Return To Shannon - Halloween Protest of US War in Iraq

by Ploughshares Thu Oct 21, 2004 02:35

Halloween Return to Shannon, October 31st
A
s thousands of U.S. troops pass through Shannon on a monthly basis to maim and kill - to be maimed and killed - the pacifist movement, dublin catholic worker, have called for a multi-faith/no faith vigil for peace to take place at Ireland's welcome mat for the U.S. WAR MACHINE, Shannon Airport.

Halloween Return to Shannon, October 31st
*Gather at 1pm (Shannon Town Centre, LIDL car Park)
*Peace walk to Airport Terminal from 1.30pm
*Guest Speaker: U.S. Anti-war Activist Carmen Trotta (War Resisters League)
*All participants are invited to speak briefly
* Die-in at 2,30pm while the names of the IRAQI and COALITION DEAD are read out.

360,000 U.S. troops have passed through Shannon Airport in the past three years alone since the War on Terror (War is Terror) was declared by the Bush Administration. U.S. military and civilian airlines contracted by the U.S. military to deploy troops and weaponry have been landing, refueling, using Irish airspace,catering and dutyfree facilities at Shannon & Baldonnel in their preparation to wage war, engage in invasion, maintain occupation, defend and enforce exploitation, and sanitise imperialism; all in the name of Western 'democracy'.

The Irish government's decision to lie about Ireland's role in hosting a belligerent force was made transparent by the work of a few dedicated peace activists (Tim Hourigan, Ed Horgan, Eoin Dubsky, Peace Campers) who monitored the incoming aircraft from October, 2001. Aer Rianta made €15 million from this arrangement in 2003, while up to Sept. 2004 they (now Shannon Airport Authority) have already pocketed €14 million in blood money.

The Irish government's treatment with contempt of the will of the vast majority of the Irish people to end the Irish complicity in the War on Iraq, etc. fell on deaf ears. Modern economics deemed the arrangement to profitable for morality to play a part in their overall decision.

No WMD's were found. No link between Al-Qa'eda and the secular Hussein regime was found. The '45 minute' strike on Britain potential was recently striked out. The U.S. and U.K. Intelligence communities (are)were politically influenced to support an internationally unpopular and according to Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary General, an illegal war; so where do Irish people stand in all of this?

While the war on Iraq is ongoing and increasingly disastrous, and with the fear of a Bush re-election and the reality that Kerry's foreign policy will be orchestrated by the same unelected officals in the Pentagon and CIA, it seems like Ireland's participatory role is more likely to increase rather than dissiapte in the near future.
Indeed, with 114,803 U.S. troops having landed from January-September (a 17% increase on the same period last year), and a record monthly toll of 22,000+ in September, Shannon Airport's purpose as a vital pitstop for U.S. Imperialism is certain to increase in the coming months and years. Recent revelations have also all but confirmed that SHannon is a transit point for illegally detained muslims being imprisoned in the Guantanamo gulag, Cuba. This all seems to big and powerful to protest against - Unless.........

You decide to be a part of the first demonstration at Shannon Airport initiated by any sector of the Irish peace movement in 2004. This is only the beginning of what we hope will be a resurgence of grassroots activites against war and for nonviolent peace and justice.

This demo. will be a multi-faith/no faith protest against the use of Shannon Airport by the U.S. Military.

Encourage friends to come down. Don't be discouraged that this will not be a mass protest. From little things big things grow. And remember how effective a mosquito can be in a dormitory full of people without safety nets.

You're encouraged to Be Creative, bring your own placards, banners, etc.

Peace Camp may be set up in the area. Details will follow closer to the date


If you can make your own way to Shannon for the way please contact us if your willing to share your automobile with others going from your area.
087 9184552 or 087 9638398


Lets start building from the bottom-out in an attempt to nurture nonviolent resistance/civil disobedience, in the spirit of the Nuremburg Demand.


150,000 pairs of feet didn't work.
150,000 signatures won't work either.


