Strong Anti-War Activism in Galway City Today (the pics)

by Tommy Donnellan - Galway Alliance Against War Sat Sep 18, 2004 21:52

Christ !, barely posted, and a headbanger is already venting his sphincter on us. Anyways, Tim Hourigan's Indymedia comments on the two Al Qaida suspects in question can be read in the 'comments' section of a story posted by the Black Pope on Wednesday, Sep. 15th 2004 titled, "Supporting Resistance in Galway"

by Pacifist Ploughshares supporter and activist Sat Sep 18, 2004 22:19

Regarding the posters being carried in some of the above photos. Are you sure the pitstop ploughshares wish to be associated with this display of anti religious imagery and slogans, since from what I know of the ploughshares movement in both the U.S and Ireland it is primarily a faith based pacifist movement (see Isiah 2:4 "and their shall beat their swords into ploughshares...." and this display would seem to undermine their position.

Since the ploughshares are facing serious jail time for their action surely it would be advisable to consult with them before engaging in activism on their behalf?
If you view their website ( www.ploughsharesireland.org ) they seem to operate from a basis of humility and a sense of complicity rather than this self righteous,blame game imagery and the repeated use of a title which in the public mind is associated with a paramilitary organisation .


Perhaps those campaigning on behalf of Mary Kelly should concentrate on her rather than implying a link with the Irish ploughshares organisation when no such link exists.This link was also implied in a previous posting regarding activism in Galway last week.

Without an understanding of where the ploughshares movement is coming from you risk falling into the trap of organisations such as the swp who hijack causes and then misrepresent the basis for those causes arising in the first place.

The two actions were seperate and distinct and perhaps it would better if the trial support activism were treated in the same way.

by Guantanamo joe Sun Sep 19, 2004 00:23

good way of gettin de message across
we should get some hedz doing that in clare

by Tommy Donnellan - Galway Alliance Against War Mon Sep 20, 2004 02:30 tommyjoe at eircom dot net

Where are you coming from?, you skulk behind "pacifist supporter and activist," hide yourself in cyberspace - be nice to yourself, go mad, out yourself, s'il vous plait, with your true name and then I'll take your arrant offensive nonsense semi-seriously?. You arrogate the Ploughshares views and pervert/invert where I'm coming from, is it not self-evident to you that they can speak for themselves.? What's with the "anti-religious imagery and slogans;" bit,? is the concept and practise of satire/lampooning/taking the piss, beyond you?, now, I'm the originator and facilitator of yesterday's action in Shop St. and Bush and the neo cons crazed christian fundamentalism was the target I was having a go at. You infer that the Ploughshares are collectively suffering from a, as it were, noli me tangere syndrome, playing the vestal virgins, contemning any supportive solidarity and arrogating the prerogative to veto, or as the case may be, to give their imprimatur to any proposed support for them, now, I know most of the Ploughshares personally and I would think they would welcome my and my fellow activists attempts to keep their name in the public consciousness, to make it explicit to you and the Ploughshares, I've put in considerable street time, manning stalls, etc, for Mary Kelly, always wanting to publicise their case same as Mary's but the rumoured friction or whatever between them stymied and aborted such efforts until yesterday and you have the bollocks and downright viciousness to denigrate and twist such good intentions. I take exception to another one of the bats in your belfry which you fly in the "comments" section namely, the "blame game" contention. Are you totally ignorent of the horrific events that have happened on this planet the past two years; the criminal attacks on two sovereign countries, driving a coach-and-four through all international law and UN strictures, the obscene violation of the Geneva Conventions as regards the treatment of prisoners, for Christ's sake, "activist," are you trying to assert that Bush and Blair, etc, are not to blame for these slaughterhouses and, let's say, the bogeyman is?. Another bit of shite; the "repeated use of a title which in the public mind is associated with a paramilitary organisation," reach for the smelling salts now, "activist," for shock/horror, I'm going to repeat it, WE HAVEN'T GONE AWAY, Y' KNOW, (hint; physical and undisputable fact, the Provisional IRA and one of the organisations that I'm active with, GAAW, haven't gone away, Y' KNOW - I'm pinching myself as I type this to make doubly sure, pincho, as it were, ergo sum ). Pissing into the wind with you again, but don't you have the savvy to realise that this nitpicking/political correctness has got the whiff of insanity wafting from it?. You have the ignorent insolence to infer that I misunderstand where the "Pitstops are coming from" and a la the SWP that I'm "hijacking and misrepresenting their cause" ; within my power, I try to give fulsome and unstinting assistance to any group or organisation that I have empathy and admiration for and such a group is or was the Ploughshares and it makes me very angry that you twist and shit on my good intentions, if you can understand that, ok ! From your despicable anonymity in cyberspace you snipe and attempt to kybosh future support for the Ploughshares in Galway, you suggest that, as it were, the cobbler should stick to his last, that the Galway activists "should concentrate on her (Mary Kelly)" and allow the Ploughshares to go their own unsupported virginal, noli me tangere way.? You're a loose cannon, my friend, trigger happy with your mantras and misrepresentation, I'd hate to think that you, in truth, are a Ploughshare not daring to say your name, and, as such, I call on the Ploughshares to disown you or else come out of the woodwork and declare themselves.? Whoever you are, youv'e certainly wrecked my head the past eight hours trying to understand the benighted headspace you maulder in; Quo vadis "activist, where are you coming from, where do you intend going" - "anti religious imagery," are you fucking serious?.

by Tommy Donnellan - GAAW Tue Sep 21, 2004 20:16

I've been neglectful in not crediting Dan Finn from Ballinasloe as the photographer - sorry Dan !.