Pitstop Ploughshares & Lawyer Press Conference, Buswells Hotel, 11am

by P.C. Reporter Wed Jul 26, 2006 16:18

"I've heard of af an ambassador being summoned by a government to provide an explanation,
this must be the first time a government has been summoned by an ambassador to do so!"
-Joe Noonan

by anon Thu Jul 27, 2006 07:41

http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=9&si=95671

They are now demanding an apology from the Government for taking the case against them.

Spokesman Ciaron O'Reilly said today that his action was a matter of conscience and he would be happy to do it again in the interests of peace.

by A Thu Jul 27, 2006 08:39

Pitstops were demanding an apology from the two government ministers (Brenann & ?) who lied about them "assaulting & hosipitalisng a member of the Garda Siochona" in the hanger on the night. Government lies (subjudice) never retracted by the minister that compromised the 5's chances of ever getting a fair trial in Ireland. were challenged on the day by the Garda press officer and 3 times by the Garda under oath on the stand in 3 seperate trials.

Pitstops also demanded an apology from the Irish Times who ran black propaganda fromt page piece (quoting unnamed state sources) claiming the ploughshares action cost the Irish tax payer £2.5 million. This fabrication has never been corrected by the newspaper of record. Interesting to note (for those into media content analysis) that the Irish Times ran the lie on the front page and the acquittal on page 4.

Interesting to note that IAWM, NGO Peace Alliance & PANA have yet to issue a press release celebrating the juty's verdict i the Pit Stop Ploughshares trial. These are the three same groups that ran the Feb 15th. '03 rally that refused to mention the then imprisoned Pitstop Ploughshares 5. Green Party, Afri, Anti War Ireland & Angus O'Sodeaigh (SFTD) have all issued press releases celebrating the Pitstop Ploughshares acquittal. Maybe the leadership of IAWM, NGO peace Alliance & PANA should apologise and resign on the basis of gross negligence.

by Video Killed the Radio Star Thu Jul 27, 2006 10:23

-Daily Ireland carries front page initiate to grant Pit Stop 5 Freedom of the City of Dublin
-indo reports Catholic Worker intention to shut down & demilitarise Shannon Airport woth mass nonviolent direct action
-Today's Village Magazine analyses the mainstream media spin on the PSP5 & the legal story of the trial.
-Clare radio freaking about CW intentions to shut down and demilitarise Shannon Airport.
-U.S. Democracy Now (Amy Goodman) carrying story of acquittal
-Caiaron interview on Vancouver Radio
-Ciaron interviewed on ABC JJJ Hack Program OZ
-Ciaron interviewed on ABCmainstream radio (Queensland)
-Ciaron interviewed on canadian Radio (CBC & wake Up Vancouver
-Deirdre interviewed on various Irish radio programs
-Damien interviewed on various irish radio programs
-Australian documentary on trialing entering editing stage
-Irish documentary on the 3 years of general anti-war movement entering editing stage

by anon Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:22

http://www.clarefm.ie/

which Irish progs interviewed D and D? would like to hear them.

It seems the most MSM coverage has been from Australia, although its just syndicated AP reports repeated across newspapers.

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/podcast/wednesday/ha...6.mp3

Their words after verdict http://video.indymedia.org/en/2006/07/428.shtml

by Fintan Lane - AWI Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:23

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story....1.asp

by dunk Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:21

for people who arent signed up to those links to papers, can someone copy in what they have said

by M Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:49

27 July 2006

‘We’ll use people power to shut down Shannon’

By Mary Regan
ANTI-WAR protesters are plotting to trespass at Shannon Airport, occupy a runway and blockade American air craft carrying troops to Iraq.

The warning, to “demilitarise” or shut down the airport through non-violent measures, came yesterday.

One of the five activists, acquitted this week on charges of causing an estimated €2 million worth of damage to a United States Navy aircraft three years ago, said every effort would be made to close down the airport through “people power”.

Ciaron O’Reilly, 46, said: “We’re going to analyse how many people it will take to close down Shannon Airport until it’s demilitarised. In doing that we’ll be in discussion with student groups, human rights peace groups, environmental groups and community groups, to see — in the tradition of Martin Luther King and Ghandi — if we can initiate a process of non-violent direct action and close the airport down until it’s demilitarised.”

He said there are a number of ways such action could be achieved.

“We would use tactics like blockading, trespass, occupation of the runway, appeals to the workers to go on strike and appeals to churches to organise around this issue. We’re only limited by the power of our own imagination now.”

At a jury trial, the five activists were found not guilty on a charge of criminal damage on the grounds of “lawful excuse” because they said their actions would save lives by preventing the airplane from being used in warfare. The verdict ended a saga which began in February 2003, when the two men and three women from the Catholic Worker Movement, entered the airport grounds and allegedly attacked the aircraft with hammers.

