6 arrested in Shannon according to RTE

by Phuq Hedd Sat Oct 12, 2002 18:57

Or is that permitted by the Nice Treaty? (Hell, who needs to have a referendum on it, we know what the people want already).

by l19 Sat Oct 12, 2002 19:25

First item on tg4 news- very sympathetic from what I could make out. Higgins and some guy walsh ? interviewed. longish 2-3 minute report.

Louis walsh wouldn't be happy to hear 6 were arrested- what were they doing there?

by dohechai - Socialist Party Sat Oct 12, 2002 19:37

600-700 on the demo. 11 in total (I think) were arrested. All were released by 7pm. RTE calimed 200 but didn't even turn up.

by Eoin Dubsky Sat Oct 12, 2002 23:09

So c'mon folks.... tell us what happened???

In peace,
Eoin

by Donal OLiathain - Socialist Alternative (Personal Capacity) Sat Oct 12, 2002 23:20 zedonaldo at elvis dot com

All in all 7 people were arrested.

The demo had passed off peacefully and was making its way around the perimeter fence, when a couple of people tore down a 30 foot section. Around 70 - 80 people then rushed the gap and ran about 100 feet towards the runway. The police manageed to surround them and a water cannon was brought to bare. There was approx. 40 still being surrounded when a second group blocked the road outside calling for them all to released. This lasted 15 mins and the 40 being surrounded were escorted off the airport grounds.

The seven were released later from the local station.

by j Sat Oct 12, 2002 23:43

There were 10 people arrested, five from Cork, 2 Dublin, 1 Sligo, 1 Limerick and one I don't know where from. The buses traveling back to these destinations came to the Garda Station and remained there until all were released.

What happened was that a group of us went to the fence on the walk out and pulled it down about 100 people then crossed the fence line onto the grass margin of the runways and staged a sit down protest.

Gardai, including 2 dogs and 2 horses, and several wagons then surrounded us and began arresting people. 1 arrest had taken place outside the fence.

Those of us arrested were variously told we would be charged with criminal damage or tresspass. All were released without charge but expect that they may be summonsed.

I was part of that direct action and think it was a good idea. I wish it was possible to have a discussion about tactics at the begining of march but that was scuppered, that's a different debate however.

by Fintan Lane Sun Oct 13, 2002 02:33

As another of those arrested, I concur with the account given by J (above). That's how it happened folks! A peaceful, and very worthwhile, example of direct action in my opinion.

by C.May - Dingle for Peace (IAWM) Sun Oct 13, 2002 16:06 c.may at virgin dot net

Around 550 protesters marched to the terminal building of Shannon airport. A die in and speeches were made outside the enterence as several TD's were denied access to the building. The protest took non violent direct action and entered the airfield where they linked arms and sang peace songs. After Guarda threats of use of fire engine water cannon and seven arrests other protestors blocked the road and demanded that the arrested people would be released. The police agreed to this and the protest gathered itself and marched away from the airport having made a clear point.

by Anna Ryan Sun Oct 13, 2002 18:33

Come on please! If you want to be brave little protestors why not take a plane ride to Afghanistan and protest there. I wonder how long it would be before your heads are blown off!!!!

by Intransigent Sun Oct 13, 2002 22:12

"Come on please! If you want to be brave little protestors why not take a plane ride to Afghanistan and protest there. I wonder how long it would be before your heads are blown off!!!!"

Firstly Anna I think you must recognise that there is a small problem with flying a bunch of protestors to Afghanistan. I think we can agree that the first is probably money. I have no doubt that many would go if they had the chance. I find your comment quite small minded. Of course Afghanistan is where the conflict is occuring at the time but where are the planes refueling that are going to bomb Afghanistan or that are carrying the troops who carry out those actions? Also it is important not only to protest at the location of the conflict but throughout the World and especially in the country from where the attacks are coming, Vietnam anybody? I doubt it would be long before you would have your head blown off but who would do the shooting would interest me.

by Tim Hourigan Sun Oct 13, 2002 22:27

Here's a list of airlines that fly there for the US military, a good number of these use Shannon.

