Ploughshares Last Supper

by Roasted Heratic Sun Nov 06, 2005 23:45

De 5:8

Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image, [or] any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:

Ex 20:4

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves...Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female." -Deut. 4:15-16

"Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God: -Lev.26:1

"Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." -Mk. 7:9

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker Sun Nov 06, 2005 23:45 087 918 4552

We started liturgies & open house in 2002 when the fledging Dublin Catholic Worker kicked off in Ballyfermot, continued them in Rialto Cottages and the house in Kimmage and for the past year in our house on the SCR in Rialto.

Sometimes the liturgies are a mass with a visiting priest. Other times, like tonight, someone prepares a scriptual reflection. Tonight it was John Robinson, a theology student form Belfast, who broke open the book and then led us through a meditation.

We call folks into the circle, pray for friends in jail and before the courts for peace & justice and others who are struggling along. We break bread and share wine and conclude with a sign of peace. We then head for the kitchen & eat together. Head for the backyard for a smoke. Sometimes someone will present a reflection after food....like when Caoimhe Butterly passes through from Palestine or Fr. Bill Bischell carrying Joe Hill's ashes in his pocket. Other times we just hang out.

This simple rhythym & ritual has sustained a community of anti-war resistance for the past three years in fair weather (mass movement times) and foul (as the war drags on and activism dissipates). A lot of non-Catholics have found sustenance from this simple rhytyhm & ritual and we have have found the same from them. Especially mention JD & Vera here...who got married in Budapest yesterday!

It's been a simple thing to do...act, reflect, celebrate, act again. A simple ritual for the long haul.

Many thanx to all those who have carried us this far with this ploughshares witness. It's been a privilege.

by Elaine Mon Nov 07, 2005 00:04

lots of Old Testament quotes there. ( Christianity is based on the New Testament btw. New Covenant with God etc etc. ) Don't think the Icons you refer to are quite of the Idol variety. Here's some new Testament for you 1 Corinthians 8:4 " As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one."
There was no bowing down to graven images tonight and the vegetarian food (wonderfully cooked by Karen) didn't consist of fatted calf either. But the speed with which you threw up those quotes suggests that you have been sharpening that axe for a while now, just waiting for a moment to grind it. Issues....?

by supporter Mon Nov 07, 2005 00:33

best wishes to the five

by Ploughshares Defence Mon Nov 07, 2005 01:23

PRESS RELEASE
********************
Jury To Give Verdict At Shannon 5 Trial In Dublin Four Courts

The jury in the trial of five Catholic Worker peace
activists are due to give a verdict this Monday
November 7th at Dublin's Four Courts. Deirdre Clancy, Damien Moran, Nuin Dunlop, Ciaron O'Reilly, and Karen Fallon have been charged with two counts of criminal damage arising from their disarmament of a US Navy plane at Shannon Airport prior to the US invasion of Iraq, on February 3rd 2003.
They face up to a maximum of ten years in prison if
convicted.

The jury are due to hear closing statements from the prosecuting and defence counsels on Monday morning at 10.30am in Court 23. This will take place after Judge Donagh MacDonagh makes a ruling on whether the accused defence applies in law. Judge MacDonagh is expected to charge the jury on Monday afternoon. If a unanimous verdict cannot be reached they will be asked to return with a 10-2 majority to convict or acquit.

Over the course of the trial, which commenced on
October 24th, the 12 jurors have heard testimony from the five accused as to why they believed they had a 'lawful excuse' for engaging in an act to disable the US Navy plane.

On Wednesday last the jury testimony from Iraq war combat veteran Jimmy Massey on how he witnessed breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including the indiscriminate killing of at least 36 innocent civilians in Baghdad.

On the same day Mr. Geoff Oxley OBE, a retired Royal Airforce Group Captain and military expert, explained to the court before the jury that logistics supply planes were a legitimate target in a time of war and that the decommisioning of this plane at Shannon would have initiated an unpredictable chain of events, helping to save lives and property.

Testimony was also heard from Kathy Kelly, twice
nominated for the Nobel peace prize and co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness, a group extabished in 1996 to stand in solidarity with Iraqi civilians by breaking the UN economic sanctions.

