A Day of Protest and a Day at Court

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Friday June 27, 2003 14:44

by Sylvia Pankhurst - Ecology Society/Anarchist Federation

www.af-ireland.cjb.net

Report on j21 demo. at Shannon airport, and on latest trial of peace activists.

A day of protest and a day in court.

Continuing Opposition to Military Re-Fuelling at Shannon. (a civilian airport in the west of Ireland)

Over 150 people turned up for a ‘protest trilogy’ at Shannon airport last Saturday, June 21st.
Firstly a peace walk took place from the airport to a ‘border camp’ on the Clare/Limerick county border where activists banned from Clare had gathered. These bannings, either as bail conditions, or as parts of sentences, of over a dozen people are the first time people have been barred from entering large parts of the state they reside in since suspected IRA members were barred from entering mainland UK during the Troubles. At least in these parts that is.
In cases of domestic violence the barring order usually only extends to some hundreds of metres around the couple’s home.

Secondly a ‘Solstice over Shannon’ party was to take place – this never materialised.

Thirdly there was a march from the town centre to the airport. The organisers – the Cork Anti-War Campaign – had made a pact with the police that the march would go up one lane of the road and traffic would be allowed down the other, in return for being allowed into the airport. All demonstrations thus far had accessed the airport grounds – bar one, and that was one faced with hundreds of police.

This pact caused some dissentions among the people gathered to protest – especially when cars started to strike demonstrators and even more so given the fact the police had already blocked the entrance off with metal barricades. In any case we were not allowed into the airport grounds. That just shows what you get from listening to the pigs.

In a similar situation last August a crowd half the size of the one on Saturday was refused entry and just went ahead and took it. This was after an assembly to decide on our course of action.

Our entrance blocked the main body of the protest went off to block roads in retaliation.

Meanwhile a smaller group went on a walk about as a diversion – managing to take with them several cops, including a plainclothes, and the single police helicopter.

Others, including some bemused tourists, enjoyed the sun and the extensive Food not Bombs spread. Apparently the first blockades were very ineffectual, but after some time one group blocked a route traffic couldn’t be diverted around. Riot cops quickly waded in and flung nine people in the backs of their vans.

Arrestees included one Iraqi exile, two minors, and both parents of a toddler left in the crowd. All nine arrested people were released after the protest moved to the copshop. However, according to the police files are being prepared for the DPP – so further prosecutions may be on the horizon.

Riot police barred the walkway to the police station – a somewhat comical overreaction against a crowd more intent on chatting, drumming and errr…. blowing bubbles than storming the Bastille.

The organised left was pretty much absent – yet again showing that the people who are prioritising demilitarising Shannon are a diverse collection of individuals and groups not the political parties and big name organisations.

The number of police stationed at Shannon has risen massively, last year there were 234 cops in Clare as a whole – with only 30 in Shannon, now there are 140 in Shannon alone.

A reflection of our successes.

Today, June 26th, Martin and Jenny of the Catholic Worker Movement spud planting division were on trial in Tulla courthouse for trespass.

The charges relate to an action on Good Friday when they built a shrine and planted potatoes on the runway grounds inside the perimeter fence of Shannon airport.

Judge Mangan threw one supporter out of court for the crime of wearing a T-shirt, later another for the same crime, yet another for holding a banner outside the court, and finally gave two of those thrown out the choice: stay in the police station for the rest of the trial or get outta Dodge. This later outburst was occasioned in response to a further heinous crime of …holding a banner on the street outside the court. The banners were seized by trophy hunting Garda.

The judge largely prevented a defence based around the motivations of the pair from being presented. Also the defence claimed it’s cross examination of witnesses was hindered. After considerable legal tooing and froing including an appeal to go to another court and the possibility raised of a judicial review the court was finally to hear the testimony of (ex) Comdt. Horgan. This testimony is on the munitions passing through Shannon and on international law (Nuremberg and the Hague convention) in relation to this. His evidence is that under the Nuremberg law the two activists have ‘lawful excuse’ to commit lesser crimes to prevent greater, in fact are legally obligated to do so, much as a fireman can destroy property to rescue fire victims.

Upcoming Trials:

Jenny and Martin are back up in Tulla court on July 24th.
send messages of support via
Peacehouse
19 Inis Ealga
Shannon
Co. Clare
Ireland

Mary Kelly is on trial for hammering a military plane in Kilrush court from Monday June 30th (expected to last five days).

Eoin Dubsky’s appeal against his conviction for re-decorating a military plane is in Kilrush in October.
Send appeal fund donations to:
Eoin Dubsky
Not Guilty Dept.
Whitewalls
Ballymoney
Gorey
Co. Wexford

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A Day of Protest and a Day at Court