AWI Shannon Demo: Uphold The Right To Demonstrate

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday June 22, 2004 14:33 by Dominic Carroll - Anti-War Ireland info at antiwarireland dot org 087 1258325

Any attempt to prevent peaceful protest “a serious breach of our civil liberties”

The demonstration will assemble at 7pm in Shannon Town Centre. Protestors will then march to the terminal building at Shannon Airport. On the possibility of the protestors being prevented from entering Shannon, Anti-War Ireland says: “For the guards to prevent a peaceful protest from going ahead would amount to a serious breach of our civil liberties, and would be unacceptable. It would also be ironic, given that Bush expects to be applauded by our government for supposedly restoring democracy and civil liberties to the people of Iraq at the very moment ours are being threatened. At this point in time, we have no reason to believe that the protest will be banned. Anti-War Ireland has written to An Garda Síochana to give notice of a peaceful demonstration, and to indicate the march route. The gardaí have not been in touch with us, so we can only assume that it’s all systems go.”

Anti-War Ireland, a broad-based national alliance of anti-war groups, aims to ensure that President George W. Bush is faced with a mass peaceful protest as soon as he touches down on Irish soil. The demonstration is also intended to send a strong message to the Irish government concerning the continued misuse of an Irish civilian airport for US military purposes. Shannon Airport has been integrated into the US war machine, despite the opposition of a clear majority in this country. Irish complicity with US warmongering must end, and the demonstration on Friday night will be as much about this complicity as about the presence of Bush.

Anti-War Ireland is resolutely opposed to the security operation being put into place for the Bush visit. “It is important that people speak out against the ridiculous waste of public money on security while President Bush is in this country. The latest information we have is that 4,000 gardaí and more than 1,500 troops will be drafted into County Clare to protect this warmonger. Moreover, gardaí have gone door-to-door in Shannon town during the past few weeks to enquire into ordinary citizens' political and moral beliefs, and looking for information to which they have no right. This is a completely unacceptable use of taxpayers' money, and we hope the bill goes directly to the White House. Fianna Fáil and the PDs are behaving like lapdogs for George W. Bush."

Fintan Lane says he expects thousands of people to turn out for the protests against Bush when he arrives in this country: "We expect large numbers to attend the anti-Bush protests in County Clare and we want him to return home with a clear understanding of the depth of Irish opposition to his warmongering. We are calling on people to travel to Shannon for 7pm on Friday 25th June, to make their voices heard as Bush touches down on Irish soil. We are also asking people to support the demonstration on the following day to underline our anti-war message as Bush leaves this country. It is important that people turn up."

Fintan Lane continued: “The majority of Irish people opposed the invasion of Iraq from the very beginning and that anti-war sentiment still prevails,” he said. “Fianna Fail and the PDs have behaved appallingly and have ignored the majority opinion in the country on this issue. The 100,000 people who marched in Dublin on February 15th last year were treated with utter contempt by the government, which continues to facilitate the US war machine at Shannon airport. Anti-War Ireland will be focusing strongly on the misuse of Shannon Airport, and as far as we are concerned these demonstrations will be as much about Irish complicity as about the presence of Bush. We want an immediate end to the transit of US troops through Shannon. More than 125,000 US troops passed through Shannon last year and we can be fairly sure than at least some of those subsequently engaged in human rights abuses in Iraq. The Irish government has made Ireland complicit in this illegal and immoral occupation, and it has blood on its hands. The fact that anti-war activists such as Mary Kelly and the Catholic Worker Five are before the courts is another consequence of Irish complicity, and we believe that the charges against these people should be dropped immediately."

"It is also important that people speak out against the ridiculous waste of public money on security while President Bush is in this country. The latest information we have is that 4,000 gardai and more than 1,500 troops will be drafted into County Clare to protect this warmonger. Moreover, gardai have gone door-to-door in Shannon town during the past week or two enquiring into ordinary citizens' political and moral beliefs, and looking for information that they have no right to. This is a completely unacceptable use of taxpayers' money. If the visit goes ahead, and these security resources are in fact deployed, then we hope the bill goes directly to the White House. Fianna Fáil and the PDs are behaving like lapdogs for George W. Bush."

Anti-War Ireland has issued guidelines for the demonstration on Friday 25th June:
1. The protest is intended to be a non-confrontational march. While Anti-War Ireland supports peaceful resistance to war, we would advise any protestors considering the use of non-violent direct action on this occasion to clearly separate themselves from the main body of the march.
2. Please protest in a peaceful manner.
3. Please avoid drunkenness.
4. Please be aware of the large police/army/secret-service presence beyond that immediately visible.
5. Do not engage in any action that may endanger other protestors.

Anti-War Ireland is a broad-based national alliance of anti-war groups, including the Clare/Limerick-based Mid-West Alliance Against Military Aggression, the Cork Anti-War Campaign, Fairview Against the War, Clonakilty Against the War, the Dublin Anti-War Group, and other groups and individuals across the country.