Catholic Worker trial to move to Dublin in October

by Black Rod Wed Jun 18, 2003 13:04

Domnic Haugh and his Airport Cop mates, they were looking forward to being on a hanging jury.

by pat c Wed Jun 18, 2003 13:10

if you get called for jury service dress conservatively. you'll have more chance of being picked that way.

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Wed Jun 18, 2003 19:18 087 918 4552

*Pit Stop PLoughshares Trial Has Been Moved & Postponed
**Return to Shannon J21, Brigids Well J23, Peace Walk J23-J24, All Night Peace Vigil at Dáil J24-25


On Tuesday June 17th., in Limerick Circuit Court, Judge Carroll Moran heard submissions from the "Pit Stop Ploughshares Community" legal team - solicitor Joe Noonan, Junior Barrister Giollíosa Ólideadha & Senior Barrister Michael O'Higgins.

The submissions related to further discovery of police evidence, the alleviation of bail conditions (daily signing on, banned from County Clare & a mile radius of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin) imposed on the defendants - Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly and a change of venue for the trial.

The Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants have been charged with two counts of criminal damage to a hangar window (approx €200) at Shannon Airport and a U.S. Navy war plane (Govt. sources approx. €2.5 million). These charges arise out of the Pit Stop Ploughshares nonviolent disarmament of a U.S. Navy war plane at Shannon Airport on February 3rd. 2002. The Pit Stop Plougshares face a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted of the charges. 50,000 U.S. troops & munitions passed through Shannon Airport en route to the war on Iraq.

The Prosecution admitted to further discovery. The Prosecution opposed a change of venue from County Clare. The afternoon was spent in legal argument concerning issues of a "fair trial", "perceived bias" in calling a jury from County Clare where Shannon Airport is such an integral part of the economy and the United States is such a significant customer. The defense barrister quoted a series of prejudicial statements in relation to the defendants from a variety of local and national media & local and national politicians. It was argued that these statements have made a most significant impact in a community with the said strong economic ties to Shannon Airport. The Defense Barrister observing "perhaps the people of Clare might be more inclined to know which side their bread was buttered on".

Following two hours of defense argument and prosecution rebuttal, Judge Carrol retired to make a decision. He rejected defense arguments in relation to a Clare jury being pressured by economic ties to the United States fearing possible economic consequences of an acquittal.

The Judge acknowledged that his duty was to guarantee that the accused had a fair trial and not to consider the evidence of the case at this time. He stated that the perception that the accused would receive a fair trial was important. He conceded to the defense application for a change of venue to Dublin. A trial date is to be set by the Dublin Circuit Court, most likely for October or January sittings.

Ciaron O'Reilly from the Pit Stop Ploughshares stated,

"We look forward to carying the spirit of nonviolent disarmament into court and putting the issues surrounding our act of conscience at Shannon Airport before the consciences of a jury.

The continued use of Shannon Airport as a pit stop for the U.S. war machine remains a serious moral issue for the people of County Clare and Ireland. Our broader community will return to Shannon Airport on Saturday June 21st. 12 noon. As the five defendants -who remain banned from County Clare- hold a peace vigil on the Limerick border, others will gather at the airport to construct a shrine and remember the war dead. The gathering will be addressed by Nuria Nastafa, a member of the Iraqi Community in Ireland, who will travel to Iraq with an aid convoy. Andrea Needham, initially jailed and subsequently acquitted as consequence of the 1996 "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares" disarmament of a British Aerospace Hawk Fighter, will also speak. Ed Horgan from Limerick & a former commandant in Irish Defense Forces will also address the gathering.

A peace walk will then begin meeting the defendants on the Limerick border. We will have a "Celebration of Hope" in Limerick on Saturday night, celebrating the disarmament and ongoing nonviolent resistance to the war & occupation of Iraq.

We carried out this act of disarmament of the U.S. war machine around the Feast of St. Brigid. We were originally set for trial in Kilrush Court, County Clare, on the Feast of John the Baptist - June 24th. We will resume the peace walk at Brigids Well in Kildare on Monday morning, June 23rd. 9 a.m. in and continue to Dáil Eireann arriving on Tuesday evening June 24th. - the Feast of John the Baptist. We will conduct a fast for peace through Tuesday night at the Dáil.

