D23-Dowling & O'Reilly in OZ Court 4 Blockading U.S.Marines

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Tuesday December 22, 2009 07:14

by Jim Dowling - Catholic Worker

Rockhampton, central Queensland, Australia

Photos and Statement of July 9 '09 "Blockading the Road to Perdition" action......

http://talismansabre.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/catholic-...tion/

Dear friends, on Wednesday December 23rd 09, Ciaron and I go to court in Rockhampton for blockading US military vehicles.
Below is the front of our leaflet to be handed out outside court and attached is the back, a statement written when we did the action.
A blessed Christmas to all.
Jim

Disturbing the War

Today, two days before Christmas, Jim Dowling and Ciaron O’Reilly face court charged with contravening a police direction. A simpler and more appropriate charge would be “Disturbing the War”.

On 9th July 2009, for 1 ½ hours Ciaron and Jim blocked 5 semi-trailers loaded with US military vehicles. The vehicles were on their way into Shoalwater Bay to practice for present and future wars of the US empire. There was no doubt about the purpose of the exercises which included an urban warfare center with its own Dome shaped “Mosque”.

These wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are war crimes.

The war in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of possibly over a million people. The Afghanistan war, tens of thousands. The vast majority in both cases are innocent civilians. Countless children have been shredded with US cluster bombs. Whole wedding parties have been bombed into oblivion by the same forces.

It is very appropriate that we are asked to go to court as the birth of the Prince of Peace approaches. We take inspiration from his words, “Blessed are the Peacemakers”, and “Put away your sword. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword”.

As Christians, we choose the path of nonviolent resistance, and are happy to pay the consequences. Over this page is our statement of faith written before we blockaded the military convoy.

Jim Dowling

Ciaron O”Reilly