There is a Light that Never Goes Out

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday June 23, 2004 21:11 by Shankar Sharma shanks1980 at hotmail dot com 085 725 9660

Caoimhe Butterly ends her 14-day fast

Caoimhe Butterly ended her 14-day hunger strike and vigil against Cement Roadstone Hauling’s (CRH) irrefuted involvement in the building of the Apartheid Wall in Palestine this evening.

After a few days of protest outside both the Israeli and US Embassies, Butterly returned to Fitzwilliam Square, where she was joined by a small group of supporters who braved the cold and rain to read out a litany of the dead. On a solemn occasion, names ages and causes of death were read out. “I wanted to give these names some sort of narrative,” she explained afterwards. “So that people could maybe put themselves in the shoes of a mother or father who has lost a child.”

Butterly was in good spirits as she took down the flags, banners and posters that made her a familiar sight to passers-by for the past two weeks. “I hope that this has started some kind of movement,” she stated, but expressed mixed feelings about the impact of her demonstration. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure what sort of reaction I’d get,” she said, before wryly handing over a less than flattering comment piece from The Irish Independent. “But I wanted voices to be heard, and the support from passers-by has been fantastic.”

Although the fasting and leafleting is now over – and many hugs and messages of ‘well done’ received – there’s scant rest for Caoimhe. “I have a friend who’s having immigration problems and I’ll need to help him out tomorrow,” she points out.

And then it’s off to Shannon for the visit of a certain Mr Bush on Friday.

“I can’t wait.”

For more information regarding the situation in Palestine or on the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) visit www.supportpalestine.org
For more information regarding the Apartheid Wall visit http://stopthewall.org

Caoimhe Butterly strongly urges the boycotting of Israeli goods