The international campaign to boycott Coca-Cola scored a first victory in Ireland with the recent succesful passing of a referendum on University College Dublin's Belfield campus to ban the drink from Student Union outlets. The campaign aimed to pressure Coca-Cola into addressing the murder of union activists in its Colombian bottling plants. But now an attempt to repeal the result of the UCD referendum has led to a re-run of the referendum being planned for November 18th (evening) and 19th (all-day). Apparently as a result of the negative publicity around this issue the Coke Company will dispatch a heavy-hitter to Ireland from their head office to try and stop the campaign in its tracks.

When you drink Coca-Cola remember that you are contributing to a process which sows unemployment, hunger and pain. The young, happy image projected by Coca-Cola masks the suffering and the return of profits from Colombia to the U.S. We ask Coca-Cola to stop killing and you to stop drinking Coke.
Carlos Julia -- SINALTRAINAL

The Coca-Cola Company has been accused of bearing responsibility for the murder of activists from the SINALTRAINAL trade union in Colombia. These Trade Unionists are counted among the approximately 2000 Trade Unionists who have been murdered in the last decade by right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia (60% of the deaths of union activists in the World occur in Colombia). What has drawn particular attention to this case is the fact that that they both worked in bottling plants which are used by The Coca-Cola Company: Panamerican Beverages and Bebidas y Alimentos. The human-rights abuses perpetrated against such Union Activists also include the kidnapping of their children and the burning of union offices.

A significant amount of evidence to support the view that Coca-Cola is at least indirectly responsible has emerged and this has led to the growth of an international campaign which aims to pressure the multinational to do everything reasonable to protect union activities in its plants. One of the facets of this campaign is a lawsuit filed by the US United Steelworkers Union and the International Labour Rights Fund. The Coca-Cola Company has thus far been able to escape appearing as a defendant in court, arguing that it is not responsible for the actions of companies that it employs to bottle its products. A representative of the SINALTRAINAL Union will be speaking in Belfast, Derry and UCD in the very near future to thank Irish activists who have taken part in the campaign against Coca-Cola.

One group of Irish activists, as part of this international campaign, mounted a very succesful education initiative in University College Dublin (UCD) and scored a narrow win in a referendum which banned Coca-Cola from Student Union outlets. This success occurred despite the interference of SIPTU officials (the trade union which nominally represents the interests of employees of Coca-Cola in Ireland).

Several announcements followed from activists in several other colleges and businesses indicating that they intended to spread the Campaign and keep Coca-Cola on the run, but to this happy chorus has been added the discordant voice of reaction: some students in UCD Belfield who believe that The Coca-Cola Company should not be boycotted have forced another referendum in an attempt to repeal the Coke Boycott. Interestingly, although The Coca-Cola Company doesn't even bother listing Ireland on its "World" pages, it has decided to dispatch a spin-meister to Ireland (reportedly the director of communications in Latin America, Rafael Fernandez Quiros) to claim that the campaign is based upon "urban legends".

Direct Action In Dublin ''...Theologian John Robinson, who did a similar occupation of the same building previously, had decided that his conscience was calling him to do so once more. He was ultimately joined by six like-minded people, including Iraqi peace activist Nuria Mustafa (who will appear in Shannon District Court on November 20th along with several others on charges of obstructing traffic near the airport on June 21st). Nuria, who is currently fasting for Ramadan, prayed with John and others for the casualties of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, in what was a truly ecumenical act of civil disobedience. The seven constructed a shrine to the Iraqi dead, recited the Office of the Dead and chanted Muslim prayers, as they nonviolently confronted the Aviation Authority on its complicity in the ongoing war and occupation of Iraq.'' - Deirdre Clancy, of the Catholic Worker

Top Oil Picketed In Galway ''A group of peace protesters gathered on Monday to picket the Galway Oil Company offices. Galway Oil being the local distributers of Top Oil, the company which provides pit stop services to the U.S. military at Shannon, including re-fueling. They then went and leafleted Shop Street - main street in Galway, asking people to boycott Top Oil. Other local distributers of Top Oil include - Mid Western Oil Products and Ennistymon Oil in Clare, John Dunne oil in Castlebar, Kelly Fuels in the North, and Ger Conway Oil in Kildare. The Top Oil Boycott Working Group within the Irish Anti-War Movement is currently developing plans for a rolling campaign against the company, with weekly actions in different parts of the country.'' - Kieran Cunnane, from Galway

Also... - More Top Oil Protests. - Military Overflights over Ireland are Continuing - Non-violent direct action plans coming from Limerick - Grassroots Gathering in Galway, this weekend! What Donald Rumsfeld really thinks: The Iraq war will be 'a Long, Hard Slog'

Mass Civil Disobedience Planned For Shannon Airport "It is worth remembering that on February 15th more than 100,000 people marched in Dublin against U.S. plans to invade Iraq and against Irish complicity with the American military. They were treated with contempt by the Irish government, which ignored the huge turnout and instead continued to assist the build up to war. Tens of thousands also marched in other urban centres and on Shannon airport itself, and they were similiarly treated with contempt by Fianna Fail and the PDs. This attitude persists and Shannon airport continues to be shamed by the presence of U.S. warplanes. In fact, the airport is openly assisting the occupations of both Iraq and Afghanistan. That is simply not acceptable." - Fintan Lane, on the upcoming December 6th Protest at Shannon Airport led by the Irish Anti-War Movement

"Stand in front of a bin truck and they may well jail you. Pocket millions, some of which would have otherwise gone to health or education, and they will ask you over for dinner."

They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal the goose from off the common,
But let the greater villain loose
That steals the common from the goose.

The law demands that we atone
When we take things we do not own
But leaves the lords and ladies fine
Who take things that are yours and mine.

The poor and wretched don't escape
If they conspire the law to break;
This must be so but they endure
Those who conspire to make the law.

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
And geese will still a common lack
Till they go and steal it back.