Derry Anti War Coalition statement on raytheon occupation

derry | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Friday August 11, 2006 12:42

by Goretti Horgan - DAWC and SWP

As we wait to hear if the nine protestors are to get bail today or to be held until 7th Sept, here is yesterday's press release from the Derry Anti War Coalition in response to the jailing of its members.

Derry Anti War Coalition is stepping up its campaign against the war in the Middle East, following the arrest and remand in custody of nine of its members after Wed’s occupation of the raytheon office in Springtown.

And it has defended the actions of its members. DAWC spokesperson, Sarah Quilty said today “despite what police have said, there was no violence at all involved in the occupation. No one was hurt, or even had a hand laid on them, in the course of the occupation.

“It is, therefore, outrageous that our members have been charged with scheduled offences and with unlawful assembly and aggravated burglary. There were almost one hundred people outside raytheon in the course of the day on Wed. Are we all to be charged with unlawful assembly? And anything that happened in the course of the occupation happened in an attempt to save lives and stop war crimes in the Middle East. There is no crime in that.

“In fact”, Ms. Quilty continued, “I have been amazed by the number of people who’ve told me that they had not realised that the Springtown raytheon was connected in anyway to the arms manufacturer that produces components for Guided Missile Units (GBU) such as Patriots, Mavericks, Sidewinders and Sparrows, all of which are used by Israel and paid for with US taxpayer’s money. GBUs were the weapons responsible for the recent atrocity carried out by Israel at Qana.

The DAWC also emphasised in its statement that it is, and always has been, a very broad coalition where people with very different politics and beliefs come together with the one aim: to protest in a non-violent way against war in various parts of the world. Spokesperson Dermie McClenaghan said: “We have a range of people from Quakers, Buddhists and Christians across to socialists and republicans. No one is excluded from the Anti War Coalition because of their politics or beliefs, nor will they be”.

Mr. McClenaghan said “The protest was prompted by the current barbaric Israeli assault on Lebanon and Gaza, which has claimed overa thousand lives in just a few weeks. Many of the innocent lives lost have resulted from the use of GBUs produced by raytheon.

Mr. McClenaghan continued “what Eamonn McCann replied when charged – that ‘when you look at the press coming in from the Lebanon, you have to be doing something’ is the overwhelming feeling of the DAWC. DAWC salutes the nine occupiers of the raytheon plant, hope their stay in Maghaberry is brief and looks forward to seeing them on the streets of Derry again soon.

For now, we are calling on all those who are horrified like we are at the slaughter in the Middle East to come with us to Belfast on Sat to the march and rally called by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and at which Eamonn McCann was due to speak. The march starts at 11.45 from the Art College, Donegal St with the rally at Belfast City Hall at 12.30

Messages of solidarity for the prisoners to resistderry@aol.com

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Comments (5 of 5)

Well done to the protesters

by Yvonne

Fri Aug 11, 2006 13:37

I live in Derry and I want to say thank you to Eamonn McCann and the other anti war protesters who occupied and decommissioned the Raytheon facility in Derry. I firmly believe the people of Derry were fooled by the arrival of this company in our city. We were told it would ‘only produce software’, but not that all the software produced for “civilian” projects, like air traffic control, can then be used in guided missiles to wreak death and destruction in other parts of the world.

Night after night, the TV pictures of what is happening in Lebanon and Gaza make it a moral imperative for those of us living comfortable lives here in relatively peaceful Ireland to act. It's a disgrace that they are in prison. It's Tony Blair who should be in prison for war crimes

well done DAWC

by Anti-War Irelander

Fri Aug 11, 2006 13:43

Good statement and a job well done. Solidarity is now needed and the antiwar movement must stand four-square behind these comrades.

This Morning -

by Davy carlin

Fri Aug 11, 2006 15:01

20 people held a solidarity picket in Belfast this morning.

All activists should be in full Solidarity with the DAWC members, their actions, and their stand -

In Solidarity
Davy Carlin

All out tomorrow for the Stop the War Coalition - ICTU Rally in Belfast

International statement of support for Raytheon 9

by Goretti Horgan - Derry Anti War Coalition

Sun Aug 27, 2006 15:35

resistderry at aol dot com

Derry

Derry Anti War Coalition's statement of support for the Raytheon 9 is now available as an on-line petition.
Derry Anti War Coalition, together with the Irish Anti War Movement and Stop the War Coalition in Britain - both of which it has been affiliated to since 2002 - has published a statement of support for the Raytheon 9 for circulation internationally. The statement is pasted in below. So far, it has been signed by Noam Chomsky, members of Trident Ploughshares and anti-war activists from as far away as Japan and Pakistan. However, some people don't like having to email their support and asked for an on-line petition instead. You can sign it on
http://www.petitiononline.com/dawc/petition.html or, if you prefer, you can add your name by emailing resistderry@aol.com

Raytheon and St Andrews

by Colin Cameron - Solidarity Fife

Wed Sep 27, 2006 02:49

c.scameron at btopenworld dot com

Carlo

We have to have a meeting after the Sheridan meeting to discuss what we do at St Andrews. This is very important. This is a Solidarity thing, not just a Fife thing.

It is also a world stage.

Maybe we should stage a beach landing and a march across the Old Course.

We will fight them on the beaches. And in the bunkers. And on the 18th Green. And the cameras will be there.

The thing is probably going to happen at the OLd Course Hotel which I would say is virtually undefendable from protesters on legs.

Eamon's in Paris along with 3,000 other Derry folk for the Paris St Germain v Derry City Europe match so I'm not getting much sense out of Derry at the moment but by Thursday I will be able to announce it from the floor.

How does that sound?

Colin

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Derry Anti War Coalition statement on raytheon occupation

Comments (5 of 5)