Gardaí destroy 97 Red Balloons at Galway Peace Rally

galway | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Monday June 26, 2006 01:24

by P.R.O. - Galway Alliance Against War

Political Policing Galway Style

There was a heavy Garda presence (approx 30 members of the force) as 500 people gathered to take part in a peace event organised by the Galway Alliance Against War to express their opposition to warplanes, helicopter gun-ships and four British pilots, who have fought in the illegal war in Iraq, participating in the Salthill Air Show. The 99 Red Balloon event, named after the antiwar pop song, was being held in the Claddagh, 2 miles to the east of Salthill.

War Free Skies

The Gardaí had warned the organisers of the rally that the balloons should not be released into the atmosphere based on the rather dubious assertion that if a balloon was “to collide” (the words of Garda Inspector O’Donnell on Friday) with a warplane, the latter could crash. In response a representative of GAAW gave a commitment to the Gardaí that the red balloons would be distributed to those participating at the peace meeting, but people would be informed of the dangers.

However, at the peace rally as the balloons were going to be distributed a Gardaí Superintendent approached the van, which held the balloons, and began destroying them. In all 97 of the balloons were destroyed. The person contracted to provide the balloons had his name and address taken by the Gardaí.

The two balloons that were not destroyed were held aloft at the peace rally. While an alert member of the SWP produced a bag of balloons and people began blowing up their own balloons. At the outdoor public meeting that then ensued the Mayor of Galway, Niall Ó Brolchain of the Green Party, and his deputy, Labour councillor Billy Cameron , severely criticised the Gardaí for their heavy-handed actions.

Chairing the meeting was Niall Farrell of GAAW who condemned the Gardaí for destroying the balloons: “This was political policing at its most blatant. The act of destroying the balloons was an overt political act, because at the very same time in Salthill hundreds of helium-filled pink balloons were being distributed by the National Breast Cancer charity. There was no talk of destroying them; there was no talk of those balloons being a danger to the warplanes? It is also worth noting that the Navigation Law being quoted as justification for the bursting of the balloons is the very same law that could be activated to search the CIA torture jets that regularly land in Shannon. Why is there one law for the peace activists and none for warmongers, torturers and kidnappers? It must be stated clearly that the only act of aggression at this peaceful event came from the Gardaí.”

The peace rally concluded with the 500 people - including many people from around the world - walking behind a bi-lingual banner that read “War Free Skies” to the top of Nimmos Pier where the two surviving red blow balloons were set free into the sky as everyone sang “We shall Overcome”. There were no reports of any warplanes falling victim to the deadly balloons.

GAAW has since learnt that Gardaí interrupted a Green Party event at Ballyloughane Beach, miles away from Salthill, to inform the Greens that were not allowed to fly kites and that anyone who flew a kite could be arrested!

GAAW Platform: N.Farrell, Galway Mayor Niall Ó Brolochain, Deputy Mayor Billy Cameron

2 Deadly Red Balloons go in search of vunerable warplanes

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Comments (16 of 16)

Mr Mayor

by mrT

Mon Jun 26, 2006 01:45

All that gold and you couldn't stop the Gardai from popping balloons.

Who is the fool

Respect for the Mayor of Galway

by GalwayCitizen

Mon Jun 26, 2006 03:00

That rarest of animals in irish political life, a man who stands up for a principle over political gain. Wish there were more like him. Things might change in this country.

If he were a typical FF hack mayor, he would have plugged the airshow, gotten lots of good publicity in the papers and made "friends" in the right places. He had the guts to risk negative publicity and to leave himself vulnerable to underhand tactics by other parties (which IMHO they took advantage of)

The mayor has no say in how the gardai choose to do their job but I suspect Michael mcDowell and his pals might. I wonder were there any phone calls from less principled politicans to mill street garda station over the weekend? The Gardai behaviour seems very suspect.

As citizens, we can either support underhand politicians playing political games for their own ends and so keep the status quo in its current sorry state. Or we can support people with real principles like Niall when they appear and perhaps maybe change things in this country for the better.

mayor?

by guydebordisdead

Mon Jun 26, 2006 03:12

What a joke that mayor is if he wouldn't even stand up to the gardai, hard to believe 30 gardai were able to pop 100 balloons with a crowd of 500 standing by? Assert yourselves.

huh?

by TheCitizen - 2500

Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:01

I think we should accept the reality of the situation. The Gardai were probably doing what they thought was necessary or obeying orders from above but in any event were not there to oppress a political event. If the letting of 99 balloons into the sky was the main purpose of the event (and the only one stopped) then come on - get real!

On another note I do want to praise both Mayor and Deputy Mayor for their valuable contribution to a very worthy cause.

Keep up the good work - can we see the Greens and Labour working closer together in the future - I think the people of Galway would be far better served with two "left" seats in Galway West and cooperation instead of animosity between the two candidates.

hizzonah de mayor

by pat c

Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:02

well niall could of urged more resistance against the gardai. but i wasnt there, so i dont know the minutea.

one thing he could do is stop waearing those stupid robes. he has refused to use a gas guzzling mayoral car now he could also get rid of the pomp and ceremony which is just a neo-colonial hangover.

To Huh?

by Jesus - Coitus Interuptus

Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:27

Were they baloons or prophylatics?

It interests me that the Gardai may have "had orders from above",

I could discern the importance of piercing the prophalylatics, given their naughtiness
but a few red balloons. I see the Greens have entered the depths of Purdah on this one.

