On the move!

Gluaiseacht members along with Shell to Sea campaigners, friends and British supporters took part in 3 different actions over the weekend of St Patrick in London. Here is a summary of their story!

Having started at Ennis in County Clare at 11am on Friday the 14th picking up people along the way a full coach load of bewildered people arrived on Rampart street home of the The Rampart Social Center. It is soon to be evicted so we felt lucky to be there.

Related Links: Gluaisecaht Corrib S.O.S Mayo Gas Info

Faceless victims

Amnesty International says it has evidence that Shannon Airport has been used for so-called "rendition" flights by the CIA.

The human rights organisation says it has obtained flight records which show a jet operated by the US intelligence agency refuelled at the Co Clare airport in January 2004.


Amnesty's Irish branch says the evidence is unquestionable and it is no longer tenable for the Irish Government to accept US assurances that Shannon has not been used for illegal activity.

Related Links: Amnesty Homepage Press Release Full Report
RTE coverage Previous Indymedia stories on Rendition

At half past two on a crisp, sunny Saturday, over 140 people, of all ages, gathered at St Stephen’s Green front arch – exceeding all expectations – to attend the a Feminist Walking Tour marking International Women's Day.

Organisers with red screen-printed t-shirts (the image showing a high heel shoe and a boot – ready for walking!) mingled with the eager crowd, chatting, handing out information booklets, distributing green and purple suffragette ribbons and stickers to organise people into the two tours. There were activity sheets for the kids (and the big kids) and free lollipops for all!

The tour was organised by Choice Ireland and RAG, who came together to share their expertise and enthusiasm to promote a strong feminist message. “We didn’t want a protest march,” says one tour organiser, “but the walking tour was a fun way to get women out on the streets and celebrating feminism”.

Related Links: Choice Ireland — RAG

From the Newswire: An original first-hand report of a solidarity vigil that took place on Saturday 1st in Drimnagh to commemorate the deaths of two Polish men who were attacked and killed the previous Saturday.

It has been noted that this is just one of the most recent and most tragic examples of anti-Polish racism. Other commentators have pointed out such aggression is often directed towards anyone who is different and that it's not just nationality or difference in race that motivates such violence. All agree that such aggression should not be tolerated.

Related Links: Event Notice for the Vigil — Attacks on Polish in Finglas (Oct ’06)

Photo taken from IVAW.org

As many as 100 veterans of the recent U.S. army involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan will give public accounts of their experiences on the ground, at an event organised by Iraqi Veterans Against the War from the 13th to the 16th of March, in the U.S. federal capital Washington D.C. The hearing will coincide with the 5th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and will precede a series of actions and protests taking place accross the U.S. on March 19th [1].

Liam Madden, a sergeant in the Marine Corps from January 2003 to January 2007 who was deployed to Iraq, Kuwait, Thailand, Japan, and Korea and during his last year co-founded the Appeal for Redress [2], a campaign of service members demanding that congress halt the war in Iraq, said that veterans and civilian survivors of both conflicts will give public testimony and share eyewitness stories that have been censored from the American public about the true cost of these wars.

The hearing is called Winter Soldier and is the second such event to take place in the U.S., the first having been in Detroit in 1971 where Vietnam veterans publicly recounted their own negative experiences. Many Vietnam and WW2 veterans who are involved in the Veterans for Peace Campaign are endorsing and actively supporting Winter Soldier 2.

Related Links: Review of the Winter Soldier Movie | Winter Soldier Site