"The axe is already laid to the roots of the trees; any tree that does not produce good fruits will be cut down and thrown into the fire" - John the Baptist, Matthew 3:10

There will be vigils challenging the role of Shannon Airport and Irish complicity in the continued war on and occupation of Iraq on this feast day at - Irish Embassy London, Irish Embassy Washington DC, Irish Consul New York City, Los Angeles Federal Building, Philadelphia Federal Building, Houston Federal Building, Brisbane, Perth, Irish Embassy Sweden, Irish Embassy Netherlands, Irish Embassy Austria, USAF Base Harewood Christchurch, Irish Embassy Wellington, Irish Consul Auckland, Dili East Timor, Archbishop Romeros tomb El Salvador, Irish Embassy Slovakia, Belfast City Hall and elsewhere".

More information
www.ploughsharesireland.org
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile) +353 97 918 4552
Ph. 01 406 4466 (landline) +353 1 406 4466
email [email protected]

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker Wed Jun 18, 2003 19:24

After moving the jurisdiction the Judge did not rule on a change of bail conditions. Conditiosn remain the same - sign on daily at specific Dublin Garda Station, ban from a mile radius of U.S. Embassy (excepting the U.S. citizen in the group) and a ban from County Clare. This has made conducting a peace walk to Kirush unviable.

Feel free to joim us on Saturday for the Shannon- Limerick walk. Or Monday or Tuesday for the Kildare to Dublin walk...if you have accomadation needs phone 087 918 4552 and we'll see if we can help.
Thanx for all the solidarity
great gig last night
Ciaron

by mick Thu Jun 19, 2003 14:27

Good news ,sorry I couldn't make the gig. Is Marie's case being tried in Dublin?

by Ciaron - Pit Stop PLoughshares Thu Jun 19, 2003 21:08 087 918 4552

News of more solidarity vigils coming through - Irish Consulate CHicago, Bulgaria, Aux-en Provence France, Glasgow

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Fri Jun 20, 2003 20:21 087 918 4552

Ploughshares J21-25 Peace Walk/J24 International Solidarity
by Pit Stop Ploughshares Friday, Jun 20 2003, 7:13pm
phone: 0879184552 [email protected]
Walk & Vigils
Pit Stop Ploughshares Peace Walk Info
J24 International Solidarity

CONTENTS

1) Information for Beginning of Peace Walk from Shannon J21

2) International Solidarity Vigil for June 24th at Irish Embassies, Consulate and Other Sites of Significance

1) INFORMATION FOR BEGINNING OF PEACE WALK FROM SHANNON AIRPORT J21

Ritual to Commence
Pit Stop Ploughshares Peace Walk
Shannon Airport-Limerick-Brigid's Well-Dail
Saturday June 21st.
The Pit Stop Ploughshares Community - Deirdre, Nuin, Karen, Damien & Ciaron wish to thank you for returning to Shannon Airport to
nonviolently confront Irish complicity in the continuing war on, and occupation of, Iraq. Thank you for supporting us through our nonviolent
disarmament of a U.S. Navy War Plane at Shannon on February 3rd., the initial prison time and as we journey toward trial in Dublin.
Today, we will resume the journey with a Peace Walk to Limerick. The five defendants - banned from County Clare under bail conditions - will
maintain a vigil on the Limerick border from 12 noon and will join the walk as it passes. The walk will continue into Limerick, where there will be
a "Celebration of Hope" at Riddlers Pub, Sarsfield St. 6.30 p.m. The walk will resume at Brigid's Well, Kildare on Monday 9 a.m. morning,
proceeding to Dublin and will conclude with an all night vigil at Dail Eireann on Tuesday night.
KEEPING FOCUSSED FOR PEACEMAKING
In nonviolent resistance it is always essential to maintain the initiative!
We ask you to maintain a nonviolent and respectful attitude & behavior to police, military and private security at Shannon Airport. Do not be
provoked. Do not get involved in verbal jousting with them - be focussed, assertive, respectful and nonviolent. We are here to remember
the dead, construct a shrine and leave to nonviolently confront the people who give the orders in Dublin. Do not be distracted by the order-
takers. This takes the focus off the war victims in Iraq, the role of Shannon and those responsible in Dublin.
AGENDA
-12 noon We will gather in a safe space at the entrance of the airport. Turn right at the intersection where the peace camp was once sited.
-12.15 Andrea Needham (acquitted in 1996 of 1.5 million British Sterling "criminal damage" to a British Aerospace Hawk Fighter destined to the
war on East Timor), Nuria Mustafa (a member of the Iraqi community in Ireland), Ed Horgan (former commandant in the Irish Defense Forces)
and Josh O'Shea (imprisoned in Australia for freeing Iraqi detainees) will share their experiences and insights into the war on Iraq and
nonviolent resistance to it.
-We will then move to the initial entrance (not the terminal) to construct a shrine to the Iraq slain.
-1.20 We will begin the walk to Shannon Town, where some of our speakers will address the Cork anti-war group who are assembling there at
2 pm
-2.30 The walk will continue to join the defendants on the Limerick border and then on to Limerick City Centre.
-A Celebration of Hope will take place from 6.30 p.m. at Riddlers Bar, Sarsfield St.
(opposite Dunnes)
Thanx again
More info & updates Ph. 087 918 4552

2) INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FOR PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES HEADING FOR TRIALIN DUBLIN

On June 24th. the following vigils will take place in solidarity with the Pit Stop Ploughshares & in opposition to Irish complicity in the continuing war on Iraq

- It is hoped that foklks will deliver letters of protest to Irish consulates & embassies

- It is hoped that this will be the beginning of international postcard (& other campaign) aimed at the Irish government concerning issues raised by the Pit Stop Ploughshares disarmament witness.

www.ploughsharesireland.org

Perth, Australia - Danny [email protected]

Brisbane, Australia, Jim [email protected]

Auckland, New Zealand, Nick Drake & CW's [email protected]

Christchurch, New Zealand, Harewood USAF Base, Moana [email protected]

Wellington, New Zealand, [email protected] Irish Embassy

Chicago, USA, - Kathy & Voices in the Wilderness [email protected] Ph. (773) 784 8065

New York City, USA - Carmen & CW's, [email protected] Irish Consulate Ph. (212) 254 1640

Philadelphia, USA - Farah [email protected] Federal Building

Houston, USA - Ken, Federal Building [email protected]

Washington DC, USA- Sr. Susan & CW's [email protected] Ph. (202) 882 9649

Los Angeles, USA - Catherine & CW's [email protected]

Vancouver, Canada - Abeer [email protected] Irish Consulate

El Salvador - Cath [email protected] Archbishop Romero's Tomb

Dublin, Ireland - Colim & Afri Ph.(01) 496 8595 GPO O'Connel St.

Belfast, north of Ireland - John City Hall [email protected]

Derry, north of Ireland Robbie & FEIC [email protected] Raytheon Plant

Kilrush Co. Clare, Ireland, Justin - Court House, Mary Kelly's appearance pending trial June 30th.

London, England - Scott & CW's [email protected] Irish Embassy Ph. 01727 760953

Sweden - Susan [email protected] Irish Embasy

Austria - 2 guys on holiday from Cork, Irish Embassy

Netherlands - JM (our man in Amsterdam) [email protected] Irish Embassy or theme pub

Belgium - David & Mother Earth folks [email protected] Ph. (9) 242 8752

Slovakia - @'s - Irish Embassy

Sofia, Bulgaria Velina & 10 friends [email protected], City Centre Park

Glasgow, Scotland - Brian [email protected] City Centre

Auxen Provence, France Claire [email protected]

Oxford, England - Stephen [email protected]

Norwich, England - Chris Ph. 01603 624199

Liverpool, England - Eileen & CW's [email protected]

related link: www.ploughsharesireland.org

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Sun Jun 22, 2003 19:47

Hi,

We are two Irish people involved in the Monday-demo Anti-war Vigil at the
Brandenburg Gate every Monday evening (6 o'clock to 8) in Berlin.

I don't know what other plans may be made for Berlin but we
certainly intend to organize a vigil outside the Irish Embassy here in
Friedrich Strasse on Tuesday 24th between 10-6 o'clock. We will make
flyers, contact press, gather signatures and hand them to the Embassy
and take some pictures to send on to you.

It would be good to know if you have any information from anyone else planning
something in Berlin.

Regards and solidarity,

Doug
Noel
Berlin [email protected]

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Sun Jun 22, 2003 19:58 087 918 4552

Walk resumes Monday morning at Brigid's Well. If you would like to join the walk to the Dail on Monday or Tuesday or text or phone in support 087 918 4552 will put you in direct contact with the walkers.

