Statement on Mary Kelly's action at Shannon Airport from Shannon Peace Camp
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Wednesday January 29, 2003 15:14
by Eamonn Crudden
Mary Kelly, the peace activist who last year risked her life to bring medical care to Palestinians trapped and under siege in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, was arrested early this morning at Shannon airport.
Gardai are investigating damage to a US Navy C 40 Boeing 737 aircraft from the 59th Fleet Logistics Squadron.
Such war-planes are used to transport troops, weapons, ammunition and explosives to the Middle East and Gulf
conflicts. Mary Kelly is being held at Shannon Garda Station.
The Shannon Peace Camp, of which Mary is a member, deplores all acts of violence, especially those committed against innocent and helpless people,
including attacks on innocent people in the USA, Israel and Palestine.
However, we support individuals who feel obliged in conscience to take non-violent direct peace-actions. Up to one million people have died in Iraq as a result of UN and international sanctions and so called no-fly-zone bombings by the US and UK since the previous Gulf War in 1991.
The Irish people are being made complicit in these crimes against humanity by the decisions of the Irish government to allow US military war-planes to use Shannon airport and Irish airspace. This contravenes Irish neutrality, and is in breach of several areas of Irish legislation, and the Irish Constitution. More importantly, innocent people will die because of Irish support for US-led wars.
The Irish government and its agents, the Gardai, immigration services, and Aer Rianta staff have consistently failed to search such war-planes for
weapons and explosives. The recent decision by the Minister for Transport, to grant virtually blanket approval to civilian type chartered aircraft to transport weapons and munitions through Shannon airport on behalf of the US military, is both an insult and a provocation to the Irish people, because it involves us in the killing of innocent people.
Even more insulting are the public statements by elected Irish public representatives and business interests that the Shannon Peace Camp peace activists should stop protesting in case these protests might endanger jobs and US direct investment to Ireland.
The protection of human life must take precedence over any such short-term selfish interests. Moreover, we at the Shannon Peace Camp believe that the promotion of global peace and sustainable development is in the best
interests of all Irish people and our neighbours, all humankind.
The Shannon Peace Camp demand the release of Mary Kelly, and the immediate withdrawal of the use of Shannon airport and Irish airspace by US and other
NATO military forces.
Contact information:
Edward Horgan 086-2380911
Tim Hourigan 086-3784780,
Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14In case anyone is in doubt about the purpose of the work of the soldiers and
bombs passing through Shannon Warport, see the following URL from Robert Fisk's
website that shows their handy work in Afghanistan so far, with Iraqi to follow,
even though of course we must not forget that the sanctions have already killed
anything from 500,000 to 1.5 million people.
.
Mary didn't canvas for award
Its in the 'Peace activist vs jet' thread too. There's no reason to send the same comment to more than one thread.
in ireland we have a justice system... laws, constitution etc etc... all enforced by judges etc etc....
if you have a problem with someone elses actions then you can bring them to court... you can even bring the government to court!!!
this kinda vigilantism is wrong... if everyone went around with that kind of attitude then the country would quickly be ruined...
There leader has killed his people not the sactions, and for those who know what sactions are about would know that they were put in place to give the Iraq people freedom from a dictator that has killed millions of his own countryman. You can not blame the US or the UN for the actions of a tyrant leader.
In a democracy Mary Kelly would never have to act in this way to uphold our constitution.
In a democracy the government would not break our constitution, our laws and openly defy the will of the vast majority of Irish people.
In a democracy, the Irish people who are opposed to Bush's build up for war and are oppossed to the use of Shannon as a warport, would have their wishes respected by our elected "representatives".
In a democracy the government would not lie to the people, telling them that there were no arms passing through Shannon.
That's a joke! We have tax amnestys for the rich, and tribunals for the corrupt
that send nobody (bar 1 for a week) to prison, and which act also at the same time
as a feeding trough for barristers and solicitors. Justice?? And of course a government
that consistently lies about practically everything.
In Ireland the Gardai give evidence at the courts. In Ireland the gardai fabricate evidence. In Ireland the gardai procure young children. In Ireland the businessmen don't pay their taxes for 15 years. In Ireland our government 'representatives' are involved in the corruption. In Ireland there are tribunals. In Ireland the wealthy don't go to jail. In Ireland there is a constitution. In Ireland the constitution is broken daily by the government. In Ireland US army warplanes land at Shannon airport. In Ireland there are many people against this war. In Ireland there are a few small minded individuals who believe that there is a fair and equal judicial sytem in operation. In Ireland there are 32 counties. In Ireland there are terrorists. In Ireland some call them freedom fighters. In Ireland there is a mass working class. In Ireland there is mass exploitation. In Ireland there is a protest on February 15th. (This is also in other places.) In Ireland I will see you at this protest.
Solidarity to Mary from here in the USA--a lot of folks I know are talking about this action. People here are hesitant to do this kind of brave direct action because there is a shoot-first-ask-questions-later feel to the security state currently.
Nevertheless the feeling is mounting--there's a surprisingly widespread (if not deep enough) popular opposition to an invasion of Iraq, and a lot of everyday folks are being radicalized with the simple realization that the corporate media is completely blacking us out.
These actions (people are also quite happy about the train operators' refusal to ship US war materiel in Scotland) send a message not only to the US ruling class, but also to those of us in the belly of the beast who need a shot of courage and a good kick in the ass. Peace and solidarity to Mary and her supporters!!
Indeed we do have a justice system in Ireland. Its not perfect - and when people deliberately decide to subvert the laws of the land, well, don't be too shocked if the general public think you are a crowd of head banging Commi agitators.
So Alex, don't be too surprised if the general pubic, including the head bangers, think that you are a snivelling, self-important, intellectual midget whose only principle is self advancement and has fallen in with an equally pitiful shower of careerist non-entities.
So Alex, do you think that this "public" that you're always gassing on about considers the Government to a crowd of headbangers for breaking our laws? I hope you're right.
remember the last time.
it is all still online.
you petulant little ógra.
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