Shannon report

Tuesday January 21, 2003 19:23

by Room 101 - Anarchist Federation

Report of events in Shannon on J18, and summary of some other stuff happening in other parts of the globe.

Media reports estimate between 1,500 and 3,000 turned up last weekend at Shannon (a civilian airport in the west of Ireland now being used for military aircraft re-fuelling).

This is in comparison to 70 in August, 700 in October, and 300 to 400 in December.

Personally speaking I landed in Galway after the holidays on Friday night, by Saturday I had been conscripted into organising some transport, we didn’t have the meeting to get it together until Tuesday and will still filled a bus (52 seater) – could have filled another as we then had to put people into at least 3 overflow cars – and there was another bus going from Galway (plus loads of people who made their own way).

Got to the terminal, getting it together after we had spotted an opportunity on the way up.. – a poorly guarded entrance adjoining a mysterious ‘Afghan Airlines’ plane.

Normally civilian planes hired by the American military are absent during these protests – on January 18 there were two suspect planes present.

Standing around talking ..and another bunch took over the roof of an office building!!! Ran up to join in – but our path was blocked by police.

Dodged police dogs to take over an adjoining roof …. , which was redecorated with ‘No War but the Class War’, tons of up for it kids….

Got into a bit of a bloc and tried to enter the hangers on the way back (through the aforementioned entrance near the suspect aircraft) but ended up trapped in what was a catering warehouse. No arrests, but several people were held by police, who were themselves blocked by a line of protesters.

Protest and Play from Cork re-turned with the sound system in a shopping trolley , louder this time (also the great fiddle player).

The night before the demo. a U.S. Military Hercules landed for re-fuelling and left early – after being spotted by peace camp people and brought to the attention of airport passengers.

There has been a permanent peace camp in Shannon since January 4th, for details visit http://shannonpeacecamp.org

J18 was a worldwide day of action and it is heartening to see that elsewhere the anti-war movement is moving away from pleading and towards acting.

In San Francisco an anarchist bloc of two thousand broke away from a permitted march of 200,000 to wreck havoc on the streets. The British Consulate and the Immigration and Naturalisation Service offices were re-decorated, and the police constantly outwitted.

In Volkel in the Netherlands one hundred voluntary weapons inspectors gained access to the grounds of a military air base.

In Northwood near London over 150 demonstrators took photos of the British military HQ – illegal under the official secret acts, and the next day the base was blockaded by hundreds.

There was also a demonstration outside the U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.

Earlier in the month:

Jan. 5th Anti-War protestors break into a U.S. Airbase in Suffolk U.K., Jan. 8th, Scottish train drivers refuse to carry ammunition, Jan. 11th, Anti-War demonstrations disrupt US Air Force-run military base in Norfolk UK., same day, blockade of Naval base at Portsmouth, U.K.

Later in the month (on the 26th of January) Fairford USAF base in England is due a blockade.

Last weekend’s event at Shannon demonstrated a number of things:

It’s possible to mobilise massive numbers to demonstrate at Shannon (it was 3 times the size – at least – of the last anti-war demo. in the capital).

There is the potential there for mass direct action in defiance of the law – plenty of people on the day went for the roof.

But effective coherent action, which will cost the government, and the private companies involved in re-fuelling, necessitates prior communication among the disparate groups who want to see that happen.

Furthermore we need to do our upmost to support the peace camp in whatever fashion we can.

Anarchist Federation: http://www.afireland.cjb.net

Free Earth: http://www.struggle.ws/freeearth.html

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