Dublin J24 Vigil will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon
at G.P.O. O'Connel St. Vigil will resume later in the afternoon at the Dail, Kildare St. to await the arrival of the peace wallk. An all night vigil will then take place at the Dail. Feel free to join the walk or vigils for whatever time you are available.

by Deirdre Clancy Mon Jun 23, 2003 01:14 Details of Kildare-Dail Peace Walk 086 151 2013

The Catholic Worker peace walk commences at St. Brigid's Well in Kildare at 9am tomorrow morning, when there will be a peace commissioining performed by a Brigidine nun. The figure of Brigid has always stood out as a potent symbol for peace, both in pre-Christian Ireland as a goddess and in Christian Ireland as a saint.

The walkers will set off and walk all day Monday, before heading back to Dublin from Naas to sign on at their respective garda stations. Returning from Naas, they will start out from there on Tuesday, walking to the gate of the Dail, where they and others will perform an all-night vigil in solidarity with those suffering as a result of the ongoing war on Iraq.

Also on Tuesday, there will be a vigil across from the GPO (near the spire) in solidarity with Mary Kelly, who will be facing her pre-trial hearing in Kilrush that morning, and going to trial on June 30th.

All are invited to join in with either of these events for whatever duration of time suits. For more information on the peace walk, you can call Ciaron at 087 918 4552. For more information on the Dail or GPO vigils, you can call me (Deirdre) at 086 151 2013.

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Fri Jun 27, 2003 20:22

NYC Irish Consulate Vigil J24
by Ploughshares, Friday June 27, 2003 at 06:13 PM



NYC J24 vigil (report by Clara Takarabe)

.

Those present at the vigil:
Elmer Maas
Carmen Trotta
Matthew Daloisio
Amanda Daloisio
Paul Fesefeldt
Tanya Theriault
Matt Vogel
Bill Offenloch
Stephanie Abaritis
me
Sarah (friend of Sheila's)
Another fellow that I can't remember (friend of Elmer's?)
Father Dan Berrigan
The Irish Consulate in New York City is located in a large building with many offices within it, on Park Avenue between 51st and 52nd Street. The building is set back from the street and the sidewalk quite a ways and has a plaza where many office folks take their lunches. There is an area with benches and also steps leading into the plaza where people can sit and mill about. When we arrived at a quarter after noon, the plaza was full, with most workers on break.
We chose first to walk through the plaza up to the entrance of the building, and seeing that we should not block the revolving door entrances with care. Immediately, the security men were out, quite alarmed, and tried to have us removed.
A security official approached Carmen and asked him to leave, they went back and forth for a bit, but not too long, and we moved to the sidewalk.
In front of the building were two large chartered buses. We decided to stand in front of the buses, not facing traffic, but facing the plaza and the building. A large banner stated: IRELAND'S NO PIT STOP FOR US IMPERIALISM. Two other placards stated: God Bless the Pit-Stop Ploughshares Activists: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran and Ciaron O'Reilly. Another placard stated, "The Pit-Stop Ploughshares Action sprang from the command of the prophet Isaiah, the gospel of Jesus and the Nuremburg Principles."
We made up an informational sheet describing the Ploughshares action and passed it out with the Catholic Worker paper. Many people, both passersby and lunchtime plaza office folks, were intrigued and inquired about the vigil and requested the sheets and paper.
Carmen asked the security folks of the building that someone might meet with the consular officials. The security people said that one consular official might come down and meet with us, however Carmen retorted that it would be more couth if they should invite one or some of us, according to the custom of Irish hospitality.
Nearly an hour and a bit into the vigil, the consular officials did consent to having one person go up and discuss the matter at hand. Carmen went up to the consular office.
And not too long after, the consular officials were "surprised" to hear that Father Dan Berrigan was outside and requested that he should be invited up.
I don't know what transpired in that conversation, however Carmen said that he aired his thoughts and his feeling of disappointment and that they were engaged attentively with his perspective.
We wrapped up at 2.00 in the afternoon. It was a hot and humid day.
---------------------------------

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Fri Jun 27, 2003 20:24

Chicago J24 Vigil
by Voices in the Wilderness, Friday June 27, 2003 at 06:16 PM



From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2003 2:31 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [witv]



Hello everyone,

Here is an update on the action to support the Pit Stop Ploughshares:

Tom, John, Nick, and I went to meet with Caitriona Doyle at the Irish
Consulate
downtown yesterday morning. The meeting went very well, and we all felt
very
good about it afterwards. Although, the public voice of the Irish
government is
that these five are criminals, it seemed to us that Caitriona at least was
sympathetic, and this may be a good contact for us. She gave us the names
of
several media contacts in Ireland and suggested we write to the Minister for
Justice in Ireland. The consulate did not agree to our request that they
write
a letter of support of the Ploughshares, but Caitriona said she would pass
the
cover letter and flyer we gave her along to the Irish government. We also
flyered in front of the building afterwards. About ten Voices members
flyered
and passed out about 500 flyers, to which we got a pretty good reception.

