Anti-War Ireland Bush protests update

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday June 07, 2004 02:48 by Anti-War Ireland info at antiwarireland dot org 087 1258325

Anti-War Ireland Bush Protests Update

Anti-War Ireland, a broad-based national alliance of anti-war groups, is organising the demonstration that will meet George W. Bush when he lands at Shannon airport on Friday evening, June 25th. This demonstration will assemble at 7pm in Shannon town centre before marching to the airport.

We have learned that President Bush is scheduled to land in Shannon just after 8pm and he will then be flown by helicopter to Drumoland, where he will stay overnight. To facilitate this 8pm arrival, he has cancelled an engagement in Cape Cod, which was due to take place earlier in the day.



FRIDAY, 25th JUNE

It is essential that President Bush is met with anti-war protests as soon as he lands on Irish soil, and it is for this reason that we are marching to the airport. We are also using the opportunity to further highlight the misuse of Shannon airport for US military purposes.

The world's media will be in County Clare to cover the US/EU summit and it is crucial that the anti-war sentiment that prevails in Ireland is represented by a large peaceful demonstration as Bush lands in this supposedly neutral country. We need everybody in Shannon for 7pm on Friday, 25th June. Take a day off work if possible, or a half-day. Go by bus, car or donkey, but get there and let's give this warmonger a noisy reception the moment he sets foot in Ireland.

Also, in the weeks and days before the Bush visit, please help to build for the demonstration at Shannon.

Put up posters in your locality or workplace. Anti-War Ireland has printed thousands of A2 and A3 size full-colour posters. To get some free-of-charge to put up in your area, phone 023 40881.

Distribute leaflets in your locality or workplace. Anti-War Ireland has printed tens of thousands of full-colour leaflets advertising the Shannon demo. Again, phone 023 40881 for copies.

Organise a bus or carpool in your area. Go out and actively persuade people to attend the demo in Shannon. This will be Bush's Ballyporeen - let's ensure that he understands the extent of Irish opposition to his warmongering from the moment he lands.

Spread the word. Tell your workmates, family and friends about the demonstration in Shannon. Care/act, and let's build for this in a concerted way. We need large numbers at Shannon.

The demonstration in Shannon assembles at 7pm, but try to get there earlier. There almost certainly will be Garda checkpoints in the area and it is possible that there will be delays of up to an hour as you head into the town. Please bear this in mind as you plan your journey, and try to arrive early rather than late.

We are asking people to make every effort to make it to Shannon, but if you live in Dublin and absolutely can't make it, then please attend the march in Dublin organised by the Stop Bush Campaign. This will assemble at 7pm by the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, on Friday, 25th June.



SATURDAY, 26th JUNE

Anti-War Ireland is also supporting a 'parade for peace' from Bunratty to Shannon the following day. Assembling at 12pm. Organised by Ambush2004 (a coalition of the Galway, Cork and Dublin Grassroots Networks). This will be a colourful procession aiming to give Bush an appropriate anti-war send-off as he leaves the country.



THE SATURDAY BEFORE, 19th JUNE

Anti-War Ireland has also called for protests on Saturday, 19th June, to build for the Bush protests the following weekend. So far, it is expected that events will take place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. We will send out details on this closer to the day and these will also be posted on indymedia.ie and antiwarireland.org



ANTI-WAR IRELAND MEDIA PANEL

Anti-War Ireland has appointed the following media panel for the Bush protests. These individuals are willing to do media interviews on behalf of Anti-War Ireland to explain the reasons for the protests, which revolve around our opposition to Bush's aggressive foreign policy and the military misuse of Shannon airport

HARRY BROWNE is an American who has been living in Ireland since 1987. He works as a journalist, contributes regularly to arts programmes on radio and TV, and lectures in the School of Media at Dublin Institute of Technology. He is based in Dublin. Contact: 087 7648065.

CAOIMHE BUTTERLY is a member of many human rights and activist groups including Voices in the Wilderness, Anti-War Ireland, and the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Caoimhe is a PRO with Anti-War Ireland. She has worked on human rights projects in many parts of the world: in 2002 she spent many months living in the West Bank, mostly in Jenin Camp. On 21 November 2002 she was shot by an Israeli soldier while ushering children to safety. She spent much of 2003 in Baghdad where she was active with Voice in the Wilderness and she observed the US occupation, and community resistance, at close hand. She is based in Dublin. Contact: 087 2134160, or masasa73@hotmail.com

DOMINIC CARROLL is the co-ordinator of the Anti-War Ireland demonstration scheduled to assemble at 7pm in Shannon town centre on the Friday evening that President Bush arrives in Ireland. He is PRO of Clonakilty Against the War and is also involved with the Cork Anti-War Campaign. He is based in Clonakilty, County Cork. Contact: 023 40881 or clonakiltyagainstthewar@eircom.net

EDWARD HORGAN is a retired commandant with the Irish Defence Forces and a decorated UN peacekeeper. Last year he took a High Court case against the Irish government over its decision to allow US military planes to overfly Ireland and refuel in this State (specifically at Shannon airport) while en route to war in Iraq. He claimed that this compromised Irish neutrality and that this country runs the risk of being party to war crimes. He left the army in 1986 and later became a full-time student - he was awrded an M.Phil. (Peace Studies) from TCD in 2000. Over the past 10 years he has also worked as a civilian UN volunteer on election and democratiisation missions in Bosnia, Croatia, Nigeria, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and East Timor. On 27 September 2003, Commandant Horgan returned to the Irish government his military medals awarded by the UN in protest against Ireland's participation in the war on Iraq. He is based in Limerick. Contact: 086 2380911.

TIM HOURIGAN is a leading member of both the Mid-West Alliance against Military Aggression (MAMA) and Refuelling Peace. He is also a PRO with Anti-War Ireland. He was one of those who first alerted the public to the refuelling of US warplanes at Shannon and he has steadily monitored the US military presence over the past few years. He has an unrivalled knowledge of the military misuse of the airport. He is based in Limerick. Contact: 087 9777703, or tim_hourigan@hotmail.com

Dr FINTAN LANE is convenor of Anti-War Ireland and a leading member of the Cork Anti-War Campaign. He served 45 days in Limerick Prison (between November 2003 and January 2004) because of his refusal to pay a E750 fine imposed by Tulla District Court in April 2003 for his part in a mass trespass during an anti-war protest at Shannon airport in October 2002. He described his participation as ‘an act of conscience’. He is an historian, the author of books on Irish social history, and editor of Saothar, the journal of Irish labour history. He is based in Cork and Dublin. Contact: 087 1258325, or info@antiwarireland.org

Prof. JOHN MAGUIRE is professor of sociology emeritus, University College, Cork. He is the author of a number of books including Defending Peace: Ireland’s Role in a Changing Europe (Cork University Press: 2002) and, with Joe Noonan, Maastricht and Neutrality (People First/Meitheal, 1992). He also wrote the song ‘Hey Ronnie Reagan’, which was recorded by Christy Moore, and is a long-time peace activist. He is a member of the Cork Anti-War Campaign. He is based in Cork. Contact: 021 7331871/087 1258325, or info@antiwarireland.org

MAGGIE RONAYNE is the co-ordinator of the Global Women’s Strike in Ireland. She has organised with women in Kurdistan and Iraq against war and torture, and against the destruction caused by large dam projects. She is a lecturer in archaeology in NUI Galway and has spoken out against the cultural destruction caused by the war in Iraq. She is based in Galway. Contact: 087 7838688, or maggie.ronayne@nuigalway.ie

To contact Anti-War Ireland, phone 087 1258325 or email info@antiwarireland.org

http://www.antiwarireland.org