Eoin Rice Hunger Strike: Day 12: Update & Statement from Eoin Rice

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday February 23, 2004 16:06 by Dominic Carroll - Cork Anti-War Campaign / Mid-west Alliance Against Military Aggression / Clonakilty Against the War corkantiwar at hotmail dot com 087 1258325

Eoin Rice continues his hunger strike in Limerick Prison

The hunger strike of anti-war activist, Eoin Rice (35), has entered its twelfth day. Mr Rice was remanded to Limerick Prison following his refusal to accept an exclusion order from Co. Clare as a condition of bail.

At a sitting of Shannon District Court on 12th February, Judge Joseph Mangan told Mr Rice, who was arrested in the aftermath of the December 6th Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) blockade at Shannon Airport, that he was adding a ban from Co. Clare to his bail conditions, which had previously amounted to a payment of just €5.00. Mr Rice is charged with dangerous driving, obstructing a police vehicle and behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace. The charges arise from Mr Rice’s involvement in the anti-war protest at Shannon Airport.

When Mr Rice challenged the legality of the bail conditions and refused to accept the exclusion order, he was ordered to be detained in Limerick Prison until his hearing on 11th March.

Mr Rice has instructed his solicitor to seek a writ of habeas corpus in the High Court, challenging the bail conditions and his imprisonment. The hearing is expected early this week.



Mr Rice has issued a statement from Limerick Prison:

1. Although I have been arrested perhaps a dozen times and twice imprisoned for a variety of fabricated charges during the past twelve months, I am no way a criminal and have no criminal convictions.
2. The reason for these frequent arrests and harassment is that I exercise my mind and freedom of speech, with no apology in private and publicly, in the face of power in this state to dissent from and protest at the use of Ireland, particularly Shannon Airport, for participation in war and the furtherance of the war crimes of an aggressor, mass murder and crimes against peace.
3. The persons responsible for putting us in this situation are the spineless and criminal ‘mis-leaders’ of the country – Ahern, Cowan,Smith, Harney, McDowell and co. – but unless we the people of Ireland stand up and hold them to account and definitively put a stop to our collective participation in the ongoing crime mentioned above, then history will record it as our guilt and our crime for accepting the status-quo and all planned future barbarity.
4. I will never believe that Irish men and women or any freedom loving people living amongst us, who are aware of the history of this country, will consent to be implicated in the crimes of the current government, which in complete arrogance and defiance of the people has proved itself willing to ignore public opinion in the service of its lawless foreign masters and the prospect of easy money for someone else’s blood.
5. Anyone who doubts the natural tendency of the reactionary state to attempt to suppress, criminalise and discredit any clear and uncompromising expression of opposition to its major crimes simply needs to turn off the TV and get out a bit more.
6. The trumped-up charges brought against me have nothing to do with the wording on the charge sheet and everything to do with the process of stitch-up and fast-track criminalisation in the service of a corrupt political motive, by corrupt functionaries of a thoroughly corrupt government and state system.
7. Any so-called journalist who simply phones up the gardaí and then piously spouts ‘Oh, we can’t touch this story – the guards say he’s a trouble-maker and is up for dangerous driving!’ should just ask themself (and maybe the gardaí?) one simple question: ‘Trouble for who?’ If you will not even think this far, then you are a fraud and a disgrace to the concept of journalism, a lapdog of corruption.
8. If we will be free – our minds, our press, our society – then let’s exercise that freedom, not creep around on servile knees, afraid to disturb the master. And if we are not free, then it is damned well time to gain that freedom for ourselves, before arrogance and violent forces will sweep the very thought from our minds.

‘Being sand, not oil, in the gears of the war machine.’

Eoin Rice
19th February 2004
Limerick prison

Postscript: Observe – Educate - Communicate – Organise – Act for Freedom