The group said it would oppose any move by the Government to discuss the verdict with the American embassy, who expressed its disappointment with the decision.

Mr O’Reilly said: “For the Government to go crawling to the US Embassy to discuss a decision made in Irish courts would be a perversion of justice and a disrespect to the sovereignty of Ireland. It seems outrageous that the US Government treats Ireland like a colony.”

Another protestor, Damien Moran, 26 — who was also cleared by the court — called on politicians to make the Iraq war an election issue.

“It should be very clear within their manifesto that if you vote for them, you are voting to kick the US military out of Shannon.”

by M Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:52

Protesters now plan to shut down airport

THE five anti-war protesters cleared of causing criminal damage to a US Navy plane have now set their sights on closing down Shannon Airport.

Ciaron O'Reilly said yesterday that he was looking into how to close the airport using non-violent means because of the ongoing US military presence at the airport.
"I want to analyse how many people it would take to close down the airport until it is demilitarised," the 46-year-old from Australia said yesterday. "The Government has no public mandate to turn Shannon into a petrol station for the US war machine."

When asked how such a protest would be put in place, Mr O'Reilly said there were "a number of options" and that "some would be a surprise".

He said that the group would consider blockading the airport, as well as occupying the runways and appealing to the workers at Shannon to go on strike.
The other activists - Nuin Dunlop (34), a US citizen; Damien Moran (26) from Offaly; Karen Fallon (35) from Scotland; and Deirdre Clancy (36) from Clontarf - applauded the jury for acquitting them after the hammer attack on the plane at Shannon in February 2003.

But they expressed anger at reports that the US embassy is to seek a meeting with the Irish Government to express its disappointment with the verdict.

"I can't believe that the Government is going to crawl out to the US Embassy in order to discuss this - it's an absolute disgrace," Mr Moran told a press conference in Dublin.
The five also called for a public apology from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Social and Family Affairs Seamus Brennan over comments they made on the protest.

Jason O'Brien

by M Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:54

Shannon five hope verdict 'sends a message'
By Ruadhán Mac Cormaic

Five anti-war protesters who were found not guilty this week of criminally damaging a US military aircraft at Shannon airport said yesterday the verdict should "send a message" to the governments in Dublin, London and Washington.
On Tuesday, a jury of five men and seven women at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court reached a unanimous decision on day 12 of the trial, which took place after two previous trials had collapsed.

The five - Ciaron O'Reilly (46), Nuin Dunlop (34), Damian Moran (26), Karen Fallon (35), and Deirdre Clancy (36) - said "the conscience of the community" had spoken.

Ms Clancy said the verdict probably reflected public opinion on the war in Iraq. "I want to salute the jury. They made a strong statement, a statement I hope will be heard . . . These were ordinary Irish people. They had no agenda." She added that the jury understood that the five were not "the lunatic fringe".

Mr O'Reilly said the verdict ought to send a message to the Government over its "complicity" in the Iraq war and called on the refuelling of US military aircraft at Shannon to cease immediately. "Can they now ignore a group who have been selected at random from the public? If they do ignore them, our response will be non-violent action to the deepening Irish complicity in the war."

This might include non-violent action to force the closure of Shannon airport, he suggested.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy said it was "very disappointed" with the verdict and would "discuss the implications of the case with Irish government officials once we have more information".

by M Thu Jul 27, 2006 14:14

Just heard that Damien is going to be on Liveline with Derek Davis at 1.45pm today.

You can listen live or download the archive of the show later in the week at : http://www.rte.ie/radio1/liveline/

by Archie Mon Jul 31, 2006 08:37

LINK-Canadian (Broadcasting Commision Radio Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly During the Trial (July 7)
This 10 minute Canadian Broadcasting Commission radio interview with Ciaron O'Reilly was broadcast during the Dublin trial.
It was also broadcast across the U.S. on National Public Radio
Click on link below
Then click on Part 2 of "As it Happens"......

Related Link: http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20060707.shtml

by Auntie Tue Aug 01, 2006 08:39

http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s1701156.htm

by Elaine Tue Aug 01, 2006 18:32

but must have forgotten to do so. The line up at the Ploughshares press conference.

The Line Up

by anon Tue Aug 01, 2006 19:00

anyone?

by ploughshares support Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:29

Direct lik to ABC (Australian) radio broadcast of discussion on "The Ethiics of Civil Disbobedience", featuring Ciaron O'Reilly of the Pit Stop Ploughshares.

The link is at the bottom of the pge for 30/7/06 it will reamin live for 4 week following last Sunday's broadcast.

http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/default.htm

by Per - Swords into Ploughshares Fri Aug 04, 2006 13:46 Sweden

Congratulation everyone in Pit Stop!!

Report on my work in Sweden around you acquittal.

