Twitter users have joined forces to protest against Dutch oil giant Shells business operations in Syria. Friday saw the announcement of an EU-wide-ban on Syrian oil imports. Activists used the hash tag #shellfuelsmurder to stop all of the companys operations in the country. Shell is the second-biggest foreign oil firm in Syria after French Total SA, which claims to have stopped all exports prior to the official sanctions. Shell has said it will comply with the EU embargo but will not unilaterally stop its activities in the country. The campaign comes on another Friday of widespread Syrian protests. Thousands of protesters have been killed by security forces since the start of the demonstrations in March.
September 2nd, 2011:
Twitter storm pounds Shell’s Syria operations
Shell fuels murder campaign by Syrian activists moves ahead despite EU sanctions
A Google Doc shared Friday by the campaign accused Shells oil sales of financing the military operations against civilians throughout Syria by President Bashar al-Assads government.
Posted at 10:57 AM ET, 09/02/2011
The European Union on Friday imposed an embargo on oil exports from Syria as the countrys security forces surrounded mosques to prevent anti-government protesters from demonstrating after prayers.
Despite the ban, a campaign started by Syrian activists to halt Shells operations in Syria showed no signs of stopping, as many pointed out that the company could still export outside the EU.
The EU ban covers purchase, import, and transport of oil and other petroleum products from Syria, and would affect major oil corporations like Shell, which released a statement Friday that read: Shell complies with all applicable laws, including international sanctions.
MEP lodges complaint over Corrib protest with Garda ombudsman
As well as an investigation of his complaint, Mr Murphy said a public inquiry should be held into the entire policing operation around the Shell project and the working relationship between Shells private security contractors and the Garda.
CONOR LALLY, Crime Correspondent
DUBLIN SOCIALIST Party MEP Paul Murphy has lodged a formal complaint with the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission over alleged mistreatment by gardaí policing a protest in Co Mayo.
Mr Murphy claims he was subjected to excessive force by gardaí during the protest over Shells Corrib gas project last Thursday.
He said he was left with bruising and was unable to chew properly for a number of days after gardaí used pressure point techniques on him when removing him and other protesters.
Karoo gas could fuel SA for decades Shell
Shell says it would invest billions of dollars in the development of a Karoo gas field in the event that it got the go- ahead to drill and if its exploration of the area proved fruitful
LINDA ENSOR
Published: 2011/09/02 06:49:50 AM
CAPE TOWN Shell would invest billions of dollars in the development of a Karoo gas field in the event that it got the go- ahead to drill and if its exploration of the area proved fruitful, Shells upstream manager for SA, Jan Eggink, said yesterday.
The US Energy Information Administration has estimated that there are 485-trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Karoo, enough to make SA self-sufficient in energy for decades to come.
Exploration alone would cost Shell $200m even if it was found that the reserves were not exploitable, Mr Eggink told the Cape Town Press Club.