ATA, World, Evergreen & Atlas tapped for military charters
Brendan Sobie, Washington DC (11Sep02, 18:04 GMT, 397 words)
Over 20 US carriers will operate charter cargo and passenger flights for the US military in fiscal 2003, as part of contracts awarded last week by the US Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC).
AMC awarded $685 million in contracts to three teams with a combined 20 carrier members. A fourth contract, valued at $5 million, was awarded to Arrow Air.
An AMC spokesman says a $328 million contract was awarded to a team of seven carriers: Atlas Air, American Trans Air (ATA), FedEx Express, Gemini Air Cargo, Northwest Airlines, Omni Air International and Polar Air Cargo.
ATA stands to get 62% of the work, which equates to $203 million. Atlas and Polar stand to receive $36 million each. Gemini will get $13 million and Omni will get $10 million. AMC says another $29 million will be distributed “team-wide”, including to FedEx and Northwest.
The $339 million contract awarded to a team led by North American Airlines includes ten other carriers: American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, DHL Airways, Evergreen International Airlines, Southern Air, United Airlines, United Parcel Service Airlines, US Airways and World Airways.
World has a 44% share in this team, equating to $149 million. North American and Evergreen stands to receive $75 million each. Continental has a 3% share, worth $10 million. Another $30 million will be spread across the team, including the six carriers without any specific shares.
A third contract worth $18 million was awarded to a team consisting of Miami Air and Alaska Airlines. Miami Air stands to receive all but $1 million of this contract, with the remainder going to Alaska.
The spokesman says AMC still plans to award additional charter flying contracts for fiscal 2003, which begins on 1 October. All the participating carriers are part of AMC’s Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). Besides operating pre-established charters, members also are sometimes asked to operate flights on short notice during times of military build-up. During war, the carriers are also must dedicate their aircraft entirely to military missions if required.
All the carriers participating in the military charter program have done so in the past except Atlas. Polar, another subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, has historically been a large player in the program. But Atlas, looking for new source of revenues to offset declining demand for its wet lease operation, decided to join the FedEx-led team this year.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

World wins up to $175m worth of military charters
Brendan Sobie, Washington DC (20Sep01, 21:36 GMT, 136 words)
World Airways is counting on at least $115 million in revenues from its largest customer, the US military, over the next 12 months.
The wet lease carrier will operate passenger charter flights for the military valued at $112 million between 1 October 2001 and 30 September 2002. World says its new military contract also includes cargo flights worth $3 million and has an expansion clause worth $60 million.
It appears this expansion flying will likely be exercised given the current military build-up in the wake of last week’s terrorist attacks. The military could also activate some of its civil reserve air fleet, which includes freighters from several US cargo carriers.
Last year World counted $127 million in military revenues and the Atlanta-based carrier typically relies on the US Air Mobility Command for roughly half its revenues.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news

by chris Mon Oct 14, 2002 09:35

600-700? Where on earth did you get that figure from? Where you at some sort of other demonstration?

chris

by chris Mon Oct 14, 2002 09:49

"The police agreed to this and the protest gathered itself and marched away from the airport having made a clear point."

Uh... what point? That they know how to pull down a fence and run onto a field? From what I could see, that was the only point being made. It's not like people were sitting in front of a B-52 that was waiting to take off, or a tank. They were sitting on the grass, just for the sake of the fact that it was in the airfield.

The "point", as far as I could see, was to have a confrontation with the gardai. To show them how big and tough and hard you all are. You won't back down, you won't be ordered around. Well, yippee, good for you, but no one really gives a fuck besides you and the gardai.

We had a little debate on this issue on our bus home, and even the people who agree with direct action thought it was stupid and pointless.

chris

by Ray Mon Oct 14, 2002 10:17

Chris says the trespass was essentially pointless. Tell me Chris, what purpose was served by the sit-down protest outside? How do you reckon 'die-ins' stop the war, while entering the airfield achieves nothing?

Also, j said
- I wish it was possible to have a discussion about tactics at the begining of march but that was scuppered

What happened there? Anyone have any more details?

by Anarkitty Mon Oct 14, 2002 12:35

at every stage of saturday's protest swp members with megaphones took it upon themselves to order everyone else around - generally insinuating that they had organised the whole thing. at the meeting point at the main gate, swp were seen negotiating with the guardai. they (swp) then ordered everyone to begin marching towards the airport before we had had time to have a mass meeting to discuss tactics (which many wanted). At the airport, outside the terminal building, swp again produced their megaphones and a series of speakers and ordered everyone to be silent and passive and listen to them. after about two hours of this tedium, a small group met to discuss the "shaking the fence" action and would have been willing to discuss the action with the larger group had the swp not ordered the march to return to the buses at that point. when we got to the fence and began our action (in which many joined in) the swp were like headless chickens ordering people not to join us, and then when a majority appeared to be joining us the swp began acting as if they had planned this action as well. after the action was completed, I negotiated with the bus driver from cork to find out if he would be willing to wait at the shannon guardai station until our comrades were released. the swp then announced loudly that the bus would be going to the shannon guardai station (as if they had arranged that as well). if anyone is to be excluded from future protests i know who would get my vote...

