Special Film Showing 'Back From Beirut' - Made By Members Of The Raytheon Nine

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Thursday January 25, 2007 15:52 by MichaelY - iawm

Discussion With Members Of The Group

DUBLIN:
THURSDAY 8TH FEB 7.30 SHARP ATGWU HALL MIDDLE ABBEY ST

CORK:
THURSDAY 15 FEB 8PM SHARP METROPOLE HOTEL MCCURTAIN ST

Available if you desire to poster

On 2nd July, Joshua Casteel of Iraqi Veterans Against War and Hani Lazim of Iraqi Democrats against the Occupation spoke at a packed meeting of the Derry Anti War Coalition.

In the course of the meeting, over 70 people agreed that DAWC needed to think of new ways of exposing Derry ’s role in the arms trade. Raytheon is one of the largest arms manufacturers in the world and, despite all the local parties backing Raytheon’s presence in the town, there is real anger at the possibility that Derry contributed in the smallest way to massacres in Lebanon and Gaza .

Following a further packed meeting on Monday 7th August, it was agreed to take action against the presence of Raytheon, and their complicity in the murderous Israeli bombardment of Lebanon and the on-going wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . There is some evidence, for instance, that a Raytheon Guided Bomb Unit was used in the atrocity in Qana.

Over 20 Derry Anti War Coalition members arrived at Raytheon’s offices on Wednesday 9 August 2006. When the opportunity to push our way into the offices arose, most of us tried to get in. The nine who are now known as the Raytheon 9 are those who succeeded.

The Raytheon 9 occupied and decommissioned the Derry Raytheon office on behalf of the Derry Anti-War Coalition which believes that it was legally and morally justified to engage in non-violent direct action to highlight Raytheon’s role as war profiteers and to call for the closure of its offices in Derry .

The Derry Anti War Coalition is affiliated to the Irish Anti-War Movement and the Stop the War Coalition in Britain. It sees this action as an extension of the mass protests against war which we have helped organise, and have participated in, over recent years.

The Raytheon 9 have been charged with serious offences. We believe these charges to be unwarranted. No-one was threatened or injured during the occupation.

During November 2006, a delegation from Derry Anti War Coalition including four of the Raytheon Nine, visited Lebanon to witness the devastation caused by the Lebanese invasion. They met locals and made a film “Back From Lebanon” while there.

Come and hear Ciaran Gallagher, one of the Raytheon 9 speak at this public meeting. He will be joined on the platform by Dr Abdullah Sayegh from the Lebanese community in Ireland . There will be a special screening of Back from Beirut and a discussion around the more recent events in Lebanon.

All welcome - visit www.Raytheon9.org to see how you can help