Open Letter to the Peace Movement Re:Defendants

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday March 24, 2003 18:48 by Terry - Shannon Solidarity room101ucg at yahoo dot co dot uk

Open Letter to Peace Movement seeking to promote defendant support activity.

Hi,

At the moment 24 peace activists in Ireland are undergoing prosecution. 5 were on trial last week, 9 are on trial this week, 1 is in prison. In all probability there will be further arrests and further prosecutions. 5 are from the Catholic Worker Movement, 10 were arrested in Shannon on October 12th, 9 on March 1st (one person was arrested on both occasions hence the math), and the other one is Mary Kelly.

At a meeting of a loose defendant support group in Galway (4 of those on trial are Galway based) it was decided to send an open letter to the entire peace movement in Ireland to network with other groups interested in supporting the defendants. That is, with such things as fundraising, petitions to the DPP to drop the charges, letters to prison etc…. . If your group is interested in participating in this let us know.

This open letter was sent to the following local anti-war groups Tralee, Clonakilty, Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin South Side, Limerick, Donegal, Dundlak, Rathmines, Derry, Nenagh, Westmeath, Fairview, Offaly , Dun Laoighre (Sp?), Wexford, Errigal, and UCD.

To the Irish Anti-War Movement, Schools Against War, Peace And Neutrality Alliance and Youth Against War.

To the following political organisations: the Green Party, Sinn Fein, the Socialist Party, Socialist Youth, Worker’s Party, to one Labour TD (Joe Costello), Socialist Workers Party, and to Connolly Youth (youth wing of the Communist Party of Ireland).

And to one Trade Union – SIPTU.

I didn’t send it to Grassroots Network Against War, Cork Peace Alliance or the Catholic Worker Movement, as given as some of their members are some of the people on trial I should imagine they have already been involved in the sort of activity we are attempting to promote.

I’m posting it here as I may have missed some groups, in which case, if you are interested contact: [email protected]