by Marianne Mon Oct 14, 2002 12:37

"Come on please! If you want to be brave little protestors why not take a plane ride to Afghanistan and protest there. I wonder how long it would be before your heads are blown off!!!! "

Where in Afghanistan exactly would you have us protest? Outside some caves? pile of rubble? What a ridiculous comment! It's exactly because we would get our heads blown off if we went there, and that people there do get their heads blown off, that we have to protest.
As for the comment about discussion of actions beforehand, things were apparently discussed at the meetings leading up to the protest, Many people didn't attend (myself included) and so were just told the actions which were to be taken, didn't necessarily agree or were unsure. So people acted as they felt on the spur of the moment. I think the point made by the tearing down the fence was just one of frustration, of not being allowed into the airport to carry out the die in as was planned. I still dont see why people have such a problem with it. It was just a fence, it went back up. The media only covered the march because of this act (sad but true). In perspective, as I said on the bus, if it was Ireland being bombed I dont think many people here would object to some people in Iraq tearing down a fence to show that they did not agree with their country helping people who commit these cruel acts.

by nixon Mon Oct 14, 2002 14:47 thenixontapes at hotmail dot com

If we didn't take the direct action we did there would have been no media coverage of the event as it stand rte, the star the irish times have all covered it. direct action equals incresed awarness.

by chris Mon Oct 14, 2002 15:00

Hey Ray, what was accomplished by the protest up to that point? Nothing. What was accomplished by the mass trespass? Nothing.

Sounds like a draw to me.

by Ray Mon Oct 14, 2002 15:14

The mass trespass vastly increased the amount of media coverage received by the protest. It also meant that many protesters felt they hadn't wasted their time travelling down to Shannon to march up and down roads just like the ones they have in Dublin.
That looks like 2-0 to me.

Can I ask what you were doing there if you think the whole thing was pointless? Were your parents unable to find a babysitter?

by pat c Mon Oct 14, 2002 15:47

"Can I ask what you were doing there if you think the whole thing was pointless? Were your parents unable to find a babysitter?"

now, now ray, you are always lecturing others about using insults. i really think you should count to ten & try & calm down.

by kahootz Mon Oct 14, 2002 17:42

Maybe we could organise better into affinity groups/ blocs the next time - reds with reds, pinks with pinks etc. Why was the meeting b4 not given time to go ahead by stewards? Also the SWP tactic of handing out numerous placards with socialist worker on them on order to visually hijack the march worked yet again.

Pinkies we need to unite, more drums (there was only 3) and costumes...and better circles to focus rainbow energies. The dogs and horses seemed disturbed by all the nrg... Full respect to the arrestee on lying the ground from the Peoples Republic of Cork. He made friends with the alsatian on top of him...it then turned on its handler....wasn't used to love.

so lets raise some pink flags!

'Love Changes Everything': Venus

by Jimmy D Thu Oct 17, 2002 13:05

Two major demonstrations in a couple of weeks. Hats off the broad-based Irish Anti War Movement and a raspberry to the small minded begrudgers who have for all their slagging have themselves managed to organise nothing on a comparable scale.

by Fiona Brady - individual Thu Oct 17, 2002 19:38 wheelerf at iol dot ie ENNISTYMON CO. CLARE 087-6447246 / 065-7071742

Those arrested were from Cork (5), Dublin (2), Sligo (1), Limerick (1)and possibly the 10th. was from Clare. When the arrests inside the perimeter fence began, I overheard one garda say to another, 'don't lift any locals'. Interesting that none of the protesting women were arrested either!

by deunan Thu Oct 17, 2002 20:37

i was present and yes it all achieved nothing ...
all those words-preaching to the converted-just floated away in the air......the brief and ineffective occupation of that patch of grass did a lot more than those words...stop all the infighting and next time get everyone on a runway,i mean everyone,time it to disrupt...if you're against action,so be it-if you're for-meet,plan and get it right(simple in theory...)

ps:to the cheerful sun presence....if we could afford to go afghanistan,in our droves the most potent and numerous military would be US and we would be shot.

