Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial, Day 2

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Tuesday March 08, 2005 18:37

by Scott S-D - Worcester CW

Dublin Four Courts

Tuesday, March 8 ,2005
Dublin, Ireland

Court Report Morning Session

After a march led by two Buddhist monks, American Catholic Bishop
Thomas Gumbleton, peace activist Kathy Kelly, and defendents of the Pit Stop
Ploughshares, seventy supporters gathered outside the Four Courts,
Ireland's most prestegious judicial centre. At approximately 10:30, judge
Frank O'Donnell began the procedings by insisting that the trial last
no longer than eight days. "Come Wednesday next week, I have to pull
the plug on it," the judge said; "Can we finish by then?" The defense
and prosecution agreed. The jury of nine women and three men were seated
and the judge introduced them to the procedings and their
responsibilities.

The prosecution opened with another description of the jury's duty,
excluding the possibility that jurors could nullify a judge's instructons
on matters of law. The prosecutor detailed the elements of the two
charges which must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order to warrant
a conviction. In general, the prosecutor said a conviction for
criminal damage requires intentional damage to someone else's property. He
said, "I'm entitled to smash up my own car, and sometimes I want to do
it, but that's not criminal damage." He said intentional damage is more
direct than reckless damage; direct action has to be taken. "There
must be no lawful excuse to inflict the damage. There are some
circumstances when the infliction of damage can be excused." He gave as an
example an emergency situation such as a fire. He went on to describe the
specific destruction the defendents are accused of at Shannon airport to
a "civilian-type aircraft." He said that "tensions were in the air
over whether Shannon airport was being used in violation of some people's
beliefs."

He said, "after 3 AM on February 3rd, 2003, people entered noisily with
intent to damage property and they employed implements they brought
with them in beating the nose and other parts of an airplane. The mode of
entry seemed to be through a door that was smashed."

The prosecution's first witness was Tom Liddy, an airport employee who
introduced two maps. The second witness Detective Sergeant John Duffy,
who introduced a book 13 color photographs of specific damage to the
plane and the door. He described "slight damage," "slight dent," "three
little holes on the surface," sslight dent on the edge of the exhaust
pipe," and larger damage on the nose of the plane. Under cross
examination, the defense elicited testimony that full photos would have
depicted US navy military markings and the Texas state flag, and that a
"shrine" had been erected on the scene which included a Bible, a Koran, sets
of both rosary and Muslim prayer beads, and photos showing the
consequences of previous bombings in Iraq. Testimony was also elicited
concerning slogans appearing on the hanger wall and the plane, e.g. "The war
stops here," and "Phil Berrigan, R.I.P."

In spite of the fact that the defense attorneys atated that the case
revolved around "the reckless damage beig wrought on a defenseless
population," the prosecution made no effort to restrict this line of defense.
The judge appears firm, especially as to the matter of the pace of the
trial, but has not iterposed himself to restrict the defendents thus
far.

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Comments (8 of 8)

Day Two

by redjade

Tue Mar 08, 2005 19:20

http://WarOnTrial.com

Bishop Gumbleton of Detroit & Kathy Kelly on Voices In The Wilderness (vitw.us)

Tue Mar 08, 2005 19:22

Bishop Gumbleton

In a twist of bizarreness, UN Peacekeepers pass the Four Courts

The Bishop and Ciaron on Democracy Now

Tue Mar 08, 2005 19:27

Monday, March 7th, 2005
Trial of Irish Peace Activists Opposed to U.S. Military Use of Shannon Airport Begins in Dublin
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/07/1449246#transcript

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about why you are in Dublin right now, and not Detroit?

BISHOP THOMAS GUMBLETON: Because I'm here to support the Ploughshares people who tried to prevent the U.S. plane from delivering equipment and military personnel to Iraq. They're opposed to the war there, and I have been very opposed to the war since 1990 and continue to try to do everything that I can to get the U.S. out of Iraq, and this is one more action in that direction.

AMY GOODMAN: What do you say to those who say they were involved in violent property damage?

BISHOP THOMAS GUMBLETON: Well, I think the long time answer to that has been, if you were in Germany in World War II, would you not have tried to stop the trains carrying people to the death camps or stop the chemicals from going there? And obviously, I think people wished they would have. So, sometimes in order to save life, you have to take property and prevent it from being misused.

AMY GOODMAN: The Plowshares activists in this country hardly get any national network or mainstream media attention when they're tried for their actions. What kind of coverage is there right now of this Pitstop Ploughshares trial?

BISHOP THOMAS GUMBLETON: Well, it was pretty impressive this morning. When I got here, there were a number of news people here. I have done probably four or five interviews already for Catholic papers, but also for the Times, The Irish Times, and a radio program also. And so, I think it isn't something that is, while disregarded as much as perhaps it is in the States, here it's maybe making better news.

more:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/07/1449246#transcript

------

small mention on RTÉ
http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0307/shannon.html

second half of day in court

by Brian Buckley - Little Flower Catholic Worker

Tue Mar 08, 2005 19:28

iraqiboy04 at yahoo dot com

From the balcony of courtroom 25, supporters watched and listened to testimony from Shannon Airport security personel regarding their version of and roles in the events that transpired on the night of February 3, 2003. Seargent Michael O'Connell claimed that the activists came "shouting and roaring" into the hangar after having broken the glass of the door and came swinging an axe and hammers before he disarmed them. He denied the suggestion that the five defendents quietly entered the hangar and handed him the instruments while sitting in a circle of prayer after they had disfigured the plane. O'Connell acceded that a six foot inflatable hammer with the colors of Ireland was among the hammers confiscated. He and Officer McNulty testified that the defendents posed no threat to them personally and acted respectfully.
A Mr. Maloney, the Operations Manager for Shannon Airport's branch of regulating incoming and outgoing flights and cargo, revealed in his testimony that the US military deals with a handling agent who does not nor is required to inspect US military planes but only records where the plane is coming from, its destination and number of passengers aboard. He reported that the US Navy had been charged monetarily for the 90,000 military personel that had passed through Shannon Airport in the months building up to the invasion of Iraq prior to the disarmament action.
Last to take the stand was US Navy Commander James Nichols who coolly and tersely admitted knowing close to nothing about the relation of the war in Iraq and his mission to bring a maintainence crew and parts to repair the damaged Boeing 737. He neither admitted nor denied any connection between his mission and the US mission in Iraq. He showed no signs of agitation or emotion unlike the defense who passionately challenged him.
The defendents are presumed to take the stand tomorrow afternoon.

VERY, VERY BEST OF LUCK TOMORROW!

by Eoin Dubsky

Tue Mar 08, 2005 20:02

Thanks for the updates here. I was getting worried - getting no word all day until now.

Are the lawyers doing a good job? Are any defendants representing themselves?

is there a march every morning?

by padraic - Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group - Indymedia Ireland

Tue Mar 08, 2005 20:09

what time? where?
I'll be there tomorrow and hopefully on friday, can people come down at any stage?
what can they do if they want to support the pitstop ploughshares?

A march every morning

by Paul

Tue Mar 08, 2005 22:39

Yes, there is a march every morning.

From their website, http://warontrial.com:

Wednesday March 9th:
Peace Walk to Dublin's Four Courts

- Supporters Gather at The Spire,O'Connell St. from 9am
- Peace Walk to Court, 10am
-`Remembering The War Dead', Four Courts, 10.30am

Thurs March 10th:
Peace Walk to Dublin's Four Courts

- Supporters Gather at The Spire,O'Connell St. from 9am
- Peace Walk to Court, 10am
-`Remembering The War Dead', Four Courts, 10.30am-1pm

Thursday March 10th 7.30pm
Assessing the damage:

IRAQ WAR & SHANNON DISARMAMENT
Walton Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin (ARTS BLOCK)
Speakers Include:
- Kelly Dougherty - U.S. Veteran with National Guard Unit & Co-Founder of Iraq Veterans Against War
[ www.ivaw.net) ]
- Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire
- Dennis Halliday - Former U.N. Assistant Secretary General
- Kathy Kelly - Present in Iraq during Sanctions & War

Friday March 11th:
Peace Walk To Dublin's Four Courts

- Supporters Gather at The Spire,O'Connell St. from 9am
- Peace Walk to Court, 10am
-`Remembering The War Dead' Vigil, Four Courts, 10.30am-5pm

Friday March 11th 8pm-Midnight
Give peace a dance!

Cuban, Italian & Irish Music - Entrance By Donation
St. Nicholas Of Myra Parish Hall (Corner of Carmon Hall & Francis St.)

* Ploughshares Trial Information Stall
Bank Of Ireland (Opposite Trinity College)
2pm - 4pm

* Workers Solidarity Movement Dayschool on the Iraq War
Irish Activists reflect on Experiences
What strategies are needed to continue effective anti-war activism?
Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin City
12 noon-6pm.

Irish Times: Bishop Gumbleton & Kathy Kelly

by IRL Timez

Wed Mar 09, 2005 21:31

[republished in total due to pay-for website]

Shannon protesters 'people of faith' - US bishop

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2005/0307/breaking48.htm

A leading US Catholic bishop has said the US should end its occupation of Iraq.

Thomas J. Gumbleton. Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan, made the call this morning while visiting Ireland to show solidarity with five peace activists on trial for allegedly damaging a US military plane at Shannon Airport three years ago.

Speaking to ireland.com today, Bishop Gumbleton said he supported the actions of the five peace activists whom he described as "people of faith" who had acted in line with Christian tradition.

The idea behind their action, he said, was to dramatise the immortality of war, which he believed was the equivalent to murder.

Damien Moran, Ciaran O'Reilly, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon and Deirdre Clancy have pleaded not guilty to charges alleging criminal damage to a US plane at Shannon on February 3rd, 2003. They also deny causing criminal damage to Aer Rianta property on the same date.

The five, who are members of the Pit Stop Ploughshares peace group, face up to ten years in prison if convicted.

Some 200 supporters of the accused participated in a peace march, led by Bishop Gumbleton, to the Four Courts this morning after holding a brief protest at the Millennium Spire on O'Connell Street.

Bishop Gumbleton was joined at the protest by Nobel Peace Prize nominee and celebrated peace activist Kathy Kelly, of the Voices in the Wilderness group.

Ms Kelly, who was in Iraq during the US "shock-and-awe" bombing campaign, told ireland.com protests were necessary to highlight the effects of war. She said children were the victims "who always paid the debts of war".

She added there was a "moral imperative" to prevent the United States, which she referred to as a "hyper power", from conducting its war in Iraq and asked why anyone would want to "aid and abet" such a venture.

Ms Kelly has campaigned against violence and for peace for over 25 years and has spent several spells in prison for her beliefs.

Protesters are planning on gathering at the Millennium Spire at 8.30 each morning after which they will participate in a silent Peace March to the Four Courts where a vigil 'Remembering the War Dead' will be maintained until 5pm each day.

Bishop Gumbleton and Ms Kelly will speak at a public meeting at the Davis Theatre in Trinity College this evening and at the Milltown Institute tomorrow evening.

© The Irish Times/ireland.com

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Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial, Day 2

Comments (8 of 8)