3rd Aniversary of the Shannon Peace Camp

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Friday December 30, 2005 01:07

by Conor Cregan - Cosantoiri Siochana

jailbertienow at hotmail dot com

An Evenings Vigil For Womens Little Christmas

On Saturday, 7th January 2006, we invite you to attend an Evening Vigil at Shannon Airport starting at 4.00 pm. This vigil will take place on the approach road to the airport and the invitation is extended to everyone, young and old,. We remember the thousands of people killed in Bushes "War on Terror", including thousands of Iraqi children, slaughtered by the U.S. military occupation of their country taking freedom’s name in vain.

We will show the Shannon premier of Margaretta D'Arcy's award winning film "Big Plane Small Axe", documenting the trials of Mary Kellly, who disarmed a US Navy cargo jet plane on the airfield at Shannon on the 3rd of February 2003.

There will also be a tree planting service in remembrance of one of the founding peace campers, our friend, Emma O Carroll who sadly passed away this week after a long battle with cancer.

Three years ago, as war loomed in Iraq, a group of peace activists spent the month of January camped on the doorstep of Shannon Airport to highlight the amount of U.S. troops and military cargo being trafficked through Ireland’s second international airport to the Middle East, in preparation for the impending war. The first night spent at the airport was the coldest night on record for decades as the temperature plummeted to -7 degrees Celsius. The brave women of the peace movement won praise from the mainstream media in Ireland for their vigil on the night of "Women’s Little Christmas". As the peace camp increased in numbers and stature the world’s press were drawn to the West of Ireland with live links and images beamed all over the globe.

Thousands of people visited from every corner of the country and abroad, bringing food and equipment to make life easier for the campers. They brought good cheer and gratitude for the activists who provided a centre for information on what was, and still is happening at Shannon. The camp also served the purpose of providing focus for the peace movement that was being created in Ireland, as people marched for peace all over the world.

The stance taken at Shannon by this action put the Irish government on the spot, with activists from the camp breaking several news stories to the press, including the fact that vast amounts of weapons, ammunition and military explosives were being shipped through the civilian airport. Further information revealed that patriot and cruise missiles had been smuggled through the airport.

Other actions happened at Shannon Airport including the disarmament by Mary Kelly and the Pit Stop Ploughshares of a US Navy cargo jet, causing disruption of logistics. These actions reverberated all over the world further highlighting the Irish Government’s docile attitude to the aggressive Bush administration of the USA.

‘What’s that Willie? Nothing furtive happening at Shannon?’ During the time of the peace-camp plane spotter Tim Hourigan logged the landing of one of the CIA flights involved in "Extraordinary Rendition". This logged plane became part of a Swedish TV documentary and later the subject of investigations by the United Nations and the Council of Europe, amongst other bodies. Thankfully, the U.S. Ambassador has given assurances to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that no torture victims have been "Rendered" through Shannon Airport. This assurance would be laughable if not for the serious nature of the issue.

Troop numbers through the Airport to theatres of war in Afghanistan and Iraq are now at record levels with over 303,300 soldiers passing through Shannon Airport this year. We of Na Cosantoiri Siochana demand that Bertie Ahern realise the expectations of the 150,000 people who marched for peace on the 15th of February 2003 by stopping the US Military and CIA use Shannon Airport in their war crimes.

For more information please call Joe @ 0868228032 or Mary @ 0879112961. or email jailbertienow@hotmail.com