Ed Horgan Arrested on the Water and brought on board US Ship

by N Cog Neeto 2 Day Fri Jun 25, 2004 16:09

rumour says Bush to arrive at airport at 4:30pm not 8pm as reported... story developing

by photo by redjade Fri Jun 25, 2004 17:53

more photos at
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61352

Irish Military Commandant Ed Horgan, Retired (and now arrested)

by merrovinginvanjans - pirates Fri Jun 25, 2004 19:11

Sir,
you are in Ireland to guarantee the safety of President Bush and his team of delegates, in no way have any of the myriad orginisations and assemblies engaged in protesting the invite, arrival or stay of President Bush been a threat to the safety of either the President or his team.
Mr Ed. Horgan ought be released immediately, and any charges considered against him dropped. There has been no exclusion order on the waters of either County Clare or Galway, and Mr Ed. Horgan, a world acknowledged pacifist and neutrality acivist, and decorated former officer of both Irish Defence Forces and the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces has no place onboard a USS vessel at this time.
He ought be released immediately into the custody of the Irish authorities.

by de spy in the sky Fri Jun 25, 2004 19:33

What American ship?

by Anti-War Ireland Fri Jun 25, 2004 19:39 info at antiwarireland dot org

Press release, 25/6/04

ANTI-WAR IRELAND condemns arrest of one of its spokespersons and two other anti-war activists

Anti-War Ireland condemns in the strongest possible terms today's arrest of Edward Horgan and other anti-war activists while they were engaged in 'an entirely lawful and peaceful anti-Bush protest on the River Shannon'.

Mr Horgan, a retired army officer who served many times with the UN, is a long-time opponent of the misuse of Shannon airport by the US military. He is also a spokesperson for Anti-War Ireland, the group organising this evening's anti-war march in Shannon.

According to Dr Fintan Lane, convenor of Anti-War Ireland, 'These arrests are an utter disgrace and demonstrate the extent to which the Irish Government is in bed with the Bush administration. Mr Horgan and his fellow peace activists were engaged in an entirely lawful protest against the presence of George W. Bush in Ireland, and there can be no justification for their detention.'

'The involvement of the US security services in these arrests is particularly sinister.'

He concluded: 'We demand the immediate release of these anti-war activists, and we are asking the Garda to explain their heavy-handed behaviour. This is about the civil liberties of everybody in this country. Do we have the right to engage in peaceful protest or not?'

PRESS RELEASE ENDS

To confirm this press statement, phone 086 1512013

by Mary Kelly Fri Jun 25, 2004 19:47

Ed Horgan and the two people wrongfully arrested with him must be released immediately. They have broken no law, whereas the Irish army the Gardai and the government are protecting a war criminal.
I call on the them to arrest the real criminal, and if they are afraid to do so, step aside and allow courageous citizens to make a citizens arrest.
He is not wanted here,except facing charges for warcrimes initiated in an Irish court. The Irish Judiciary have not got the balls to strike a blow for justice and freedom from the US reign of terror. Inhabitants of Clare have said they will pull their cutains closed to make that message clear.
All power to all actions and the rebirth of the peace camp!
Mary Kelly

by N Cog Neeto 2 Day Fri Jun 25, 2004 19:53

(Xinhuanet) Irish police confirmed Friday that three people have been detained near ShannonAirport in western Ireland when they were trying to stage a protest against the visit of US President George W. Bush.

    Those being held, two men and a woman, were arrested in a boat on the River Shannon estuary near the airport, where Bush's plane was due to touch down at 1915GMT on Friday for a two-day summit between US and EU leaders. a spokesman for the police told reporters.

    Local reports quoted a Naval Service spokesman as reporting that the three protesters "were in the estuary within the exclusion zone around Shannon airport." Their boat was towed to the village of Foynes on the south shore of the estuary and the three people were being questioned by the police.

by Anonymous Fri Jun 25, 2004 20:01

Good luck to you and Ed in all ye're most noble and brave efforts

by iosaf mac diarmada Fri Jun 25, 2004 20:14

The arrest of three very well known and respected members of the Irish anti-War, Neutrality and Pacifist community, on such a day, may not be surprising, but in such a way is.
I hope we are not to wait, three days, till these poor navegators are back on dry land with their families and away from the clutches of a state infamous for it's intolerance, poor human rights record and non democratic institutions.
Anyone who has navegated in the Persian Gulf, ooops sorry Shannon estuary knows, that it is very easy to lose your way, and find yourself in the military and naval exclusion zone operated by the United States of America (for our safety and civilisation) in between County Limerick and County Clare.