On Thursday last the jury heard former UN Assistant Secretary General Denis Halliday testifying about the destruction of Iraqi lives and health infrastructue as a result of UN economic sanctions, which he termed as 'genocidal', before resigning his position as UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in 1997.

A peace walk from the Spire to the Four Courts to
commemorate the Iraq War dead, will continue Monday and Tuesday next at 9.30pm.

More details on the last 8 days of trial can be found
at the following link:

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72668

More information at 087 9184552 or 087 9638398

PRESS RELEASE ENDS
***************************

by jk - hiding Mon Nov 07, 2005 13:25

Judge has ruled out "lawful excuse" . Court back at noon to hear closing statements

by iosaf Mon Nov 07, 2005 14:20

last three psalms 148-150 for you!
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible,_English,_King_James,_Psalms#Chapter_148

Good luck.

by Clare Mon Nov 07, 2005 15:23 Dublin

Hope that updates will be posted up. Really want to know whats going on there so please keep them coming.

Best of luck to ye all,
Clare

by Michael Mon Nov 07, 2005 15:33

Please confirm here when he instructs the jury. I hope he doesn't try to close down all their options.

How he can deny them the "lawful excuse" which is part of the CHARGE -- that they did without lawful excuse cause damage to the plane -- is beyond me.

For the past two weeks I've been asked did I think that this judge was reasonable and fair. He's just keeping his cards close to his chest, I said. Now it looks like we're dealing with just another cowardly dog -- just better trained than the last one.

At this stage it might be better to just have it over and done with -- anything but another hung jury.

by cLARE Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:12

Judge has asked to recuse himself and jury as he attended Bush inauguration in 2001 and photo with him in 1995

Unbelievable! What happens now?

by c Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:19

so sorry just reread what was typed and its supposed to read - he has been asked to excuse/recuse? himself. obviously big difference so apologies

by pat c Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:20

I guess this means there will have to be a new trial. The DPP could decide not to proceed further.

by c Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:20

CW5 case collapsed, judge has sent jury home

by jackie g Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:39

does this mean the case is finished and will dpp bring another case ? what brought about judge's excusal of himself ?? anyone got more information

by c Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:49

Further clarification from a court reporter:

"Judge as withdrawn the trial from the jury. Trial has not necessarily collapsed yet."

The plot thickens........

by Ruairi Mon Nov 07, 2005 16:56

This is mental. I'm sitting here wondering has justice prevailed in a strange mysterious way....has the judge found his conscience? Has he been impressed - as I have been - by the integrity of these 5 people? Is he feeling the strain from his political masters (whoever they may be...).

I sincerely hope that this is the end of this case.

My heart goes out to the CW5 who have been on a rollercoaster for over 2 years...let's hope it ends here.

More power to them!

Ruairi in Donegal

by Ruairi Mon Nov 07, 2005 17:03

No shock here but RTE 1 radio news had nothing on their 4pm bulletin. Do they even know its goin on?

VIVA IMC!

by Michael Mon Nov 07, 2005 17:09

Don't say anything here which is likely to get you or Indymedia Ireland busted for libel!

by allie Mon Nov 07, 2005 17:12

sorry first time here - totally understand.

just shocked at the news.

by Updater Mon Nov 07, 2005 18:06

The jury has been discharged in the case of five anti-war protestors accused of causing criminal damage to a US Naval Aircraft.

The jury was discharged following legal argument as to whether a perception could be created that the Judge hearing the case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court might be biased.

Counsel for the five men told Judge Donagh McDonagh that the defence wanted to establish if the judge had attended a conference in Texas in the 1990s when George Bush was Governor and the inauguration of President Bush in 2000.

While counsel for the five men made it clear they were not suggesting the judge might be biased, they did point out that the question arose as to whether a perception of bias could be created in the mind of an objective member of the public.

The Judge told the court that the detail of conferences he may have attended was not open for general scrutiny by the public at large and that the four points made by defence were half wrong and half right.