Well done, those chains are really cute-

litter louts

by save the tree

Mon Jun 26, 2006 14:19

i can't beleive ye sang "we shall overcome"

did the green party mayor worry about the litter the balloons would cause when they came down

Amazed at the sniping

by PRO - Galway Alliance Against War

Mon Jun 26, 2006 14:57

The balloons were bio-degradable and why shouldn't we sing "We shall overcome"? But we in GAAW can't really get over the sniping at the mayor, at us and from people who couldnt get up off their arses to attend the event. and as for asserting ourselves - we do assert ourselves, we are rattling the cage a lot more than a lot of you snipers. but maybe you think one has to be arrested and sit in jail as proof of asserting ourselves - well away you go pal: put your money where your mouth is. and then you can put it on your revolutionary cv and go around with a swagger - but more than likely your martyr complex will remain latent. you really are a pathetic bunch of sectarians.

salthill

by seamus

Mon Jun 26, 2006 16:01

Did anyone see the boat with the baner 'WAR FREE SKIES' and 'SPEIR SAOR O CHOGADH' Its was a small inflatable, with 4 people aboard, got 100 mts from the coast.
They had the banner flying as the fighter planes were over head. The Garda came on the sence with there Garda Boat! Took there names and sent them on there way. I have photos go leor. if anyone wants copies, contact me.
I WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT.

60 people were there and no more

by Tim Joyce

Mon Jun 26, 2006 17:58

why cant you tell the truth about how many people were there, there was only 50 or 60 of you there its like everything else you do is to tell lies to suit your cause.

I was there at the claddagh and I counted what I have posted there was a tiny crowd at the end of the pier in fact there was nearly more garda than you bunch of crusties. the mayor should be ashamed of himself getting involved with a group like yours and lowering the office of mayor of this great city of ours.

Tim

hello world

by errignon side of caution perhaps?

Mon Jun 26, 2006 18:19

There is no way balloons can damage aircraft. The Garda clearly had no idea what he was talking about - when do they ever?

However, the request to prevent the launch of the balloons may have a less sinister and less glamourous beginning than the presumption that the Irish Government wanted to prevent a legal and worthwhile protest.

With so many aircraft in relatively near quarters, safety at air-shows is a big concern. ATC is handled by a single entity [in this case prob Shannon] and orchestrated long in advance of the event, with strict flightplans adhered to. It's improbable that a diffuse group of balloons would confuse onboard radar [on the military aircraft - they'd be turned off anyway] or the ATC radar [this is ironic as the original German lyrics of the song, the 99 balloons cause a false radar signal which precipitates nuke strikes].

However, perhaps the launch of the balloons during the airshow was ill-advised. Although such a small threat to safety, it's still a factor which the organisers had not considered and hence they requested the launch be prevented. Perhaps liasing with the organisers in future could prevent such a problem at other events.

Air Safety

by Johnathan Waters

Mon Jun 26, 2006 19:19

The Irish Aviation Authority issue a permit to any person who intends to launch baloons or kites within ten nautical miles of an Airport, this is so aircraft in the ten mile zone are made aware of the baloons and they wont be startled by them when they fly through the area.

When a large group of baloons enter cloud this is where the greatest threat comes as a pilot of an aircraft suddenly has to take emergency action as they come out of the gloom and are in his face, he has no way of knowing what they are and must take avoiding action.

Supermarkets and persons even having a party and intending to launch baloons in the air and are within ten nautical miles of any airport must get a permit, so to do what they did was wrong and the Mayor of Galway should be ashamed of himself for treating the Irish Aviation Authority who are responsible for all Aviation in this Country with total disrespect as he said that he never heard of them and thought they were something new for the Air Show.

He should resign for not obeying the law

Re: Air Safety

by Terence

Mon Jun 26, 2006 19:46

So if it is so dangerous why then didn't they confiscate the helim-filled balloons that were being distributed by the National Breast Cancer charity in Salthill? And there was hundreds of them as opposed to 99.

Cancer Baloons Were Handed Over

Mon Jun 26, 2006 22:14

Just shows how much you know,

The Gardai did take all the baloons from the breast cancer walkers, I actually saw them being handed over to the Gardai near Blackrock and on local radio in Galway this morning the organisers of the National Breast Cancer Charity confirmied that the baloons were taken from them by the Gardai and they were glad to hand them over in the interest of the safety of the aircraft taking part in the Air Show and that had no problem in handing them over.

Shame the rest you you could not see aircraft safety in the same way as normal law abiding citizens

what a way to fulfill a garda's duty

by )-:

Mon Jun 26, 2006 23:48

and under what provision of the law?
Do superintendents really have such power?
this really isn' a laughing matter. They destroyed private property "to prevent a crime"? what crime?

You should write to the Dail and demand an inquiry. & get your money back.

The Salthill Airshow SONG

by Feargal Ó Béarra

Thu Jun 29, 2006 17:03

The Salthill Airshow (Which Side are You On?) [After the song Which Side are You On by Florence Reese]

Come all of you good people,
Good news to you I'll tell,
Of how the fight for freedom
Has come to town to dwell.
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

They say the Salthill Airshow
Brings money to the town.
But do they ever think of those
On whom they drop those bombs?
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

They say in Galway city
There are no neutrals there.
You’ll either be against the show/war
Or a thug for Bush and Blair.
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

Oh people can you stand it?
Oh tell me how you can!
Will you be a lousy scab
Or will you be a man?
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

Don’t scab for the Bosses
Don’t listen to their lies.
This country hasn’t go a chance
Unless we organize.
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

This island was a righteous one
But now it’s licking bum.
But we will fight for the People’s rights
Til every battle’s done!
Which Side are You On?
Which Side are You On?

Feargal Ó Béarra a chum

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Gardaí destroy 97 Red Balloons at Galway Peace Rally

Comments (16 of 16)