Anti-War Ireland bulletin, 26/5/04

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Wednesday May 26, 2004 22:31 by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland info at antiwarireland dot org 087 1258325

Public meetings, Bush visit and Mary Kelly case

Anti-War Ireland is a broad-based national alliance of anti-war groups. It is explicitly anti-racist and anti-sexist.

Convenor: Dr Fintan Lane (087 1258325)

Spokespersons: Caoimhe Butterly (087 2134160), and Tim Hourigan (087 9777703)

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Open meeting of Clonakilty Against the War to build for Bush visit protests at Shannon, on Thursday, 27 May.

3. Public meeting in Fairview on Friday evening, 28 May, on the US military misuse of Shannon airport. Organised by Fairview Against the War/Anti-War Ireland.

4. Stall and leafleting in Ennis town centre on Saturday, 29 May, from 12.30pm, in solidarity with Mary Kelly. Organised by Anti-War Ireland (Mid-West Alliance Against Military Aggression/Fairview Against the War).

5. Stall and leafleting in Cork on Saturday, 29 May, 2pm-4pm, in solidarity with Mary Kelly and to build for the Bush protest at Shannon. Organised by Anti-War Ireland (Cork Anti-War Campaign).

6. Public meeting in Ennis on Saturday, 29 May, titled 'A Peaceful Future for Shannon?' Organised by Anti-War Ireland (Mid-West Alliance Against Military Aggression/Fairview Against the War).

7. Public meeting in Shannon on Sunday, 30 May, titled 'A Peaceful Future for Shannon?' Organised by Anti-War Ireland (Mid-West Alliance Against Military Aggression/Fairview Against the War).

8. Anti-War Ireland 'Support Mary Kelly' poster.

9. Vigil at US embassy on Monday, 31 May. Organised by the Pitstop Ploughshares.

10. Benefit gig for Pitstop Ploughshares, Tuesday, 8 June.


1. INTRODUCTION
Over the past few weeks the US occupation of Iraq has encountered repeated difficulties. Donald Rumsfeld, the US Secretary of Defence, was forced on the defensive because of the public exposure of brutality by his troops. His resignation was never really on the cards because of his key role and the damage his toppling would cause to the Bush regime itself. Nonetheless, the savage nature of the US occupation continues to be exposed and is under increasing scrutiny. Amnesty International in its recently published annual report has condemned the widespread disregard for human rights in Iraq on the part of coalition forces.

In Ireland, the anti-war movement remains active on a number of fronts. Most importantly, Anti-War Ireland is building for the 'reception party' we intend to lay on for the warmonger-in-chief when he lands at Shannon airport on Friday evening, 25 June. Anti-war protesters will gather at 8pm that evening at Shannon town centre to march on the airport to underline our opposition to the presence of Bush and to the misuse of the airport by the US military.

Anti-War Ireland is also working with the Dublin Grassroots' Network and AmBush2004 on a weekend of protests at Shannon during the Bush visit. Details of the planned events will be released at a press conference to be held in Dublin this coming Friday.

An equally important task for Anti-War Ireland is the building of support for Mary Kelly in the run-up to her trial on 15 June. Mary potentially faces serious time in jail for her decommissioning of a US warplane at Shannon airport last year. Stalls are being organised around the country and Anti-War Ireland has also produced a poster. We would also encourage people to write letters to the press on the issue. For further details contact Liz Tully at [email protected].

Anti-War Ireland is a broad-based and inclusive anti-war movement, and we appeal to people to get involved. We need to build (and re-build) the anti-war movement across the country. A conference will be held in the wake of the Bush visit in order to properly launch the Anti-War Ireland initiative. We will post further details on this conference (which will be held in Dublin) closer to the date.

Care/act.


2. CLONAKILTY MEETING

An open meeting of Clonakilty Against the War will be held at 8pm in O'Donovan's Hotel in the town on Thursday, 27 May. The impending Bush visit, and the planned Anti-War Ireland demo at Shannon, will be the main item on the agenda. For further details, contact [email protected].


3. PUBLIC MEETING IN FAIRVIEW

A public meeting organised by Fairview Against the War/Anti-War Ireland will be held upstairs in Smyth's Public House in Fairview at 8pm, Friday 28 May.

Titled 'The US use of Shannon Airport', the meeting will be addressed by Finian McGrath TD; David Horgan (MD of Petrol Resources Oil Exploration Company in Iraq); Deirdre Clancy (Pitstop Ploughshares); and Maggie Roynane (a Galway-based archaeologist).

All welcome!! For further information, phone 01 8535298.


4. ANTI-WAR STALL IN ENNIS

The regular 'Support Mary Kelly' stall and leafleting will be held in Ennis town centre this coming Saturday, 29 May. It will begin at 12.30pm and go on until the late afternoon. All help gratefully received, and if you can make it on the day, please do so. For further information: [email protected].


5. ANTI-WAR STALL IN CORK

An anti-war stall and leafleting will be held in Cork city this coming Saturday, 29 May. The stall will highlight the upcoming trial of Mary Kelly, and will be aimed also at building for the Anti-War Ireland demo in Shannon during the Bush visit. All welcome to help out! Starts at Daunt Square at 2pm and will continue until 4pm or later.


6. PUBLIC MEETING IN ENNIS

Is there a future for Shannon airport and can it survive without servicing the US military? What dangers does the militarisation of Shannon airport pose to local people?

These issues will be addressed at a public meeting in Ennis which will bring together two international experts. Economist Richard Douthwaite will talk on alternative development strategies based on economic development work in communities around the world. Henk van der Keur will talk about the dangers of munitions to local people due to military flights, based on the experience of the El Al crash in 1992 onto a housing estate in Amsterdam. He will also talk more generally about the dangers posed by depleted uranium munitions. They will be joined by Shannon town councillor Greg Duff.

The meetiong will be held in Glor, Ennis, at 7.30pm.


7. PUBLIC MEETING IN SHANNON

Same as above, except this meeting will be held at 8pm, Sunday, 30 May, in the Oakwood Arms Hotel, Shannon.


8. MARY KELLY POSTER

Anti-War Ireland has produced a 'Support Mary Kelly - On trial for defending Irish neutrality' poster. It is attached to this e-bulletin in pdf format. The poster is A3 and in colour. We recommend that anti-war groups or individuals download it onto disk, run off colour copies (A3 size) in your local photocopy shop or printers, and put them up in your area and workplaces. Mary's trial begins on 15 June, so it is imperative that these be put up asap.


9. VIGIL AT US EMBASSY

Memorial Day (Monday, 31 May) is a national holiday in the US when war-dead are remembered. In conjunction with US citizens, the Pitstop Ploughshares/Catholic Workers' Five are holdin a vigil against the present war on Iraq at Dublin's US embassy on Monday, 5pm-7pm. All welcome!

A peace vigil will then be held from 5pm-7pm every Monday in the lead-up to the Bush visit.


10. BENEFIT GIG FOR PITSTOP PLOUGHSHARES

The Pitstop Ploughshares (aka Catholic Worker 5) are facing trial for their decommissioning of a US warplane at Shannon airport early in 2003. They are charged with causing millions of dollars worth of damage to a piece of military hardware; in their view (and ours) they didn't damage this warplane, they improved it. The CW5 need the support of all anti-war activists.

A benefit gig will be held at Mother Redcaps (near Christchurch) on Tuesday, 8 June (8.30pm to late). Performers will include Ronan and Rossa O Snodaigh and other friends from Kila; Paul O'Toole; and there will be Afro-Celtic music.

Should be a fun night, and everybody should make an effort to attend.