Release them now.
The Chinese have heard about it!
It will be all over the world as quickly as you can spell Farenheit nine eleven properly.

Ed, Eilleen Arot,
I have an old deal with the White House, that I don't go anywhere near Presidents whilst they're alive with my psychic powers, it's a sort of like a magickal telepathic exclusion zone, but I'll do my best to send you good vibes all the same.

by John Fri Jun 25, 2004 20:59

Well, N Cog Neeto - what about your claim that Bush would arrive at 4.30pm? Haven't heard any news of his arrival at that time on RTE. Perhaps his plane crashed into the sea, or maybe it was just another conspiracy theory?

by N Cog Neeto 2 Day Fri Jun 25, 2004 21:03

i just type them in as they call in - i did say it was a rumour.

do you believe everything you read on the internet?

by iosaf Fri Jun 25, 2004 22:36

We're a local indymedia service for local people, at various nodal points accross the oppressed and free world.
And Ireland is presently in the oppressed category.

What's happened to the three men in a tub?

We need constant updates on this.
Why are Irish citizens amongst them one former military officer, allowed to be held by a foreign armed forces within our national jurisdiction and in our national waters?

Ed could be telling them anything, he could be giving them top military intelligence on the scorpion "looks a bit like tank" tendancy to backflip on 70º gradients. What would that do to our defense capability?
We don't know the British won't try and invade south of the border. Haven't you read the newspapers? Tony Blair is ending Stormont, he won't end there, he'll be down the Swords road by November, if Bush loses the election, nothing will stop him. Blair is a monster, Mr President, you've got to grasp it. Look at him.
Banging up on psi-drugs all the time. he chose Bertie's clothes on Sea Island.
Anyway, What are we going to do when the British cross the border?
The Americans will tell them about the Scorpion tanks, and we won't be able to block the roads, and defend Leinster, and sure there'll be Squaddies of north yorkshire in cloughjordan within two days, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Leave Ed on that boat, and I will write a satirical novel and publish it by the end of next week.
There now.
I can threaten no more.

by DR X Sat Jun 26, 2004 00:01

It was an IRISH NAVAL SHIP NOT A US SHIP!!!!!
Get your fucking facts right before you start writing pure shit.

by i Sat Jun 26, 2004 00:10

The three people arrested on the boat have since appeared in court. I do not have any specific details of what charges have been made. Harrassing the fish, possibly?

by s. omeguy Sat Jun 26, 2004 08:10

They should be thankful that the real heroes of the IRISH security forces decided to rescue these misguided individuals from their unsuitable craft in weather that is rapidly deteriorating.
The shannon Estuary is a dangerous place,even without Bush being about.. Whats the next stunt eddie? try to land a balloon in the lake at Dromoland?

Mr Horgan may have returned his medals,but he has yet to return his Army Pension. He is not a decorated hero. He has the service medals for sitting behind his desk for 21 years,another for sitting behind a desk overseas. For doing what he was told,like all good soldiers. No medals for bravery,never leaving the comfort of his office to carry a wounded colleague to safety from Israeli or palestinian gunfire. No good conduct medals for being a shining example to his fellow soldiers.

No. Eddie was no hero. He was just another grey man,like so many in the Defence forces who do what they are told,and forever complain once the powers that be no longer call the shots.

Do the decent thing Ed. If you are so ashamed of your military service,make the final step and return your army pension. Better yet Donate it to the RNLI or Limerick Marine Search and Rescue whose boats would have been saving your life today,or worse pulling your lifeless remains from the estuary for your feat of Gross stupidity,if it was not for the brave actions of the men and women of the Gardai and Naval service.

by raghilleigh Sat Jun 26, 2004 08:21

Particuarly when it comes to bashing heads at anti-war protests. Paid thugs might be a more accurate discription.

by Barry James Sat Jun 26, 2004 08:26

Nonsense. They were not being rescued. They were arrested for protesting, and not for the commission of any breach of the peace. So much for the right to protest peacefully. The Irish state have ditched citizens rights because our corrupt and cowardly politicians are wimpishly licking up to the schoolyard bully.
I dont believe the protestors were ever in danger from the weather. Only perhaps from trigger-happy Secret Service goons.

by lone Gunman Sat Jun 26, 2004 12:58

for not obeying a garda order to leave an excluded area. And yes he was a stupid twat going out in a rowing boat on the esturary.The wind out there yesterday was bad.Not only was he putting his life in jepodary[no great loss if he had drowned],but he was putting two other idiots life in danger.

by :-) pirate. Sat Jun 26, 2004 15:20

Allow me this opportunity to apologise for the disinformation curve which I started yesterday claiming the US Navy had detained a former Irish Military Officer within Irish Jurisdiction.

