Pit Stop Ploughshares- Five Days from Trial at the Four Courts *Update & Chronology of Events

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | news report Wednesday October 19, 2005 12:38 by Ploughshares Defence Group 087 918 4552

They're on Trial for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Five peace activists go to trial at Dublin's Four Courts, on Monday October 24th. facing a maximum ten year sentence if convicted.

Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly have been
charged with two counts -
$US 2.5 million "criminal damage" to a U.S. Navy war plane enroute to Iraq and €100 damage to a hangar window on February 3rd. 2003. Both charges arise out of their nonviolent disarmament action at Shannon Airport - the major pit stop for U.S. forces en route to Iraq.

Following their action, the war plane was immediately returned to Texas after initial repairs, the 5 were slandered by two Goverment ministers, the Irish Army were deployed to Shannon, 3 U.S. companies transporting U.S. troops to the invasion pulled out of Ireland, the 5 were imprisoned in Limerick, then bailed and injuncted by Aer Rianta.

The Pit Stop Ploughshares have received widespread international support including a "prsidential pardon" from Martin Sheen of the "West Wing", a blessing from South African Bishop Tutu, dedications from Kris Kristoffersen & Joan Baez and solidarity from anti-war movements in Britain, U.S. & Australia.


The five defendants, all members of the pacifist Catholic Worker movement, were arrested at
Shannon Airport, County Clare, in the build up
to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Known as the "Pit Stop
Ploughshares", the five have caused controversy in a country that still claims to be neutral while monthly hosting 35,000 U.S. troops at Shannon Airport en route to the war on Iraq. A war that has been declared "immoral" by the Pope, "illegal" by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and "unwinnable" by many U.S. military experts.

The "Pit Stop Ploughshares 5" originally went to trial at Dublin's Four Courts in March 2005. The
first trial ended in a mistrial on the sixth day.

The five will be accompanied to trial by Nobel Peace Prize winner Marriead Corrigan Maguire, U.S. Iraq War combat veteran Jimmy Massey, Rose Gentle mother of Scottish soldier killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb, Senator David Norris, Catholic nuns, Buddhist monks and peace activists travelling to the Dublin trial from a variety of countries.

O'Reilly stated "Since carrying out our act of our
nonviolent resistance to this illegal war, over
100,000 Iraqis have been slain, 2,000 U.S. military
killed, over 11,000 have been evacuated with loss of limb and sound mind, Ireland has become complicit in these deaths and a likely target as the war escalates and expands".

The five have called for solidarity from those in Ireland opposed to continued Irish complicity in the invasion, occupation and plunder of Iraq.

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