Sean Ardagh FF TD blockaded by Anti-War Protestors / Barry Andrews too - see comments
national |
miscellaneous |
news report
Friday March 28, 2003 02:42
by Damien Moran - Dublin Catholic Worker 'Pit-Stop Ploughshares'
dbamoran at hotmail dot com
087 9638398
Sean Ardagh FF TD blockaded by Anti-War Protestors
After slipping the net from his Crumlin office, evading peace demonstrators, Sean Ardagh FF TD was eventually confronted with the truth of his, and his party colleagues complicity, in the barbaric slaughter of innocent men, women, and children in Iraq.
While attending a Social Services clinic near Mount Argus, Mr. Ardagh, stood-by in arrogant dismissal of the 15 or so anti-war protestors who surrounded the doorway.
Photographs of innocent Iraqis were placed at his feet while chants of 'Blood on your Hands' and 'No War, No Blood for Oil, No US Warplanes on our soil' were melodically conducted by Rory Aherne of the IAWM.
By closing the door om his constituents, Mr. Ardagh showed his contempt for and lack of will to listen to the people who helped put him where he is today.
He kicked photographs of Iraqi children, maimed and injured from US B52 bombardments in Baghdad, outside when they were placed inside the door. And just like a bad flu is hard to shake off, the war resisters were unwilling to be dismissed so lightly. The pictures of Iraqis and information leaflets about Saturday's protest were inserted in the letter box for Mr. Ardagh.
Bringing to mind the precedent of civilians, soldiers, and police debilitating the Berlin Wall together in solidarity, I hope Mr. Ardagh will seriously consider retracting Fianna Fail's active participation as an integral though subtly covert member of the 'Coalition of the Killing'. Mr. Ardagh has been invited to ask for the demilitarisation of Shannon Airport, and the end of overflights for belligerent forces at war, i.e. US/UK.
A vigil was then held, consisting of Anti-War banners, candles, and a very well received'Beep for Peace' sign.
As he attempted to once again blank out the presence of those determined to non-violently vent their anti-war sentiments, Mr .Ardagh was followed to his car. More pictures and flyers became a welcome and overdue part of the exterior decoration of his 01-D Merc.
The stylish machine was blocked for a further 100 metres as it attempted to flee the scene.
Congratulations to Rory Aherne and the IAWM crew who organised the demo. It was fantastically organic and empowering, aswell as gender and age inclusive.
The transition from symbolic protest towards non-violent direct action and it's positive effects were embodied throughout the witness. War is being waged totally. Partial peace-campaigning and activism will not succeed.
As Pope Paul VI reminded us: 'If you want peace, work for justice. And if you want justice, work for peace.'
Regardless of your faith/culture, I invite you to consider working for peace and justice in the spirit of non-violence through direct action.
With the immortal paraphrased words of Edmund Burke I leave thee to reflect upon this invitation:
All it takes for evil to reign, is for good people to do nothing.
In peaceful solidarity,
Damien
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (4 of 4)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4The Governemnt of this country have made the right decision regarding assiting the US and UK. Perhaps the 15 loud mouths could let us know how many times they picketed PSF/PIRA offices in this country or is is that they find Irish terrorism ok?
Did they ever throw photos of people maimed and mutilated in Enniskillen, Omagh or Belfast at any of the Sinn Fein TDs???????
It might be 'cool' to be anti-US at the moment, but you don't have to look too far in this country to see warmongers and terrorist supporters, pity the loud mouths can't see that.
Did you throw photos of people maimed and mutilated in Enniskillen?
You seem to be suggesting that if somebody did not protest crimes in the past they shouldn't be protesting this crime.
While the comparison of the IRA during its campaign of violence and the current Bush administration and its campaign of violence is valid, its not logical to say that failure to protest one crime invalidats you from protesting others.
Your bias is showing
congrats to all who blockede in crumlin.
we disrupted barry andres clinic completely last56 night making it impossible for him to carry out business. we hem blockeded his car and he had to escape in a special branch vehicle. We have decided to focus on Andrews in the dun laoghire area. Next picket is smyths pub, georges street dun laoghoire monday night at 8pm, meeting beforehand for tactics discussion at 7.30 at dun laoghaire dart station.
Mr. Share Man, why do you not 'share' your name and identify yourself. Your hidden guise guise within cyberspace laves me to presume thsat you are projecting moral cowardice. I am not a supporter of any individual , political party, or otherwise which maims or kills innocent civilians. I am 22 years of age. If you wish to condemn me for not pro-actively bringing attention to the countless atrocities since my birth, well so be it. There is not a day that I do not walk through the streets of our own city centre and feel powerless, hopeless, and depressed as I see young adults of a similar age homeless and stricken with addiction. So if you were with the main body of the demonstration on Saturday last, Mr. 'Afraid to Share Your Name Man', consider the following. I also intended on being a part of that protest, but at 2pm I received a phone call from a friend for help with a nineteen year old homeless heroin addict in serious trouble. After spending a couple of hours with him in Beshoffs on O'Connell St. (Thanks for the compassion and tolerance of the staff), we spent our Sat. protest in the Garden of Rememberance, waiting for 'Thomas' (pseudonym) to rest and hopefully sleep off the high content of drugs he had consumed over the previous 24 hours. The ignorant and aggressive approach of the ambulance servicemen was pitiful, and unfortunately caused 'thomas' refusal to go to hospital. After finding him accomadation for 2 nights in one of the shelters, we soon found out too everyones dismay that Thomas had being sexually assaulted at this 'dump' a year previous.
And I cannot but help reflect with great sadness that here are our government, facilitating the US war machine of colonial imperialism, believing our western values are sanctified, and yat we continue to trample over our most vulnerable through building Giant Needles to the mournful expense of €4 million.
Maybe you will have the courage to introduce yourself at the next demonstration, Mr. 'Pseudo-High Moral Ground', and we can both draw peoples attention to the real war that needs to be waged by the Irish government: the War on Poverty!
In peaceful solidarity,
Damien Moran