Gardai insinuate that Dubsky's protest was 'non-peaceful'!

Thursday September 05, 2002 17:28

by Phuq Hedd

The Irish Independent by Gordon Deegan (Sept. 5th 2002)

Gordon Deegan's report quotes an Inspector Tom Kennedy who appears to have trouble with the meanings of words or else is trying to twist the truth. Inspector Kennedy labels Dubsky's non-violent direct action protest "extremely dangerous behaviour" and insinuates that this peaceful, principled and moral action was not "a peaceful protest". I publish the full text of this article below as it appears that only those with an account with the Indo can actually read the links. Please let me know if this is unwanted/unacceptable on Indymedia.ie. Personally I think that there's no problem in documenting the spin of corporate media, but I understand there may be different opinions and am prepared to go with the consensus. Deegan's article is pretty good in that it mentions that the protests are about the USAF abusing our neutrality at Shannon.

War protester in airfield paint attack on plane

A STUDENT charged in connection with yesterday's anti-war graffiti attack on a Shannon-based US Air Force plane has been ordered not to go within five miles of the airport.

Eoin Dubsky, from Whitewalls, Ballymunny, Gorey, was freed on his own bail of €200 at Gort District Court yesterday evening, after being charged under Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act.

Garda Oliver Foley told the court that the accused - a fourth year student at Dublin City University - had nothing to say when charged with the offence yesterday.

The incident took place at around 5am, when the Hercules aircraft was daubed with bright orange fluorescent paint.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the action was a very deliberate and planned attack, designed to draw attention to US aircraft refuelling at Shannon airport.

The accused had painted the words 'NO War' and a peace symbol on the side of the plane, but only after he had contacted the airport authorities and notified them of his intentions. It was, he said, extremely dangerous behaviour.

The inspector said the accused was involved in a protest at Shannon Airport as late as last Saturday fortnight.

"On that occasion, he was very unco-operative and is not content to carry out a peaceful protest," said the inspector, adding that Mr Dubsky's presence in the airfield would pose enormous danger to other aircraft.

He also expressed his concern that if the accused were released he would re-offend by committing a similar act.

Granting bail, Judge Mangan ordered the defendant not to go within five miles of Shannon Airport or any part of the 5.6-mile-long perimeter fence that encloses the 960-acre airfield.

The judge adjourned the case to October 17 at Shannon District Court.

Meanwhile, Green Party Limerick East General Election candidate, Timothy Hourigan from Kennedy Park, Limerick, was released without charge yesterday following his arrest in connection with the same incident.

Mr Hourigan was arrested at around 7am on a public road, about a mile from the airport. Gardai confirmed last night that a file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Eugene Hogan writes that peace activists have staged a number of protests at the airport since it was revealed by the Irish Independent in June that the US Air Force does not use Shannon only for refuelling stop-overs, but also as a training base.

On that occasion two American C-130 Hercules from a squadron based in Germany carried out training exercises using Shannon as a base.

The protesters want the Government to place an immediate ban on the US Air Force using the base, claiming it is in breach of our neutrality status.

Gordon Deegan