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news report
 Saturday April 05, 2003 20:27 by Independent anti-war activists
 Anti war activists blockaded Palace Barracks at Hollywood, Co Down today.... Anti war activists blockaded Palace Barracks at Hollywood, Co Down today.... Press release below….
Today (5 April) at 1400, as part of a UK-wide anti-war day of action, activists from both sides of the community in Northern Ireland picketed Palace Barracks in Holywood. The activists, drawn from many walks of life, stressed that the target of the protest was not the servicemen and women but the politicians who had sent them into danger under false pretences and against the wishes of the population. The action takes place as part of the "Reclaim the Bases" [1] campaign taking place today across the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, the Republic of Ireland and other European countries.
"The pro-war politicians tell us to 'stop undermining our troops' by which they mean 'stop disagreeing with pro-war politicians'. These same politicians are the ones placing the troops in danger of friendly fire, depleted Uranium and resistance from a population which will only see them as invaders." said one F. Fire. "This illegal war has already dragged on too long. Relief agencies are complaining of a serious lack of access to the needy and funding for basic food, water and medicine[2]. If people are genuinely concerned about the plight of ordinary Iraqi civilians they will be supporting relief agencies and not a military onslaught." said D. Uranium. "Tony Blair and George Bush ask us to stop thinking and just trust them. But it is our duty as concerned citizens of a democracy to make our views known. Bring the troops home, Tony, before more people die."
Notes for Journalists: [1] http://www.reclaimthebases.org.uk/ [2] Only £3m has been allocated for aid by Clare Short. This is 0.1% of the £3 Billion war budget. In July, $5.4 Bn worth of food aid to Iraq was blocked by America and Britain. The much hyped "Sir Galahad" contained only 450 tonnes of aid supplies. According to Christian Aid, it would take 32 Sir Galahad's a day to cover the estimated need for food aid in Iraq. Save the Children is adamant that the method of aid distribution being used by the military is insufficient and counterproductive in the long run. It's actual use is as a propaganda tool for their failed attempt to win "hearts and minds" and it doesn't reach the people who need it most.
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Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3Nice one, though too bad you didn't do a bit of this when the Brits were busy shooting nationalists, republicans and Catholics during the second war of independence!
yeah why not bring our petty island politics into it again. why not?? why not?? stop lurking in the past and get your ass to belfast and show the world that we're against this war and what's to come.
For a start, the north is still held by imperialism so this is not the past we're talking about. Hence the base you were able to picket. Secondly, there is a direct link between what is happening in Iraq and what is happening (and has happened) in Ireland. Imperialism is imperialism. Thirdly, it's revealing that you dismiss death and struggle in Ireland as petty island politics. You some sort of long-distance revolutionary?