Galway Alliance Against War

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday February 05, 2003 00:25 by John Cunningham - Galway Alliance Against War johnliamsheain at eircom dot net

Weekly bulletin

The contents of this week’s bulletin are as follows: 1. About the GAAW Bulletin. / 2. Galway Public meeting, 10 February. / 3. Information distribution in Headford Road area. / 4. Galway City street activity, 8 February. / 5. Inter-denominational Peace Vigil at Shannon, 8 February. / 6. Loughrea street activity, 8 February. / 7. Galway Trade Unionists Against War. / 8. DUBLIN DEMONSTRATION, 15 February. / 9. Anti-war group in Tuam. / 10. The ‘direct action’ at Shannon

ABOUT THE GAAW BULLETIN
The GAAW Bulletin, which we send about once a week to people on our list, is a useful way of circulating information about anti-war activity locally. But it is more than that. We see it also as an ORGANISER for the anti-war movement. Through the bulletin, people are enabled to become active, to join in anti-war activities and to spread the message to others. We would ask you, therefore, to volunteer promptly for activities such as the street stalls if you are in a position to help, and to make contact at your earliest convenience with those who have booked buses to the Dublin demonstration on 15 February. And if you have friends who don’t receive the bulletin, send it on to them, or give them a print-out. If you wish to publicise a forthcoming anti-war event, contact [email protected]

GALWAY PUBLIC MEETING
There will be a GAAW public meeting on Monday night next, 10 February, at 8 pm in the Menlo Park Hotel. Speakers are the following:
*Denis Halliday —former deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, and recently returned from Iraq;
* Michael D. Higgins, Labour spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, also recently returned from Iraq
* a speaker from the Shannon Peace camp, probably Caoimhe Butterly.
You are urged to attend, and to bring your friends. In essence, the meeting will be a major anti-war rally, and a good attendance will show the depth of public feeling in Galway.

INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION IN HEADFORD ROAD AREA
To publicise Monday night’s meeting, we will be leafleting all estates within walking distance of the Menlo Park Hotel during the weekend. If you can assist, contact [email protected]

GALWAY CITY STREET ACTIVITY
Last Saturday’s letter-writing and information stalls in the city were very successful. We will be repeating the exercise —with some modification— next Saturday. Volunteers are needed for two shifts —10.30 to 12, and 12 to 1.30 pm. There was a glitch with the e-mail address last week, but it’s up and running now. If you can help, contact [email protected]

INTER-DENOMINATIONAL PRAYER VIGIL AT SHANNON
I have been advised that there will be an inter-denominational prayer vigil for peace at Shannon Airport on Saturday next, 8 February, at 5 pm. In the present circumstances, it would be advisable to contact Kate White, 085-7290674, before travelling.

LOUGHREA STREET ACTIVITY
On Saturday next, 8 February, GAAW’s anti-war ‘awareness’ installation will be in Loughrea. The installation, which was devised by Paraic Breathnach and Owen McCarthy, has been very well received in Galway and in Tuam. It is hoped that out of this initiative an anti-war grouping will be formed in Loughrea. Already, a few people from the area have agreed to participate, but we need more volunteers. If you’re from Loughrea and you’re free on Saturday afternoon, contact [email protected]

GALWAY TRADE UNIONISTS AGAINST WAR
The above group —which will operate in association with GAAW— was established at a meeting in the SIPTU building on Monday evening. The Galway Council of Trades Unions is supportive, and activists from the following unions have already committed themselves: SIPTU, TEEU, TUI, IMPACT, INTO, MANDATE, ATGWU, AMICUS. A leaflet has been prepared for distribution to union members and transport to the Dublin demonstration of 15 February is being organised. If you wish to get involved or to distribute the leaflets to your fellow workers, contact [email protected]

DUBLIN DEMONSTRATION, 15 FEBRUARY
If you do nothing else to oppose the build-up to war, you should try to attend the national demonstration on Saturday, 15 February. It is an international day of peaceful protest against the threatened attack on Iraq, with demonstrations planned for every capital city. Up to 10 million people will march in Europe alone, making this the biggest anti-war demonstration in history. The Irish demonstration will be in Dublin, starting in Parnell Sq, at 2pm. The organisers expect that between 20 and 50 thousand will participate.

If enough people show their opposition, it is still possible to prevent the war. In the Irish context, those who march on 15 February will be showing solidarity with the people of Iraq and with millions of opponents of war internationally. They will also be demanding of the Irish government that it votes against war at the UN, and that it ceases allowing Shannon airport to be used for the purposes of war.

Several buses will be leaving Galway:

If you wish to travel on the GAAW bus, contact [email protected]

If you wish travel on the student-run bus from NUI, Galway, contact [email protected]

If you wish to travel with Galway trade unionists and their families, contact [email protected]>

If you wish to travel with Labour Party members, contact [email protected]>

If you wish to travel with Sinn Fein, contact [email protected]>

NEW ANTI-WAR GROUP IN TUAM
An anti-war group was established in Tuam on Saturday last. Already, a public meeting is planned fro next Tuesday, February 11, and plans are being made to send a substantial delegation from the town to the Dublin demonstration on 15 February. See this week’s herald for more detail. To make contact, contact [email protected]

THE ‘DIRECT ACTION’ AT SHANNON
People will have different attitudes to Monday’s action at Shannon by the Catholic Worker movement. The really scandalous thing, however, was the way the incident was reported. It is clear now that nobody —Garda or other— was assaulted or ‘overpowered’ by the people involved. And government ministers and journalists were aware of this fact when they made their statements yesterday and today. Suffice to say that none of the five were charged with assault —they were charged with damaging the US naval plane.