Relentless protest in Galway over Qana massacre

by TD - IPSC Wed Aug 02, 2006 22:14

Sheet !, Nanako's on the right of course - photo 4.

Italians from Umbria signing the petition with Andy holding placard.

Jonathan, a Labour Party activist with Kieran Davies, the noted street busker & playwright.

by HypeBomb Wed Aug 02, 2006 23:06

keep it up.

galway,as ever buts more passion into it than the rest of us could dream of!

got to ask but, ONE thing the left in this country in particular is being questioned for, is not condemning the actions of Hizbullah. While,obviously it goes without question that we oppose the murder of all innocent people, should we not be more vocal about opposition for them and their "cause" too.

Israel, is a far far larger problem and threat. but still,terror is terror, on different scales perhaps.

no to zionist state terror, and religious terror

by Des Thu Aug 03, 2006 03:31

Don't forget Hezbollah? How about criticising them for using civilians as human shields.

by Seán Thu Aug 03, 2006 13:43

If you're really concerned about "balance" in protests, you might describe some of your own efforts to make such posters or distribute such leaflets. If not, you're just trying to muddy the waters about the issues here. Incidentally, you didn't attempt to balance your own comments by condemning Israel's actions did you?

I don't like Hizbullah or Hamas for that matter. But I will concentrate on attacking the Israeli aggression for the following reasons:

(1) Ten times more Lebanese have been killed than Israelis.

(2) Hizbullah, and Hamas too, owe their existence and their increasing support, to Israeli slaughter of civilians. That may not be desirable but it's true.
The Israeli state and aggression did not originate from the actions of Hizbullah or Hamas.

(3) Arab lands, industry, property and homes have been bulldozed, bombed and plain pillaged by Israelis, not the other way around. Israeli settlements encroach on Arab areas, not the other way around. Palestinian homes and properties are dispossessed, not the other way around.

(4) Finally, there is a mistaken idea that this present warfare started when Hizbullah and Hamas captured three Israel soldiers and kept them as hostages. This ignores the fact that the Israeli state holds hundreds of Palestinian children as hostages and have done so for years.

The bottom line is that this is just another example of Iraeli ethnic cleansing to clear the way for further Zionist settlements and expansion. If you can't see this, then you know nothing about the history of the Israeli state. Yes, I've no problems in concentrating on the Israeli massacres.

by hamas&hezbollah Thu Aug 03, 2006 14:45

What does Hamas believe and what are its goals?

Hamas combines Palestinian nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism. Its founding charter commits the group to the destruction of Israel, the replacement of the PA with an Islamist state on the West Bank and Gaza, and to raising "the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine." Its leaders have called suicide attacks the "F-16" of the Palestinian people. Hamas believes "peace talks will do no good," Rantisi said in April 2004. "We do not believe we can live with the enemy."

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a Lebanese umbrella organization of radical Islamic Shiite groups and organizations. It opposes the West, seeks to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modeled on Iran, and is a bitter foe of Israel. Hezbollah, whose name means “party of God,” is a terrorist group believed responsible for nearly 200 attacks since 1982 that have killed more than 800 people

nice.....as a** westerner** you support this stuff? jesus

by Shaolin - Galway Grassroots Thu Aug 03, 2006 15:53

It's completely ridiculous to say that by protesting Israel's massacre of civilians and children (ongoing since they colonised the area) one supports the ideals of Hamas and Hezbollah. If you want to demonstrate ignorance that's your perogative, but my advice would be to refrain from posting if you have nothing sensible to say.

by Finnegan - RFI - Resist Fascist Islam Thu Aug 03, 2006 16:09

Shaolin likes to talk about 'massacres' but it only seems to be one side who engages in it from what he says. Since when does a bomb targeting terrorists and accidentally killing civilians constitute a 'massacre'?

Hezbollah is the only side DELIBERATELY firing blindly into civilian areas.

by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland (Dublin) Thu Aug 03, 2006 16:33

Anti-War Ireland is in no doubt as to who the aggressor is in the current crisis, which, of course, is simply an extension of ongoing oppression and violence by the Israeli state. We are not politically neutral. AWI is anti-imperialist as well as anti-war. Moreover, we believe that a political analysis is essential to understanding war wherever it happens.

The killing of civilians? The killing of civilians is ALWAYS wrong, regardless of who is responsible.

I'm clarifying this because it is important, despite the mischievous nature of the above anonymous post and I won't be responding to any more anonymous trolls.

by Chris Murray - The Unmanageables Thu Aug 03, 2006 16:48

To skew the two above comments. Political response to war within a defined set of leftist precepts
is limiting. The issue of war,as failure and the intimate connection between the regime in Ireland and the US business interest is not developed.

Has AWI demanded that Bertie Ahern condemn the War?