After calling counsel into his private chambers Judge McDonagh dismissed the jury and remanded the five defendants on bail to face another trial this Friday.

by Michael Mon Nov 07, 2005 18:20

The judge appears to have been exposed as a friend and supporter of G.W. Bush. The trial has collapsed and the CW5 and supporters are outside the court house now.

They're back up on Friday to get a new date for retrial. Could be as early as December.

Watch RTE News tonight ( with RealPlayer -- http://www.rte.ie/news/ ).

A Dail committee should be setup to investigate how this Bush Administration stooge was able to sit on the bench, prentending to be objective, for what was obviously a trial touching on the U.S. Commander in Chief's policies and practices.

We've got to lend whatever support we can over the coming weeks or months, so that the defendants can live with some normality at least until the retrial. This process must be taking a lot out of them, their loved ones and immediate supporters and friends.

by Court Reporter Mon Nov 07, 2005 18:27

Facts to be double-checked before story can appear on newswire,but case not permanently collapsed,to be reconvened next week...

by t Mon Nov 07, 2005 18:45

why exactly

by eeekkkk Mon Nov 07, 2005 19:18

The trial of five antiwar protesters accused of criminal damage of a United States Navy plane at Shannon Airport has collapsed following a suggestion by the defence that the trial judge had attended the inauguration of George W Bush as US president.

full report at link

by Answer Mon Nov 07, 2005 20:50

The trial has collapsed. This particular round is over. However, the matter is still before the courts.

It will be "mentioned" on Friday morning. That means that it will be in a long list of cases, which a judge will try to fit into the court calender for full trials assuming that the DPP wants to press on with them. The DPP may well just decide to give up and go home, in which case everything could be finished on Friday. Alternative the case could be adjourned until another day when it will appear in a big list of cases again. Or of course the DPP might decide to push on with it and the judge might set a new date for the trial.

Basically any of those three things could happen and we probably won't know until Friday.

by barry Mon Nov 07, 2005 21:32

Further to Updater, above:

Details (word for word, I think, though updated again at 19.29) as above are from RTE News website. This is not as much info as was given on 6pm radio1 news where practically the whole legal argument was rehashed but more than on the 6.30 news where the judge had been reduced to merely 'allegedly' attending the 2001 inauguration ceremony.

by . Mon Nov 07, 2005 21:41

.

by abihanuse Mon Nov 07, 2005 22:35

I spoke with 6 female members of the jury afterwards. They were very friendly and wanted to know how the hell it had collapsed after two weeks. They were all very forthcoming regarding where they stood with the case pre-hearing the judges charge. They all told me they had no doubts as to whether the testimonies vindicated the CW5 action. One of the male members made a very affirming comment at the end to one of the defence barristers and all defendants.
The final female member of the jury also made affirming comments to one of the female defendants.

The 4 other male members of the jury said goodbye to some of the support outside. Some of the female members of the jury said that 2 or 3 were difficult to read as to where they lay with the case but one female member of the jury was adamant she felt they would have given a not guilty verdict. I acknowledge that the jury may have made these decisions just to be friendly or feeling like they had no other choice but it was quite obvious that they werevery sympathetic to the defendants. They stayed around talking to supporters for about 5 minutes after the trial.

Nevertheless if the judge had an opportunity to charge the jury as narrowly as he was planning to, then I guess some of the jurors would have had a predicament: follow my conscience or follow direction by a neo-con ass-licker (Although they wouldn't have known that information).

So it certainly raised my hopes, that a jury of 12 Dublin residents were open to acquitting these 5 peacemakers after hearing expert testimony and the very moving testimony from the defendants.

My prayers and thoughts are with you all this Friday. Hopefully you will have anohter trial before Christmas.

by anam Mon Nov 07, 2005 23:35

Best wishes this Friday CW5. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

by Ciaron Thu Nov 10, 2005 02:12 087 918 4552

Well the title of "Last Supper" looks a little premature. We will contiue the rhythym of liturgy, Soup & open house at Rialto on Sundays. Liturgy at 6 pm. Soup at 7pm. Text us on the weekend 087 918 4552 to confirm & tip us off on how much soup!