Ash Wednesday Protest in Dublin

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 04, 2003 09:12 by Ciaron O'Reilly - Catholic Worker pitstop_ploughshares at hotmail dot com 087 918 4552

Ciaron O'Reilly will lead a liturgy of protest outside the GPO on Ash Wednesday (05.03.03)

On Ash Wednesday (5/3/03) , many folks will be acting against the war in a spirit of nonviolent resistance. Folks will be marking the M.O.D. H.Q. in London with ash, the Brisbane military recruitment centre will be blockaded and folks will return to the White House in D.C.

In Dublin, Ciaron O'Reilly will burn his high court injunction served on him recently by Air Rianta as part of the crackdown on dissidents opposing U.S. military aircraft using Shannon Airport. Some US$ will also be thrown in to the mix to provide the symbol of ash.

The ceremony will take place on the traffic island opposite the G.P.O. in O'Connell Dublin starting at 2 p.m. sharp. All those from whatever faith/non faith are most welcome....

We ask you to

- wear black

- bring a reading or a song reflecting on the Iraqi people suffering under sanctions and the ongoing war.....or in celebration of the nonviolent resistance to war.

- bring some US$ for burning.

- some basic medical supplies which we will mail to Iraq, breaking the sanctions.

We will

- construct a shrine to the people of Iraq (bring flowers!)

- stand in a circle of reflective silence for a while.

- share some readings and singing.

- burn the injunctions and dollars.

- those wishing to can mark themselves/each other with ash.

- head to the post office for some mailing of medical supplies/sanction-busting (sanctions have killed 1.5 million Iraqis in the last 15 years)