I realise that this disinformation reflected poorly on the general Irish wish to extend a warm welcome to President Bush, and that there are probably some gullible people from NYC to San Francisco to Australia to Spain this morning who still believe that the US Navy did this.

I am sorry.
I normally don't deliberately twist information milking it for added agit-propaganda value.
I lied basically.
I told a big whopping un-truth.
I fabricated a story.
God strike down all liars!
I would also like to withdraw all my stuff on the lack of WMD in Iraq as well.
Becuase I'm not sure.
And now I have a reputation for being a liar, I'll have to be really careful in future.

by Doubter Sat Jun 26, 2004 16:16

That's not really iosaf, is it? I dont see his trademark.
Looks like impersonation to me.

by Justin Morahan - Peace People Sat Jun 26, 2004 21:27

To S. Omebody: I take it that you have returned your pension or salary for some noble cause. Good.
A moment of truth came for Ed when he recognized the nature of army work and he made a brave decision. He gave back his medals. He knew he would be hated for it by people like yourself. He went ahead anyway.
He doesn't need to give up his pension. He worked for it.
Sneering remarks are not necessary as Ed doesn't hate the military, just feels sorry for them, (you?) I expect..

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker & Pitstop Ploughshares Sun Jun 27, 2004 02:55 087 918 4552

Sorry didn't have enough room for me title.

Well it's a Cynics Picnic with the Trolls uhh-You must be hurting bad! Try your best shot-I'm a Big Target So If You Miss it's a Sad Reflection on Your Ability as a Troll

...and how would the other Trolls look at you at your next circle jerk troll meet....so take care, be careful, take aim (careful now, easy does it...best shot)....surely you must be on a commision for the best shot of the week..if not form a union boyz.....it's a matket economy after all.....

I've had a few wines after a great day with the MACBUSH thang. CNN just credited us with "driving" the deadliest dude outta the country.

I know CNN hasn't got anything to do with reality...so ya can hold back on ya anarcho-reality checks (I get enuff on a daily basis from the CW's I live with believe me, trust me! I'm harmless.)

...it's the wine talkin' now..check the time of the postin'........Media baby...that's how I got RBB to back off today, the man is so media conscious...couldn't afford a bad photo op....pussycat......as I told the RBB lad when he said they had the right to block us, lead us ,drown us out after 300 folks had walked a 4 mile walk ....because RBB had made a deal with the cops....we don't make deals with cops about free expression...it's a universal right...you either use it or use it.

..........the guy had never met a working class irish-australian (jury is still out on whether he's met anyone from the working class?)....looked a little shocked when he didn't get the middle class peacenik angst that he his used to getting ...when he's pulling an authoritarian trip in peace movement circles.............wouldn't let me finish me sentence but RBB it was "I've done 2 years jail (cut me off there with a credibility thang) and I didn't survive by being screwed by the likes of you" (there finally finished the sentence I started on the road to Dromoland (better late than never........)

RBB backed off and we got away with "driving Bush outta Ireland" (according to CNN) because the dude is so media conscious.

I don't care about the Capitalist press man...it's a laugh...most effective thang was the folks who blocked the media getting to the Bush-Ahern Love In press conference, haven't got a clue who you were... but respect...brilliant...it's the spirit man not the poisonalities .....not mine not RBB's...go for it!

As Fr. Frank once told me "We all come from somewhere...." .the folks I've been following for the last 20 years to help me follow Jesus in this context I'm stuck in........are Dan & Phil Berrigan....Phil was a WW2 combat vet killed a lotta people...before realsing that Jesus wouldn't kill any and Dan is a Jesuit poet....so different,so brilliant......................some of the best people we got, the most courageous peace activists, are from military backgorunds...the late Phil Berrigan (he was with us today on the road to Dromoland), Roy Bourgeois, Charlie Litkey.......do yourself a favour and do yourself a google on these folks

Love Ed...put 10 of us up at his house before a court appearance in Ennis......and Mary taking those lentils and rice into the siege at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.......surrounded by IDF snipers shooting up the statue of Mary and killing real people in the church....respect....you're not me ...but hey I'm secure enuff to not want you to be me...I'm happy for you to be you and me to be me.......it's the insecure ones who need you to join their party or convert or be like them!

