Intimate Distance

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday June 21, 2004 15:05 by Jim Keys - Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign jimkeys at onetel dot net dot uk 07803268790

An moment of international solidarity in Derry.

At one minute to 10 on Saturday night (19th June) we approached the Raytheon Software Development Centre in Derry carrying a plastic bottle of water and two lit candles. We were about to mark the end of our 24 hour ‘Freedom Fast’. Its purpose had been to highlight the use of Raytheon weapons in the decimation of Palestinian communities and build local awareness of Caoimhe Butterly’s related fast in Dublin.

As we approached the car park a security guard came towards us and indicated that he couldn’t allow us onto the site. We explained that we just wanted to perform a small ritual to mark the end of our fast but given his restriction agreed to do it at the edge of the site. His supervision meant that he became the fourth member of our intimate circle.

In 2003 I had travelled to Palestine to screen the film ‘SUNDAY’ (about our Bloody Sunday) in the Al Kasaba Theatre in Ramallah. Two hundred people had packed in to laugh and cry with a story that they quickly realised they already knew only too well. The general reaction was summed up by one of our hosts, “If the skins had been darker and the language Arabic, it would have been a Palestinian film.” They had got everything including the Derry humour. Another comment confirmed it was important that we had brought our story there. “It is crucially important that this film is screened in Palestine because we can begin to believe that it is only us who are forced to suffer like this. That is not healthy.”

Before I left Palestine I’d bought a bottle of water for the journey. There was some left when I got to Derry and I’ve been filling the bottle before it empties ever since as a material way of keeping the connection.

The bottle happened to be in the car, so it was this mix of Palestinian and Derry water that we used in our small libation. As we splashed the water on the Raytheon car park one of us spoke a simple dedication, “This is in memory of all those killed by Raytheon weapons in Palestine.” We set the two candles beside the trace of Palestine on the car park and thanked the security guard for respecting our action. This morning (Sunday), the candles were still there.

FEIC (Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign) was set up to ensure that our peace process is extended to the economy we build here. We are opposed to the presence of Raytheon in Derry and hold monthly vigils at the plant.