A Call for International "Demiliatrise Shannon Airport" Vigils at Irish Embassies - June 25th./26th.

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday June 03, 2004 12:10 by Ciaron - Pitstop Ploughshares pitstoploughshares at hotmail dot com 83 Corrib Rd. D6W + 353 1 492 6100

Cut, Paste & Send to Your Friends Internationally!

REQUEST -
We are asking you to hold a peace vigil at the Irish Embassy, Consulate or a site of significance in your town or city on June 25th. or 26th.

VIGIL DEMAND

The international vigils will be demanding the Irish Government withdraw Shannon Airport's provision of facilities to the U.S. military. The Irish government has transformed the civilian airport into the major pit stop for the U.S. war machine's invasion, occupation and plunder of Iraq. According to official figures, 125,855 U.S. troops have travelled via Shannn to the Middle East last year. For the last 18 months, an average of 10,000 U.S. troops have used Shannon as a transit centre to the Middle East.

WHY JUNE 25TH. OR 26TH.

On the evening of June 25th. George W Bush will be landing at Shannon Airport, County Clare. He is in Ireland for the latest EU (European Union) - U.S. summit to be held at Dromoland Castle on June 26th. Also present at Dromoland Castle will be the representatives of EU states involved in the war - Italy, the UK and Poland. On June 26th. Bush will leave through Shannon to fly to Turkey for a NATO summit.

NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE TO IRELAND'S ROLE IN THE U.S/U.K. WAR ON IRAQ

Also at Shannon on June 25th. & at the Dromoland Castle on the 26th. will be the activist Irish peace movement (www.antiwarireland.org www.ambush2004.org). In a recent public opinion poll, 67% of Irish people oppose Bush's visit to Ireland. Shannon Airport has been the site of effective nonviolent resistance to the U.S./U.K war on Iraq.

Two nonviolent disarmament actions by Mary Kelly (www.freewebs.com/mary_kelly/) and the Catholic Worker Pit Stop Ploughshares (www.ploughsharesireland.org) in Jan/Feb 2003 led to 3 private U.S. companies transporting U.S. troops to vacate Ireland during the lead up to U.S. invasion of Iraq. The U.S. Navy war plane en route to the war had to turn around and head back to Ft. Worth, Texas.

Other Irish peace activists arrested during nonviolent blockade and trespass actions at Shannn Airport have also been barred from Coutny Clare. Meanwhile, Donal Rumsfield has lead pro-war rallies of U.S troops within the confines of the airport. The trial of Mary Kelly begins on June 15th in Kilrush, County Clare. The Pit Stop Ploughshares await trial in Dublin, they all face a maximum of ten years imprisonment if convicted.

VIGILS AT IRISH EMBASSIES/ June 2003

Last June their were solidarity peace vigils at Irish Embassies/ Consulates & sites of significance in Houston, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Vancouver, Bishop Romero's tomb/El salvador, Dili/East Timor, Sydney, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, Berlin, France, Amsterdam, Bulgaria, Brussels, Ghotenburg, London, Glasgow, rural Wales, Belfast, Dublin as the Pit Stop Ploughshares face court in County Clare.

Check the following link for reports and photos of those vigils
http://www.geocities.com/pwdyson/july24/index.html


FEEDBACK

If you are going to do a vigil
-Email pitstopploughshares@hotmail.com asap - we will link you up with others from your town who are considering a vigil on June 25th/26th.

-Send a postal address asap and we will send you a Demilitarise Shannon poster that can be held at embassies etc. around the world.

-Be sure to take a photo of the vigil and write a report which we can share with the peace movement here in Ireland.

-Consider writing a letter of protest to hand in at your Irish Embassy or Consulate. International pressure will do the world of good for the Irish government.


Ciaron O'Reilly

www.ploughsharesireland.org

Mobile/cell +353 (0)87 918 4552