* I have sent press releases to left-, alternative- and Christian media, and to some big media.
* I also sent the same info to five different mailing list.
* I published it on my blogg (in Swedish). (www.blogger.com)

Thanks for your work

Love
Per Herngren

by OZ Sat Aug 05, 2006 08:31

http://ratbaggy.blogspot.com/2006/07/ciaron-oreilly-acq....html

by Lawyer Sat Aug 05, 2006 20:38

DPP v Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damian Moran, Ciaron O'Reilly

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial at hearing from July 5th to July 24th 2006

Note on the legal background to the jury verdict

The decision of the jury to acquit the five makes legal history. Acquittal by a Dublin jury is a rare event: just three per cent of Dublin jury trials end in acquittal. There are international precedents however, where juries have preferred to acquit in the face of an official government stance they find unconvincing. Two of these cases are mentioned below.

Why did the jury acquit?

The five agreed that they had caused damage to the US navy plane. But the five submitted to the jury that they had a defence of lawful excuse.

The lawful excuse given by the five was that they were trying to save life land and property in Iraq at a time of war. They said they wanted to protect people, especially the old and the young who were already vulnerable after a decade of economic sanctions. The five also feared for the young US soldiers and were concerned that Shannon itself might become a terrorist target. They also hoped to motivate others to act against the war and Ireland's facilitation of the military build-up.

Evidence was given at the trial that economic sanctions had dismantled Iraq's water and sewage infrastructure as well as its health service. Official UNICEF data showed that at least 500,000 (five hundred thousand) Iraqi children under 5 years had died as a direct result of the sanctons.

Wider context and possible implications

The jury's decision to acquit is a courageous one in the face of government condemnation of the actions of the five. The jury's decision demonstrates how important it is to have ordinary citizens as a buffer between might and right.

There was a comparable acquittal in Liverpool Crown Court ten years ago this month. In that case the Liverpool jury acquitted four women of charges of damaging fighter jets due to be sold to the Indonesian government to be used against the people of East Timor. Though denied by the British government at the time, it was later established that those jets were indeed eventually used for that purpose.

A decade earlier a jury at the Old Bailey acquitted senior British civil servant Clive Ponting in similar circumstances. Mr Ponting faced charges under the Official Secrets Act for passing official documents to his MP which disclosed that, contrary to the official line, the Argentine warship the Belgrano was known to be sailing away from an exclusion zone around the islands when it was sunk by British forces with the loss of three hundred lives. The trial Judge made it clear that in his legal view the case was open and shut. It was however for the jury to decide whether Mr Ponting had broken the law. In court Mr Ponting had openly admitted his actions which were he said taken in good conscience at a time when the government was knowingly lying to the public.

END

July 24th 2006.

Note on Legal Team.

The legal representation of the accused in this trial was as follows:

For Deirdre Clancy and Nuin Dunlop – Michael O'Higgins SC with Muireann Grogan BL, instructed by Joe Noonan Solicitor;

For Karen Fallon – Brendan Nix SC with Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan BL, instructed by Joe Noonan;

For Damian Moran and Ciaron O'Reilly – John O'Kelly SC with Giollaiosa O Lideadha BL, instructed by Joe Noonan.

The accused had been tried on two previous occasions. In March 2005 the first trial collapsed when the trial judge accepted there could be a perception of bias on his part. In that case Hugh Hartnett SC had represented Mr Moran and Mr O'Reilly, instructed by Joe Noonan. Aileen Donnelly BL appeared with Mr Nix SC.

In November 2005 a second trial collapsed after it was put to the trial judge that there may be a perception of bias as it had been learned that he had been an invited guest at the inauguration of President George W Bush. In that trial Roderick O'Hanlon SC had represented Mr Moran and Mr O'Reilly, again instructed by Joe Noonan. Michael Dreelan BL appeared with Mr Nix SC.

by Update Tue Aug 22, 2006 21:17

Carlyn Zwarenstein
The Toronto Star

http://tinyurl.com/g74uq

by anon Sat Aug 26, 2006 16:54

Peace activists’ plans to demilitarise Shannon airport will take another step forward next month.
Earlier this month peace activist Ciarán O’Reilly told Daily Ireland of his plans for the Co Clare airport.
Mr O’Reilly was one of five peace campaigners cleared last month of causing criminal damage to a US warplane at Shannon in 2003.
Significantly this is the first major public meeting they will be addressing in Dublin on the issue of Shannon since their acquittal.
Mr O’Reilly told Daily Ireland earlier this month that his group intended to hold a press conference to announce details of the Shannon action plan.
The activists intend giving the Irish government a set date to “demilitarise Shannon”.
The anti-war campaigner said this would mean ending the US military’s use of the airport.
The Irish government is expected to ignore any such demand.

http://www.dailyireland.com/home.tvt?_ticket=2HGDALOLO9...opp=1

(When I read the headline I thought they demanding a promise no Irish army to defend the the airport from demilitarizing actions which would have been an interesing demand).