Anti-war awareness in Galway

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday January 26, 2003 02:52 by John Cunningham - G'way Alliance Against Wat johnliamsheain at eircom dot net

156 people signed up to join the Galway Alliance Against War on Saturday during a day-long 'awareness' event in the streets of the city. The event was devised by two local artists, Paraic Breathnach & Owen McCarthy in conjunction with GAAW.

The objective of the event was to 'humanise' war, and to convey the effect Bush's plans will have on Iraqi civilians. Fourteen Iraqi citizens, from 85-yr-old retired carpenter and Baghdad resident, Mehdi Al-Samarrai, to 5-year-old Laith Monsour, were represented on the streets by their official ID documents attached to rifle-range targets. 'This person is a target in Bush's war' was the message carried by these street installations.

Over 50 people, including several natives of Iraq, turned out to protect the installations, to distribute GAAW leaflets, and to persuade Galwegians to go to the peace walk in Shannon on La Fheile Bride, and the IAWM demonstration on 15 February.

The response was overwhelmingly positive. There were a few American tourists who expressed disapproval, but there were also Americans who declared their support for what we were doing. At one point, I was rescued from the insults of a young American man by the intervention of four American women who told him he didn't know what he was talking about.

Next Saturday, Mehdi, Laith, and their 12 companions will be in Loughrea (a.m.) and Tuam (p.m.). A few more volunteers with roots (and preferably residency) in these towns are required for about two hours on the day. The installations are available to visit other towns also. Contact GAAW for details