The only time the U.S. Military have been taken out of Shannon was in the 3 month period after 2 disarmament actions at Shannon in January and February 2003. 3 U.S. 'civilian' airlines contracted by the U.S. military to transit troops and weaponry for a theatre of war illegally and immorally employed moved out of Shannon referring to lack of security as their main concern.

The U.S. Embassy in Dublin also admitted that the Mary Kelly and subsequent Catholic Worker decommisioning of a U.S. Navy C-40A plane at Shannon led to a 3 month withdrawal by these vital components to the war machine It would have been a permanent withdrawal if nonviolent resistance continued to be a tactic of the peace movement. The Embassy, the Foregin Affairs dept., and the U.S. military contracted airlines new it was safe to return and carry on 'business as usual', and thus we lost - they won.


By acknowledging that we, as a Peace Movement, were defeated by the powers that be, is surely the first step in getting over the grieving process and passive form of our dissent. Spending 3/4 hours in Shannon, naming it is a quintessential part of a conveyor belt for death, will be far more empowering than reading another newspaper article or watching Sky News.

Our sorrow and empathy for all those made vulnerable for the sake of the comfortable needs to be enfleshed with a public witness

You are certain to meet like-minded folk who want to do a little more to prevent our ongoing complicity. Now is the time to strike up new/renew old contacts and begin to be actively anti-war, pro-peace.

The only piece of U.S. military hardware which passed through the West enroute to 'Operation Enduring Freedom/Occupation' not to assist the theatre of war and the spread of imperial cancer was the afore mentioned US Navy plane.

Peoples from all faith/no faith and all ethnic backgrounds are invited to come together in a common human voice against Irish compicity in war making.

See you on October 31st ;-)

For more information contact

087 9184552 or 087 9638398

www.ploughsharesireland.org

by Dcw Tue Oct 26, 2004 01:46 087 9184552

BUS TRANSPORT FROM DUBLIN –SHANNON AIRPORT

*Dublin (Busáras, Store St) 31.10.04

Departs at 07:30 Route 12

Bus Direction: Limerick (Bus Station)

Arrives Limerick (Bus Station) 11:10

Return Fare: Adult - €24 Student - €15

*Change at Limerick for Shannon Airport Bus*

Limerick (Bus Station) Departs 11:30 Route 343
Arrives at Shannon Airport 12:20

Return Fare: Adult - €8.40 Student - €6.80
Single Fare: Adult – €5.20 Student - €4.60

* Folks should disembark at Shannon Town Centre

Dublin (Busáras, Store St) - Shannon Airport 31.10.04

Departs 09:30
Arrives 14:00

- Same Fares noted above apply

SHANNON AIRPORT - DUBLIN
Shannon Airport - Dublin (Busáras, Store St) 31.10.04

1) Departs 16:40
Arrives 20:30


2) Departs 18:20
Arrives 23:10

TRAIN TRANSPORT FROM DUBLIN HEUSTON – LIMERICK

Return Fare: Adult - €44.50
Student - €29.50


CORK – SHANNON AIRPORT BY BUS

* Cork (Parnell Place Bus Station) - Shannon Airport 31.10.04

Return Fare: Adult - €23.50
Student - €18.50

1) Departs 09:25
Arrives 12:20

2) Departs 11:25
Arrives 14:00

SHANNON AIRPORT - CORK

1) Departs 16:40
Arrives 19:20

2) Departs 18:20
Arrives 21:20

TRAIN TRANSPORT CORK-LIMERICK

Return Fare: Adult - €27 Student - €14



GALWAY – SHANNON AIRPORT

*Departs Galway (Eyre Square) - Shannon Airport

Return Fare: Adult - €21.50
Student – €17.50

1) Departs 10:55
Arrives 12:40

2) Departs 11:00
Arrives 13:20


SHANNON AIRPORT - GALWAY

* Departs Shannon Airport - Galway (Eyre Square)

1) Departs 16:00
Arrives 17:45

2) Departs 16:05
Arrives 18:45