In order to clarify the editorial guidelines used by the Indymedia Ireland collective, we are publishing them as we currently understand them to operate. This is a work in progress, which is the result of many arguments over the past few months on the Indymedia Ireland lists. Input, commentary and criticism from users of the site are welcome on this thread, and this will be taken into account before the guidelines are formalised.

Indymedia Ireland Editorial Guidelines: Indymedia Ireland is built on the foundation of an open and democratic newswire. We want to see and hear real stories, news, and opinions from users of the site around the country. Anybody can post a story, or a comment on a story to Indymedia. While we struggle to maintain the newswire as a completely open forum we do monitor it and remove posts. In general, posts may be removed for any of the following reasons:

1. Comments, not news. If there is a recently published story on the same topic as, or one closely related to your post, then it should be published as a comment on the existing story. Comments belong with the story being discussed - to have your say in response to a story on the site, use the "add your comments" link at the bottom of each story
2. Duplicate posts. Make sure you've read the newswire and that the story doesn't appear there already. Also make sure that you haven't posted the same comment on multiple stories
3. Infactual or obviously false posts. The onus is on the author to check and confirm facts - if a clear factual error is brought to our attention it will be removed.
4. Libelous or slanderous posts. Choose your language carefully. Do not make allegations against named individuals unless you can prove them beyond reasonable doubt. Posts which contain personal abuse against named individuals, rather than against their arguments or their political affiliation, will be removed without delay, particularly if those individuals are not public figures. 'Play the ball, not the player'.
5. Discriminatory or hateful posts. Posts that contain explicitly racist, sexist or homophobic views will be removed. We don't oppose free speech for people with hateful views, we're just not going to provide them with a platform for distributing those views.
6. Advertising or other inappropriate content. Advertising of commercial products or services, particularly when they are sold on a for-profit basis.
7. Cross-posting to multiple IMCs. Posts that are available elsewhere on the Indymedia network (on at least two other IMCs) shall be deleted, although in cases where the article is particularly relevant to Irish readers, it may be allowed to remain at the discretion of the editorial collective.
8. Articles which have no News Content. Although we aim to have a broad tolerance for all types of news postings, there are limits. In particular, the following types of article are not considered to be news:
   • Incomprehensible 'gobbledygook' postings
   • Asking of questions - particular or general questions without any other content - e.g. this type of thing: "Anyone know when X is on?" or "What do you think of YYY policy on ZZZZ?"
   • Articles which consist entirely of unsubstantiated opinions or personal musings without any supporting evidence or other content. For example : 'I think Fianna Fail are criminals'
   • Petitions
9. Impersonation. Articles or comments which impersonate other indymedia users by adoption of their names or regular pseudonyms
10. Fascists. All content expressing fascist views or written by active fascists, or expressing revisionist / holocaust denial positions, or linking to a fascist site. We will not provide a platform for fascist recruitment
11. Trolling. Comments which consist entirely of abuse towards any group, individual, or article without attempting to situate this in the context of the particular article or debate arising out of that article. So for example, a comment which simply says: "the Popular Front of Judea are wankers" will be deleted, while a comment that says: "The fact that the PFJ have refused this offer of an alliance shows them to be hypocritical wankers in the light of what they have said before", might remain
12. Continuing debates across multiple articles. Indymedia is not a bulletin board. All comments should directly relate to the article or preceding comments. Users should refrain from constantly bringing up points from previous threads, unless they have a close relevance to the new article. Users should also note that repetitive demands of another user to answer a particular question or point is a reason for deletion especially when it occurs across multiple threads.
13. Persistent Abuse. Users who persistently refuse to abide by IMC policy are liable to have any and all of their contributions removed
14. Cut and pastes. Posts that are publicly available elsewhere on the internet, or in the mainstream media. We do realise, however, that there can sometimes by a strong case for articles published elsewhere to be brought to the attention of IMC readers. In these cases, we ask contributors to write an original introduction to the article, highlighting its relevance to Irish indymedia readers and include a link to the article. Users can also choose post a short note and a link in the Media Updates link at the top of the newswire. In particular, articles that consist of an original introduction and contain several links to articles containing background information stand a good chance of being made into front-page features
15. Comments on editorial policy. Users can appeal for or against deletions by contacting the editors using the 'Contact Us' link at the top of the front page. Editorial actions are debated on the editorial list and users can join the list and join in the frequent debates on deletions there. Commentary on IMC Ireland editorial policy on the newswire will be removed
16. Comments that refer to Deleted Posts. Comments referring to something that a user can't see as it has been deleted will also be removed.