He has, I understand condemned civilian casulaty. and supported Un resolution. But he has not
condemned the war and the US 'green light' to the incursions and aggressions. Condemning the war
involves for us as a people , having the bravery to say that we are opposed to the Bushite regime of
"if you are not with us, you are against us"

We do not go far enough in seeking that the leaders of this country condemn war as a civilisation failure and as an attempt to secure borders in a troubled region which identify with US imperialist policy.

Day 25(?) and the Irish people are denying that this war of aggression is anything to do with them, by allowing the people mandated through our electoral processes to continue to twist language and take a middle of the road approach to condemnation.

Only two EU countries have condemned this war. Ireland is not one of them.
It is not enough for us to 'take a side' or condemn the high civilian casualties, but to condemn war
as failure, and recognise our complicity in it.

by Fintan Lane Thu Aug 03, 2006 17:06

I'm not sure if your remarks are aimed at AWI, but let me deal with a few issues raised.

1. AWI hasn't called on Bertie Ahern to condemn the war. We haven't yet discussed such a call because, I suppose, we are more interested in mobilising meaningful solidarity. Ahern and his government might eventually condemn Israeli actions, but they have allowed - and continue to allow - Shannon airport to be used not just by the US war machine but, in the past, by the Israelis. Patriot missiles have passed through Shannon on their way to the US to be repaired for the Israeli military.

2. Members of AWI are well aware of the links between governments such as Ahern's and the US administration.

3. You say we are complicit because of the Irish government's complicity. I understand this sentiment; however, I never voted for this Fianna Fail/PD government or for any form of collaboration with vicious war machines. Those who resist are not complicit and, as I'm sure you'll agree, it is crucial that more and more people join the resistance.

by Chris Murray Thu Aug 03, 2006 20:24

I say that we are as a society complicit through our failure to demand our'leaders'
condemn the war.

Apologies for the way in which it was put-

Unity requires that we do not take sides, and it is happening all over Europe. In Ireland
too, the issue and complexity of the war is translated in crude anti-semitic terms which
are denying the complexity of the issues- this is not criticism of AWi. its an attempt to open out the
discussion. Being anti the War, is to me, being anti the theatre and pornography of the
war and it is killing to look at the divisiveness in the left over the Issue. Anti-war is-
accepting that the war is symtomatic of failure.Therefore a side cannot be taken.
Again I wasn't clear enough.

Two countries in Europe have condemned the war and Ireland is not one of them, this
is societal failure. Yesterday the Taoiseach was schmoozing at the Galway races and that
is, to me an obscenity.

by Fred Johnston - Western Writers' centre - Ionad Scríbhneoiri Chaitlín Maude - Galway Fri Aug 04, 2006 02:36

Writers should make their condemnation known
Manager of the Galway-based Western Writers' Centre and founder of Galway's annual Cúirt festival, writer and critic Fred Johnston, calls upon all Irish writers to write to the Israeli Embassy, or to their TDs and protest against Israeli action in Gaza and Lebanon.
"The Western Writers' Centre condemns outright the new invasion of Lebanon by the Israeli military and the destruction wrought in Gaza. There are clearly grave concerns over war crimes here."
Fred Johnston, who is currently in France, asks that Irish writers should either write to the Israeli Embassy or their local TDs and make clear their condemnation of IDF atrocities. "I would ask Poetry Ireland and The Irish Writers' Centre similarly to make public their rejection of Israel's armed intervention in a sovereign state such as Lebanon and the wanton destruction visited upon Gaza while the world looks elsewhere."
Applauding the action of anti-war campaigners in Galway, he comments that now is the time to put pressure on the government finally to forbid the use of Shannon airport as a stop-over for the US military machine. "If the US encourages war crimes, as it seems to do with Israel, they have no business using our country as a base from which to do so."
While understanding that some writers and artists may feel cowed by the idea of criticising Israel over virtually anything at all, he adds, it is vital that this wariness is overcome. "Israel is not a victim here. It is the aggressor. As writers we should not allow ourselves to be intimidated."

by Dundalk Sat Aug 05, 2006 13:46

Civilian casualties are a fact of war. The IRA bombed Belfast. The UVF bombed Dublin in retaliation. IRA Leadership and UVF Leadership were safe. Civilian lose out as always

by Padraic Sun Aug 06, 2006 22:02

1) Ten times more Lebanese have been killed than Israelis.

aww,sorry.That makes a lot of sense.

Its still murder then,but not on the same scale,so we'll cast a blind eye on it?

Israel AND Hizbullah are terrorists.We need to publically denounce both.

protest against Iran as much as America,
Hizbullah as much as the zionists.

by Shaolin - Galway Grassroots Sun Aug 13, 2006 15:43

Response to 'Finnegan'

THOUSANDS of murdered Lebanese civilians surely constitutes a massacre. Bombs are landing in civilian areas every day (incidentally not very widely reported in the Israeli media).

Lets also take for example the IDF's most recent incursions into Nablus and Jenin, in which missiles were fired at houses and over 500 Palestinians were killed (all of them terrorists I'm sure). Ambulances were prevented from getting into the areas.

Do you think this can be justified?