprecedented threat to our health and safety posed by this project. Almost no benefits other than short-term construction jobs will arise from this project to our community and the people of Mayo."
Garda overtime for the policing at Bellanaboy is running close to €750,000 for the past fortnight, and Mayo TD Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind) has said Shell should be bearing this cost.
Chief Supt Tony McNamara, head of the Mayo Garda division, said yesterday there is no likelihood of the numbers being reduced in the present climate.
Chief Supt McNamara said he was "particularly disappointed and sad" about the earlier incidents in which he said that two gardaí sustained minor injuries. One got a punch in the eye, the other a strained finger, he explained. He said the protesters were well organised and their numbers had been boosted by about 20 "non-natives".