Congrats to all who came out against Bush in whatever way..............multi-pronged (RBB baby, it's nopt a competition!)...........still waiting to hear more stories of the day that hopefully will feed into a dissident memory in this oh so colonised place!

by laurence Sun Jun 27, 2004 18:34

best wishes to conor, tim, ed and everyone from limerick involved in the protests yesterday and friday.

what you are all doing is still extremely important.

laurence, watching from argentina

by Tim Tue Jun 29, 2004 17:38

Ed was re-united with his kayak yesterday as well.

This was being towed behind the boat, but was allowed to drift away by the Garda /Navy after Ed and his crew were "taken prisoner on the high seas".

A lost property report was made yestderday evening at Shannon Garda Station, following which Ed, Joe and I went up to the airport to look for the boat.

BOy, oh, boy did that confuse the Gardai and airport police at the checkpoint.

"Are ye catching a flight?"

"no, we're going up here on lawful business, to look for a boat"

"unlawful business?"

"No. ON lawful business..." .(this went on for a while,you get the picture.)
I don't think they belived for a minute that we had a chance of finding this boat.

Anyway, while the confused police watched we went to the end of ballybeg industrial estate (near the cargo terminal) and scanned the river with binoculars.
Despite the fact that 5 tides had come and gone since the oat was allowed to drift away, it didn't take long before we saw a speck of yellow in the distance. There was Ed's kayak, stuck up on the rocks! - result.

We drove down to where we could access the forsehore. Two gardai followed us, tried out their footing on the wet slope and then thought better of it.

we had to walk quite a distance along the rocky shore (at least a 30' incline) and despite being twice my age, Ed left us for dust.

As we emerged back onto the airport road, dragging a canoe, an airport 'police' car and a Garda patrol car pulled up.

The never-pleasant 'Inspector John Martin' of the airport police 'ordered' us Ed to leave the airport immediately.
We tried to reason with him, but he had no interest in listening. As the airport 'police' have no real powers, it fell to Garda Mick O'Connell (from Roscommon Galway division -not Sgt, Mike O'Connell of Shannon) to order Ed to leave, which Ed said he would do in due time.

I started to explain the situation to the Garda but he said he wasn't talking to me.

"Ah, so you're only telling Ed to leave then?"

"No, I'm telling you all to leave, and you will listen to me"

"Well then you ARE talking to me, and I'll have my say"

the APO 'inspector' told us to be reasonable and comply.
I told him he wouldn't know reason if it bit him and asked him to clarify his order.

"You want us to walk out with this boat?"

"Yes."

"Well, we didn't walk in. the car is parked THAT way" (pointing back towards the terminal)

(You see what a less aggressive approach, and a bit of listening would have done for them?
Man loses boat... man reports boat lost... man looks for boat... man finds boat...man brings boat back to car... man leaves... no hassle unless someone makes hassle by macho posturing.)

by sean Tue Jun 29, 2004 19:53

I think the macho posturing was by you and your crew and I bet this dosnt get published, why was the last comment critising censorship deleted? Indy media my hole!!!

Tim you are wrong and were making the job of the police more difficult when will you learn that doing this actions only makes the work of committed campaigners more difficult !!

They have a job to do , what purpose did this little confrontatin serve? Only to inflate your ego after a disastrous protest over the weekend, great job arguing with with the airport cops and regular guards after the event, really smart!!!!!!!!


Get a life lads, focus on the issues than petty squabbling with cops, ye were just are posturing as they were, idiots trying to look tough and cool, remember while ye were arguing with these guys people were dying in palestine, iraq, and all over the world!!!

I bet that this wont be published and on top of that people will say I'm a right wing asshole, I'm not but it really bothers me these stupid actions that detract from the cause and on top of that you are proud or arguing with cops days after the protest!

Smart really smart

by Badman Tue Jun 29, 2004 20:09

Gets the prize for stupidest contribution to Indymedia of the week. Trying to get your canoe back is macho posturing? Asking the guards to comply with the law somehow detracts from the struggle for Palestinian rights?

