Irish Anti - War activist begins hunger strike in Limerick Prison.

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Tuesday February 17, 2004 23:56

by paul o toole

Anti-War activist Eoin Rice goes on hunger strike over additional unreasonable bail demands.

Anti-war activist Eoin Rice refused to adhere to an additional bail condition banning him from Co. Clare, imposed
by judge Mangan in Tulla Co. Clare on Friday 13th. The additional bail condition was
added to an already agreed bail, without any request from the prosecution and was
instigated solely by judge Mangan. Mr. Rice refused to adhere to this additional bail
on the grounds that EU. legislation prohibits the internal exile of a citizen of a state
within that same state. He was remanded to Limerick prison.

Mr. Rice has begun a hunger strike on arrival at prison.

He was originally arrested on a traffic violation on the morning of December 6th on
his way to the national protest at Shannon airport. After hours of being held at
Shannon Garda station where Mr. Rice alleged he was severly physically and verbally
abused, and items removed from his person not returned - camera film and audio
recordings etc - a special sitting of Tulla district court was convened at six o’clock on
the Saturday evening of his arrest, an unusual event for a traffic violation.

Mr. Rice contends he has been harassed by the Gardai for protesting at Shannon, for
his opposition to the Irish state permitting US warplanes carrying 118,000 armed
troops and munitions on our soil and through our civilian airport . Most of these
munitions have been banned by the UN. and the Geneva Convention- Napalm,
Cluster bombs, depleted-uranium radioactive tipped patriot cruise missiles etc...