by frances - human being Thu Oct 17, 2002 23:48

Anna you obviously have too much time on your hands and not enough to do with your time. The war,which the USA has foisted on a poor, sovereign nation is now expanding into Iraq. If people all over the world do not protest and speak out , we might as well just roll over and let the USA walk in and take over every country.
Isn't there an oil reserve in the Irish sea? You guys may be next.

by Robaji - Leinster Sustainable Forum Wed Oct 23, 2002 16:21 macgiollarnath at hotmail dot com

As another of those arrested I worry about the divisions between SWP and non-swp on these protests. Can we not leave aside some of our political disagreements to focus on the common goal? Can we leave aside our egos in the face of murder and bloodshed? all this talk of 1-1 or 2-0 is i feel very immature given the gravity of what we are dealing with. Humour amongst protesters is vital, but why waste time in front of a computer settling scores?

Yes there were differences of tactics and yes sometimes strong characters with megaphones can seem to take over. But instead of moaning about this would it not be better to show strength of character ourselves and insist on some discussion of tactics and different "zones of action" at future protests. I say this as someone who is an individual and a part of the collective - not a member of any party.

On the bus on the way back I was discussing the merits of the idea of an Irish Anti-War Council. I think this could work if people of different political hues could focus on the common goal, be humble, take deep breaths and just be aware how difficult it is for people in warzones.

In the face of such extreme situationss, our petty localised squabbles are pathetic.

In the face of Irish mainstream politics the radical community here is very small. The only way it could get bigger, the only way (in my humble opinion) we can build our movement is by growing in love and solidarity with our fellow activists and being less righteous, egotistical and fundamentalist in our positions, whatever they may be. Listening more, shouting less.

We need new tactics, new approaches...

Maybe for our next protest we could just walk down the street without megaphones, without slogans - just walk quietly with a candle in a jar and peace in our hearts. It's just an idea, but maybe it might portray a different perspective on the ant-war movement and the radical community in general.

We'll find it hard to win over anyone but fellow radicals by shouting and screaming and fighting with Gardai.

Politics is not what we say - it's what we do.
What we do from moment to moment..in our homes, in our workplaces, in shops, on the street, when we talk to strangers and when we talk with friens and loved ones.

So when we talk, let us be economical with our words and save our energies for the really important things..the signals we send out by everything we do.

by kitty-kat Thu Nov 07, 2002 12:54

Robaji, I think that's the first intelligent, reasoned piece of writing i've read on this topic, thank you for finally cutting through all the petty non-issues that so many are emersed in, and taking us back to the point.

I believe that whether or not an action is "effective" is relevative; relative to what you hope to achieve, on the day & long term - two very distinct goals. relative to how much time and effort & energy has been put into the ground work before & during the action.
spontaneity is great, much needed, one of our best assests; as is thorough, democratic, planning; examination of our aims, goals, tactics, resources etc. with as much respect for other peoples beliefs, choices and level of input as we have for our own.

that's my penny's-worth.

by Finbar Macintosh Thu Nov 14, 2002 22:57

It is so amuzing how Lefties can't even use the toilet without getting into a squabbling match with each-other. Try to have a protest, and most of people's energy is wasted on arguing over whether the SWP was bossing people around or not. You guys are acting like spoilt children, and will never really achieve anything - you are a joke.

by just another Wed Nov 27, 2002 04:44

If there is a reason why the hundereds of thousands of actavistis around the world fail to accomplish thier goals, It will be the foolish bickering of people within who are more concerned about thier own opinoins or being cool, Than the general cause.

by Phelim Thu Nov 28, 2002 23:05 phelimm at iolfree dot ie

I agree with kitty-kat. Stop obsessing about the SWP. Any action is better than none and it is not true that 'it' had no effect. I'm here talking and I wasn't active a few years ago.
Apartheid took three decades to destroy so take it easy and think positively,

rgds,
Phelim

by wendy Mon Dec 02, 2002 02:17

thankyou and welldone to the 6 people arrested and all the others who braved the guards and sat on the airbase...hope 100s more join you next time to declare Peace as the preferred state of living...arrest the weapon makers.the weapon sellers..the weapon users...the war makers...arrest them all...how dare they threaten the safety of anyone regardless of their nationality...anyway thankyou for DOING something about it.

by MrPaul - US citizens Fri Jan 31, 2003 22:10 suckow at hotmail dot com The Woodlands, TX USA 713-922-2248

You stop 'em best you can on your end, we'll keep working for something a bit more rational on this end. Good Luck, mates!