To follow up on this successful event, we have several plans in the works:

1) Write up a press release and send it to Irish radio and media contacts
that
Caitriona gave us. -- Nick, Catherine

2) Write a letter to the Minister for Defense in Ireland and the Irish
Consulate from Voices with signatures of Voices members. -- Tom

3) We have already sent out an e-mail to the Chicago activist community.
But
we are thinking about sending another one out to the Voices e-mail database
asking them to write letters of support to the Irish government. (Possibly
coming up with a draft letter to make it easier for people.)

Please e-mail back with any ideas, suggestions, comments, etc.

Thanks,
Catherine

by Cath Collins Sat Jun 28, 2003 09:38

J24 Vigil Romero's Tomb El Salvador
by Cath Collins, Saturday June 28, 2003 at 05:36 PM



hi there,
had been meaning to write and this has prompted me, here is the central american version of the 'what we did on tuesday` essay.
It was chucking it down as it only does in tropical parts so for a while we stood shivering in the rain outside the entrance to Romero's tomb under the cathedral in San Salvador; it was well past official visiting hours but the downpour seemed to mean less people were popping in to say 'hi' to the unofficially (therefore absolutely validly) canonized patron of the americas..
In that English kind of way we waited patiently for Something to Happen, then I remebered my Latin American ways and went to find the parish secretary, she was most apologetic and let us in, it also gave a chance to explain what we were about and she looked intrigued if not entirely convinced.

Romero is the only person buried in the cathedral precinct, and so the crypt basically serves as a storage for oddments of church furniture, the parish priest's car and bits of leftover scenery from the nativity play: in the middle of it all sits an unremarkable marble box and there he is. it all feels like something of an anticlimax but then that in itself somehow fits better. Also as the day goes on the local street vendors call in to say hello or to shelter from the rain or both; the secretary's kids charge up and down on the stored benches creating havoc of which you can feel sure the man himself would approve wholeheartedly.
We installed ourselves with a candle and dug in for the afternoon. The tomb used to be covered with plaques and notes and flowers and all kinds of oddments; people's thanks to Romero for favored concedidos or just for being: strangely and a bit sadly they have all been taken away, it is hard not to associate this with the presetn archbishop, now the second one after Romero and a confirmed Opus Dei diehard. The signs of the times are not auspicious even in the cradle of the church which rediscovered itself in the midst of appalling persecution....but seems to have littel to say to the more diffuse but equally souldestroying era of free trade agreements with the US and 'caution' - that is ti say impunity - for those who killed Romero, killed the jesuits, killed Ita Ford and the other missionaries, killed catechists, killed many whose names are not so known or not known at all

Anyway...as the afternoon wore on we were joined by an entire peace Corps family who got the point quite quicklly, and a couple of Salvadoran ladies who were receptive, and welcoming, and nodded vigorously, and opined that Monseñor would certainly have approved, yes, and this was like the time he wrote to President carter in 1979 asking him to stop sending US weapons to massacre campesinos.

But you could tell, and i have found also in Chile, that the idea of voluntarily getting arrested to expose some kind of anomaly in the value system - depending on rightthinking folk being outraged that the police should act so arbitrarily as to arrest and charge people for making peace - is something of a Northern response (rightly so, and the reason the CW is so clear that is the response of Christians of the empire towards their own structures) . Whereas the idea that the police or system should act arbitrtarily has absolutely no shock value on this continent, and it comes as a matter of course that you could be killed just for having a (subversive) bible (the catechists in rural areas used to keep theirs buried in the maize field for when the soldiers came to search for 'terrorists' )

So we did our thing, and the world did not change a huge amount probably, nor did we set San Salvador buzzing with the news, but peace was thought about and ¡something' was sent from us to you.
I'll sign off with words from the man himself, 6 weeks before his assasination:

"I believe firmly in the absolute necessity that the people should organise...the grassroots organisations are the social forces who are going to push, to press for and finally to achieve an authentic society, social justice and freedom"
Oscar Romero, 15 feb 1980

