Government Leaks to Prejudice Case Against Shannon 6

Tuesday May 13, 2003 18:22

by Between the Lines

After stalling and downplaying initial damage estimates the government leaks on the forthcoming trials of the Shannon 6. The article includes a libel against the Catholic Worker defendants that was rejected by a Garda press statement on the day following the incident.

ATTACKS ON US AIRCRAFT AT SHANNON MAY COST €4 MILLION

The Irish Times
Arthur Beesley
Political Reporter, Page 1, Tuesday May 13th. 2003

Attacks by peace campaigners on a US navy jet are now thought to have caused about €4 million in damage, four times more than believed previously.

The cargo aircraft was stationed at Shannon Airport when it was attacked on two occasions by campaigners against the US military build-up in the Gulf.

The nose, hydraulic lines and front wheel of the navy 737 were damged when it was struck repeatedly with a hatchet in the first attack on January 29th.. An anti-war activist, Ms Mary Kelly (50), has been charged in relation to the incident. Her case will be heard before a jury in the Circuit Court.

Days later protestors linked to the Catholic Workers' Movement overpowered a garda (sic) at the hangar where the aircraft was grounded after the first attack. Five individuals were charged over the incident, on February 3rd.. They were: Mr. Ciaran O'Reilly (42), Mr Damien Moran (22), Ms. Nuin Dunlop (31), Ms. Deirdre Clancy (32), and Ms. Karen Fallon (30). Their case will also be held in the Circuit Court.

US officials had conveyed "serious concern" to the Government after the second attack. It was at that stage that the Cabinet approved the deployment of the Army to guard US military planes refueling at Shannon. Armed Garda detectives had been deployed after the first attack.

While senior gardai stated in court hearings that €500,000 damage could have been caused in each of the attacks, it is now understood that the ultimate cost of repairs is likely to be in the region of €4 million.

This was confirmed by one informed individual, who added it was not clear who would pay the bill. While it is believed the plane and the airport might have been insured for such damage, the cost of repairs is likely to fall to the Government or Aer Rianta. No decision has been reached on this point, it is believed.

The peace camp at the airport disbanded in early February, after the Government decided to deploy the Army. But in April, protestors again breached security at the airport. In addition to pouring holy water on the runway, they prayed, planted potatoes and built a shrine to victims of the war.

The breaches of security were highly embarrassing for the Government, the Garda and Aer Rianta. They caused a political headache for the Government, as it sought during the build-up to war to avoid saying whether it would continue to provide services for the US if war started. When the war began, the Government confirmed that it would not be withdrawing the services.

A US embassy spokeswoman said yesterday said she was not able to comment on the case. The Department of Transport spokeswoman said it had no communication on the matter.

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Comments (10 of 10)

Full support...

by Anon

Tue May 13, 2003 18:43

...but would you stop with the 'Shannon 6'! There are a lot more than six facing fines etc because of DA at Shannon.

Roll Up – plenty more planes waiting at Shannon

by Asap

Tue May 13, 2003 18:49

There's an enormous difference between the charges facing the Shannon 6 and the Shannon 342 or whatever. If you agree to attack a plane, they'll no doubt agree to restyle themselves the Shannon 7. Satisfied?

So...

Tue May 13, 2003 19:20

...the activists from Cork facing E5,000 of fines don't make the mark? One - James MacBarran - has been fined over E3,000 and had two six month sentences commuted to 240 hours community service. The others are banned from Clare for two years as well as facing big fines. And the difference between the successful mass trespass they did (one fence destroyed) on October 12th and the plane battering is...? Oh wait, media perception...Wise up!

No other option but to act

by Eoin Dubsky

Tue May 13, 2003 20:18

The 72-page judgement which Edward Horgan recently got from the High Court over Ireland's participation in the Anglo-American "war" against Iraq can be found here: http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~slack/rp/ed/judgement.doc (203K). It will be relocated to the Gluaiseacht legal pages at the URL below later in the week.

This is Irish common law now, so you can use it in court if you like. It confirms, for example, that international law on neutrality is being broken by the US military stopovers at Shannon. The judge says citizens needn't come to the High Court about it though, cause they won't get any relief there. Where else to go then? Directly to Shannon Airport of course! ;-)

Court documents

by Sparks

Tue May 13, 2003 21:45

Thanks for posting that link Eoin.

These Attacks On Workers Must Stop

by Domnic Haugh - SP

Wed May 14, 2003 11:38

The Airport Police are workers in uniform. The attacks by these crusties prevent strike action from taking place.

Stop fucking about

by Ray

Wed May 14, 2003 11:58

It's obvious that comment wasn't actually made by Dominic Haugh. If you want to make a point about his/the SP's position, use your own name, and some other form of humour. All 'jokes' like that do is increase the pressure on indymedia to come up with protected user names and logins to prevent that kind of childish impersonation, which means more work for everybody.
It wasn't that funny the first time. Its boring and obvious now. Give it up.

This Is Detracting From Real Debates

by pat c

Wed May 14, 2003 12:31

If you want to satirise Haugh then dont use his name. If you wish to make a real contribution to a debate on the role of the Airport Police then go to:

http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=47473&start=40

Missing the point

Wed May 14, 2003 15:58

I think you are missing the point here...the government leak and the siting of this article on page 1 of the Irish Times was not to celebrate the militancy of a small tendency of the Irish peace movement. It was to prejudice the possibility of a fair trials for Mary Kelly and the Catholic Worker 5.

The repitition of the lie that Catholic Workers overpowered (assaulted and hospitalised never publicly retatracted by Ahern, Hass and Ministers) a Gard is signicant. As is the emphasis on the damage costs, something the Prosecution had been supressing since ealry February until they thought anti-war feelng had disspataed and they could go ahead with an escalated startegy agiainst the nonviolent resisters.

The exposure that the Catholic Workers are able to compromise military security at the base at will eg. Good Friday is also interesting.

Time for the movement to rally around people facing serious time.

They'll get a fair trial.

by Fair Trial

Thu May 15, 2003 13:21

Whingers.
This is a democracy y'know... :)

And bearing in mind the seriousness of the matter and the deeply religious character of our government and judiciary a solemn body will preside over a case of this import...
anyone remember the Spanish Inquisition?

Before we find you guilty would you like to confess, thereby saving yourself from eternal condemnation by the FF/PD hierarchy?

based on the lack of evidence before us,
we find you guilty of the following

Criminal damage
Assaulting a garda with a big hammer and putting him in a wheelchair, only to be healed by the holy power of Bertie, and appearing in court later that day.
Witchcraft
Feeding small children to Osama bin Laden
Corrupting the morals of the youth of today
Blasphemy - that you did utter the name of our Bertie in vain.
Bringing the Garda, airport police into disrepute
Embarrassing Bertine in front of the yanks.
Erecting a shrine without planning permission
(possibly referred to flood tribunal to see if Frank Dunlop was involved)

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Government Leaks to Prejudice Case Against Shannon 6

Comments (10 of 10)