Nice planet you live on Sean, can you explain the system that you have invented there that has replaced our earth-logic there?

by iosaf Tue Jun 29, 2004 21:07

I'm sort of dissapointed. Do many people know they were in a kayak? Couldn't we rewrite it as a currach or upsize it to sloop?

jajajjaayayayay pirates in a kayak? you were playing cowboys and indians you were.
Did you notice the NATO/OTAN fleet? that was a lovely touch.
Will you be retracing any historic voyages?

by sean Wed Jun 30, 2004 13:08

In a democracy everyone is entitled to their opinion!!

well thats the theory, can you explain the following then,

1) why were most of the anti ed horgan comments deleted?
2) I never said that getting the canoe back was wrong what I argued about was the way it was described.

For me the guys were looking for a confrontation. For a year and a half the cops in shannon have been asking everyone entering the airport what they are doing, its a blody disgrace that they are but thats life, this was nothing new, the way tim described what happened afterwards to me it sounds that both sides were at fault. I firmly believe its wrong what is happening in shannon but I also believe that confrontational situations will get us nowhere. Listening to mainstream view, its amazing to hear how against the anti war movement people are.

I am not a right winger, I have been on the streets on Limerick passing out leaftets about palestine and listening to abuse about the palestinians, the anti war movement and crazies. (they're words not mine)

Talking to people, when I say what I am doing they point to these issues about people getting arrested, confrontations etc. THE MAJORITY OF IRISH PEOPLE DID NOT WANT BUSH HERE, THEY SUPPORT PALESTINE, but if we are trying to raise awareness my point is taht i feel that there are better ways of doing it.

I felt tims comments were macho posturing because he described them as such, he was gloating over a confrontation with the cops, my view is that right or wrong, they were doing their job!!!!. I bet none of the cops want to see iraaqis or israelis or palestinians die just like you and me.

I have been talking to many involved in the security operation over the last week and believe me not many supported Bush's visit, many soldiers remember have served in the middle east and know what the isrealis are like, many irish soldiers have died in lebanon as a result of israel. My point is that branding these guys as paid thugs, out to stop protest is wrong.

I am an activist and I believe I have a right to my opinion, this is what is wrong with the movement, there is no room for people with an opposing view. I feel that rather than confrontation, see beyond the uniforms and the role and reason with people.

I am against violence and confrontaion anywhere it happens. I respect badmans views on my comments and will listen to him but I also expect people to respect mmy views. i have never braded anyone as being stupid because of what they say.

Listen Badman, we are both on the same side but disagree on how to achieve our goal. I believe that as long as we fight against the cops and army we are doing what the governments of the world want. Diverting our attention from the real issues and lowereing ourselves to their level.

Badman is we end up arguing amonst ourselves then we will never get anywhere, I want what you want.

by pirate Thu Jul 01, 2004 13:19

that there will be a trans-continental style un-sea-worthy flotilla of rafts (as used by Sub Saharan economic, cultural and political refugees) leaving the beach of Nova Mar Vella in Barcelona the 18th of July 2004 destination-

UNICEF Forum of Universal Cultures 2004.

If they won't let us in through the gates, and we won't pay the 180€ entrance, then it's the high seas for us!

:-) rub a dub dub.
¿did you get your kayak back yet?

by John Thu Jul 01, 2004 17:20

Who was the IAWM rep who went on 96fm in cork to promote the marches last week? Rambling something like Ciaron after his wine above,the genuinely interested presenter got fed up of his rambling and cut him off.

A bad way of gaining support from the average joe if you alienate their favourite radio presenter by making fun of his name...


Any ideas?

by Tim Thu Jul 01, 2004 18:52

the kayak was being towed BEHIND the boat that Ed and the other two were in.

The boat was collected on Saturday afternoon.

The Kayak was found as described above.

At no point did anyone seek out the police for a confrontation. (we have better things to do)

They were informed before we went to the airport that we were going to look for a boat.
They were told at the checkpoint that we were going to look for a boat.
And when they pulled up to throw their weight around we HAD a boat.

So, in a nutshell, we went their on lawful business, to do what we had to do and to leave with as little fuss as possible.

As for our troll friend... make an effort would you? the quality of bitter sniping here has slumped. Can't you think of some better quality vitriol?

by iosaf Thu Jul 01, 2004 20:54

I reckon we can make an aircraft carrier from empty water bottles some tyres and rope with leftover wood. And arm it with helium balloons each with a super duper spanish banger attached and enter the Forum (the target of our non-participation) by Sea.
I've been checking out raft making websites all day, and I'm really quite excited about it.
I think water based activism is the way to go.
Not like Greenpeace blue ribbon hippy norwegian handcream type activism, but more the butterfly wings and surrealism.

Anyway were any charges brought in the end?
And what was the reception like onboard the ship that picked them up?