Open Letter to Prominent Women in Ireland from Women in the Anti-War Movement Re Mary Kelly's Trial

national | anti-war / imperialism | press release Thursday June 10, 2004 23:56 by posted by Maggie, GWS 087 7838688

We are women in Ireland from different anti-war groups and individual women against war who have come together to organise for Mary Kelly's trial, ensuring that support for her action against war and to save lives is visible publicly...

We are women in Ireland from different anti-war groups and individual women against war who have come together to organise for Mary Kelly's trial, ensuring that support for her action against war and to save lives is visible publicly. As you may know, Mary Kelly, who is mother of four children and a nurse, decommissioned a US naval warplane at Shannon airport last year, acting in line with Article 28 of the Irish Constitution which ensures that Ireland is a neutral country and with international principles such as the Nuremberg Demand. After the Second World War, the Nuremberg war crimes tribunal established that 'Individuals have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring'. A jury refused to convict her in the town of Kilrush last year but the Director of Public Prosecutions has brought another case against her and on the 16th of June she is to be re-tried in the town of Ennis. If convicted, she faces 10 years in prison.

On the other hand, those such as Bush and Rumsfeld, who have orchestrated mass killing, torture and displacement in the Middle East and elsewhere, most of which has been, as usual, against women and children, are welcomed at Shannon.
Millions are spent on the security of these war criminals who travel the world freely while a mother who acted to save lives may be locked away for years. This must not happen.

We are asking prominent women in Ireland to support Mary and demand publicly that the charges against her are dropped. We know that a number of you have already worked to highlight Mary's case in various ways, last time and this time, and we look forward to joining with you. Because of your involvement you will know how much a victory of women in support of Mary will mean to the anti-war movement - and we refer especially to the grassroots movement, which is largely hidden in the shadow of the more established organisations.

Mary and others of us women have set up stalls with petitions and information leaflets in Galway, Ennis, Dublin, Bray, Sligo and Tralee. In this work, we have been joined and supported by a number of men and children. The response, of other women especially, has been overwhelmingly positive. Women have said, 'A mother should not go to prison' and 'Why should Mary go to prison when Bush, Blair and their gang are free?' We have even had a number of people sign up to support Mary who do not agree with the tactic she chose.

Because the media hides the efforts of the grassroots movement against war, and makes most invisible of all the enormous anti-war organising that women undertake, we are asking for your help to draw attention to Mary's fight. We ask that you speak publicly about the case in whatever forum is possible, write to the press about it and in this and other ways give the judge and jury a climate where it will be easier to support her in the court. If you are willing and able to appear in a public event to highlight her case or act as an observer at the trial, please get in touch with us at the number and email below in the next few days.

We enclose Mary's leaflet about her non-violent direct action and the court case.

Yours against war, occupation and torture including rape, and for valuing every life,

Maggie Ronayne, Global Women's Strike
Liz Tully, Fairview Anti-War Group
Val Greene, Fairview Anti-War Group
Fiona Wheeler, Mid-West Alliance Against Military Aggression
Nuria Mustafa, Irish Iraqi Communities in Solidarity
Deborah Birmingham, Caherciveen, Co. Kerry, RNMH nurse
Margaretta D'Arcy, Women in Media and Entertainment
Alice Burke, Women in Media and Entertainment
Sybilla Snake, Global Women's Strike
Cara Wallace, Tralee Anti-War Group
Deborah O'Leary, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Contact: Maggie, Global Women's Strike, on 087 7838688. Email: [email protected]