Venceremos..
best and thanks to you all
Cath & Lal
San Salvador

by Maria & Scott - London Catholic Worker Sat Jun 28, 2003 22:34

Hey Ciaron, we had a great vigil on Monday night at the Irish embassy. About 10 people were present. We leafleted, prayed and had huge banners hung. So much so that they (the embassy staff) asked us to leave because they were holding a reception for the families of Irish prisoners that had committed suicide in British prisons. They felt that by remaining we were being insensitive. We declined leaving but were somewhat worried when a group of four Irishmen came up to us and asked us what we were doing there. We explained and they were well pleased and even took your cause up to the ambassador when they went in. We then posted a letter through the door (which is at the end of the e-mail). They replied by post stating that they sent my letter on to the authorities in Dublin. talk to you soon pece and good to you- scott
To: the Irish Ambassador
Irish Embassy
17 Grosvenor Square
London
Monday, 23 June 2003
Dear Sir,
We are all, to be sure, well aware of the Iraqi invasion and of the subsequent consequences on the people of Iraq. We are proposing to you that the joint Invasion by the U.S. and U.K coalition forces is an illegal act in accordance with international law. The U.N. Charter to which the Republic of Ireland is a signatory state that a nation may only invade a sovereign nation if attacked first or if the U.N. Security Council gives authorisation.
With respect the Irish Government has avowed to obey international law. Article 29, Section 3ff. “Ireland accepts the generally recognized principles of international law as its rule of conduct in its relations with other States.” and “Ireland affirms its adherence to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination.”
Furthermore your constitution relates that every action of the Irish Government must be referred to the Holy Trinity. Preamble “In the name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred…”
It is self Prima Facia evident that the life of the Trinity is one of Peaceful Non-violence and that the aiding and abetting of violent means are completely contradictory to the example of Christ who wishes that all men live in peaceful coexistence.
Therefore we adjure you not to allow U.S. Troops or Aeroplanes to use Shannon Airport as a means to kill the people of Iraq or any other country. We also ask that those who have upheld both international law and the will of the Trinity be exonerated. These include Mary Kelly, Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly. These Men and Women will be heard at the Dublin Circuit Court in October 2003.
We ask that you take a personal interest in their case and that through your influence they may be judged not-guilty of trespass and criminal damage to a U.S. military aircraft enroute to the Iraqi invasion.
Yours truly,
Scott and Maria Albrecht, Angela Broome, Martin Newell
Rep. London Catholic Worker
13 Artisan Crescent
St. Albans
Herts. AL3 5UJ
----- Original

by Sharon Sun Jun 29, 2003 21:49

International support for the Pitstop Ploughshares 5
was evident outside the Irish General Consulate in
Gothenburg, Sweden where Susan van der Hejden (jubilee Ploughshares)of
Amsterdam, Per Herngren (Pershing ploughshares) of Gothenburg, and Sharon
Erickson Nepstad (author) of the United States gathered on June
24th. They held a silent vigil and then entered the
consulate's office. Although the staff was not
present that day, the three left a letter expressing
their support for the Ploughshares activists who are
facing trial in Dublin."

by Doug Thu Jul 03, 2003 17:58 Berlin

Report from Berlin Vigil - 24th June

On Tuesday June 24th a vigil in support of the Pit Stop Ploughshares was held in
front of the Irish Embassy in Berlin between 10am and 6pm. The sound of
hammering echoed down Friedrich Strasse to the historic border crossing
"Checkpoint Charlie" nearby and attracted the interest of the many passers-by
(natives, migrants and tourists). Those who wished to then proceeded to hammer a
US military plane on the nose. The sound was pre-recorded, the military plane
was a picture and the hammer plastic but many of those who took part in this
symbolic action also put their name to a petition expressing clear support for
the accused and their right to follow their consciences in opposing crimes
against peace and crimes against humanity.
The action was repeated in front of the U.S. Embassy on "Unter den Linden", the
main avenue running through the centre of Berlin, on Tuesday, July 2nd and
Wedensday, July 3rd where peace protesters have maintained a continuous presence
since February. During the three days about 800 leaflets in German explaining
the point of the solidarity action were distributed, over 300 signatures were
collected and many more joined us by "hammering" the plane. The action was
organised by Noël O'Callaghan and Douglas Henderson with the help of others from
the "Montagsdemo" Brandenburg Gate anti-war group.


http://www.montagsdemo.ixy.de