Excerpt from Address to Court: "Shannon is the `welcome mat' for US troops en route to Iraq, and the entry point to the Middle East. This `welcome mat' was NOT put there by the Irish citizens, but by a Government that continues to ignore the will of its people. . . . . Faced with the mounting evidence of US and British determination to attack Iraq in spite of worldwide opposition I felt obliged to take direct action.

One immediate result of my action and a similar action a few days later by 5 Catholic Workers, was the pull out of 2 military carriers from using the airport. This temporary withdrawal, although a success, was not a triumph. Numerous US air carriers continued to use Shannon for refuelling facilities, and hence the Irish Government continued to fuel the war. This refuelling continues today, and I am here to call for an International campaign to support those of us in Ireland who are engaged in this fight.

Our actions achieved three things: 1) The use of Shannon airport by the US military inescapably captured the media headlines and alerted Irish people to the realities and seriousness of Ireland’s incorporation into the build up to an illegal war 2) It struck a serious blow to the confidence of the US military security at the airport 3) It inspired Irish anti-war activists. The biggest demonstration ever against US military aggression happened two weeks later in Dublin, our capital city, where over 150,000 people marched, while other marches happened throughout the country.

By the time of my trial in June, however, the anti-war feeling of Feb 15th was shown to be mere sentiment in the face of persistent scare-mongering about US disinvestment from Ireland and consequent economic collapse. In spite of this huge opposition on Feb 15, only a small number of people stood in my support outside the courthouse in June. Yet my trial featured such international figures as Ramsey Clarke, Scott Ritter, Dennis Halliday and Michael Birmingham. I faced a virtual media blackout and practical desertion by the popular movement, including the Left. Fortunately, the Arabic TV station Al Jazeera were there to document the whole trial.

My experience has taught me that one of the biggest weapons of Imperialism facing us in Ireland is its ability to anaesthetise the public’s conscience and there is no doubt that the last 10 years of Ireland’s economic boom – popularly known as the Celtic Tiger – has done just that. The Celtic Tiger, almost entirely a US dollar creation, has coincided closely with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of the Project for the New American Century. Shannon airport, the closest European international airport to the USA, is being privatised. It is now clear that Shannon airport is to become a major US military airbase as part of the US conquest of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and ultimately Western Europe. The Celtic Tiger was the price of the conscience of Ireland."

WSF Mumbai Related Stories and Links
World Court Invitation
Audio reports from WSF on US Bases Issue
Audio from 'Defeating Bush' at the WSF
A Global Resistance to Empire: Arundhati Roy
New Standard WSFBlog
Schnews on the Mumbai WSF

On Saturday 19th January the Irish Anti War Movement supported an international mobilisation against the banning of the Hijab in French Schools by taking part in a protest at the French Embassy in Dublin. This has lead to a heated debate on Indymedia Ireland which reflects the complexity of the issue. Below is one contribution to the debate: A defense of the stance of the IAWM contributed by Aoife Ní Fhearghail of the IAWM and SWP:

"When the Irish Anti-War Movement was set up - as well as opposing the looming war on Afghanistan, the use of Shannon Airport by belligerent powers and the on-going occupation of Palestine - two of our defining principles were opposition to the racism (or more particularly Islamophobia) which is inherent in Bush's 'War on Terror' and opposition to attacks on civil liberties.

Bush's 'War on Terror' has been a useful tool to governments the world over which want to enact racist, anti-immigrant legislation and crack down heavily on civil liberties.

Clearly, the decision by the french government to ban a woman's right to choose to wear the Hijab in school is not just an infringement on her civil rights, but a continuation of France's generations-long attacks on members of the Islamic community. This latest decision is not designed to further the cause of women's liberation, but to demonise young French Muslim women. If you cannot understand this then you are either guilty of the most infantile ultraleftism or you possibly subscribe yourself to the Robert Kilroy-Silk school of thought.

