"And at times what a brilliant party, a mellow Police presence, a bizzare eclectic mix of music (Cyndi Lauper!)which went down a storm with the crowd. Best of all to me was the crowd. Kids, teenagers, locals, and members of the areas growing immigrant community came together. It was everything an RTS should be - peaceful, joyous, and a celebration of what a city community could be".

Continue to full newswire report here or analysis here.

RTS Photos (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14)
RTS Video (1) (2)
Critical Mass Photos and Reports (1) (2) (3) (4)

The IAWM has called a National Assembly for 10th May in Liberty Hall, Dublin. This article is a critique of the widely published agenda for the Assembly which was posted to Indymedia recently.

"At present, the movement is not a democratic movement. It is ad hoc. Those who assumed responsibility for running a national campaign should be thanked and congratulated. Now, however, we have the time and space to properly and democratically constitute the Irish Anti-War Movement. The forthcoming assembly provides the first opportunity to set this in train. The status of this assembly should be seen as interim or provisional; a preliminary gathering dedicated to the proper establishment of a democratic Irish Anti-War Movement."

Continue to the complete article here

Initial report and reactions from attendees.

Another report.

IAWM 10th May Assembly Agenda and Details

The Reclaim the Glen Group in Cork are appealing for urgent action as developers threaten to destroy a rare nesting place for sandmartins. Last Friday Cork City Council served an Enforcement Order on developers working at the former Murphy's Quarry in Goulding's Glen on Cork's Northside, ordering an immediate halt to work on the site. This was a full week after the builders started to demolish the sandbank which is home to several hundred pairs of nesting sandmartins - a rare species in Ireland.

Incredibly the developers D&J Construction (D&J Coleman) ignored the Enforcement Order and work continued at the site over the weekend. Yesterday one concerned citizen risked personal injury by jumping on the JCB which was demolishing the sandbank. Gardai were called and the protester was taken to Mayfield Garda Station. He was released an hour or so later. Full story

Pictures and original newswire report

Eye-Witness Report: I decided to lodge a complaint in Pearse St. Garda station [Dublin]. This is when it got really interesting. After a 25min. wait, I finally got the attention of the sergeant-on-duty.The conversation went somthing like this:
Me: You have heard my story, I'd like you to register my complaint
Sgt: You do realize that,unlike the flower sellers in grafton street, for example, many of those engaged in this trade are unlicenced.
Me: Why then weren't they asked for their licence or their names and addresses, or even arrested?
Sgt: You should be aware that many flower-sellers use this trade as a front for pick-pocketing.
Me: Is it then the policy of this department to confiscate the property of suspected pick-pockets?
Sgt: What has this got to do with you? What's your interest in all this?

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Other Links...
What is this symbol?
The 9 Grounds on which Discrimination is Unlawful / Meet the All-White Board of the Equality Authority / Amnesty.ie Report on Racism in Ireland / Garda Síochána Human Rights Initiative / European Roma Rights Center and European Court of Human Rights case of Assenov v. Bulgaria
Comhlámh / Anti-Fascist Action, Ireland / KnowRacism.ie / Limerick Network Against Racism /

Two members of the radical anti-war Catholic Worker Movement were arrested inside Shannon Airport in the early hours of Good Friday. Jenny Hannon of Dublin and Martin McGowan of Sligo were detained by airport security and police after making their way into the airfield.

They had constructed a shrine to the Iraqis slain in the recent U.S. military assault, conducted the Catholic Office of the Dead and planted a bed of potatoes. Despite the large police and army presence designed to ‘protect’ the airport, over an hour later they were still airside, where they peacefully continued their libation at the edge of the runway.

In early February five other members of the Dublin Catholic Worker Movement were arrested after disarming a U.S. Navy warplane at Shannon Airport. There is now an urgent campaign to support their upcoming trial.

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Related Links: Pitstop Ploughshares | Catholic Worker Movement | Refueling Peace | Al Jazeera (in English) | Electronic Iraq