The SWP as a socialist organisation is opposed to women's oppression and women being forced to dress/behave in a way they do not choose. However unlike other 'socialist' groups and individuals notably absent from Saturday's demonstration the SWP supports an individuals' right to practice their religion.

Young Muslim women living in Ireland have been at the forefront of all the anti-war demonstrations. Many organised walk-outs of their schools on March 20 last year when the invasion of Iraq began. Along with members of Catholic, Quaker, Jewish, Church of Ireland and Gandhian-individualistic brands of religion, they have played just as significant a role in the anti-war movement as those of us who are atheists, and just as they march in defence of freedom in Iraq, so we in Ireland must defend their civil rights in France."

Debate Ongoing Here
Debate Began Here
Arguments For and Against from 'About Islam'
Opinion Piece on Ban from UK SWP
Muslim Women Debate Feminism and Fundamentalism at time of Afghan War: Audio from Democracy Now

The first major protests of Ireland's EU presidency took place this weekend in Galway, with a number of groups speaking out on issues ranging from racism to fishing in Connemara. They coincided with a meeting of employment/social affairs ministers in a city-centre hotel. The largest demonstration took place under the banner "Another Europe Is Possible", in Eyre Square, close to the venue, and was attended by around 500 people.

Gardai were present in large numbers, and a helicopter hovered overhead. Two people were arrested in a car-park for "obstructing traffic" late on Friday evening. Eoin Rice, a well-known activist, was arrested on Saturday morning, and was allegedly beaten while in Garda custody. In a statement made later that day, he detailed the alleged assaults. "One man stood on my neck as I lay on the ground while several others kicked at me and one man struck me acrossthe legs repeatedly with a telescopic baton which had a large ballbearing on the end. At least a dozen uniformed Gardai stood by watching this scene".

Fintan Lane, PRO of the Irish Anti-War Movement, "unreservedly condemn(ed) the heavy handed approach taken by Gardai in Galway". Edward Horgan of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance called for an "urgent independent investigation of these complaints against the Gardai". The Garda press office confirmed that Eoin Rice had been arrested and is due in court in February. They declined to comment on the allegations of a beating in custody but said that there are "several channels open to him if he wishes to make a complaint". Eoin was examined by a doctor at the Garda station and, on his instigation, was taken directly to Galway Hospital where a wound to his head was stitched, his arm was x-rayed and bandaged and anti-inflammatories and painkillers were administered.

According to Conor Cregan, an anti-war activist who was present at the arrest, all of these injuries were caused after Eoin had been taken away by Gardai. Eoin Rice, Conor Cregan and a third activist (from Spain) confirmed to an Indymedia Editor that they have already lodged complaints about the incident with the Garda Complaints Board.

This serious allegation comes at a time when questions about the accountability of the Gardai and allegations that they are 'out of control' have been recieving enormous public attention as a result of a recent Primetime Programme. The programme in question made extensive use of Indymedia Ireland footage of the Mayday RTS debacle. It is grimly ironic that that the broadcasting by Primetime of the very evidence that made allegations against Gardai in relation to the Mayday RTS impossible to ignore or deny outright is now being used by Lawyers for a number of Gardai as a potential way to have their trials delayed or called off.

IMC IRL Interview with Eoin Rice
Statement issued by Eoin Rice
Conor Cregan's Witness Statement
Videos of the protests and Eoin Rice's video statement
Photos of the demonstrations
Critical Account of the demonstrations
Photos of Gardai Special Branch Video surveillance

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The latest twist in the chindropping saga for mouthwatering power sees Cu Cullen teaming up with Invader Ireland. By eminent command of the almighty An Bored Pleanala, council of elders, it has been decreed that a line of massive incinerations, sending a deluge of luminous clouds of mysterious pharmochemical toxins into the air, will light Cu Cullen’s long march to the The Hill of Tara.

And while these fires may well burn “forever” it will be The Cu himself who will light The Eternal Flame of Destiny, when he retrieves the Ark of the Covenant from Tara, which has been lying in wait for his arrival since some illegal immigrants buried it there two thousand years ago. Cu Cullen is said to be “in a state of rhapsody”, according to sources deep within the recesses of his troll-road building army, camped just outside Waterford. “It will be better than Lord of the Rings any day, and tourism will get a real boost” said the human-like spokesperson.

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