Weekend of Peace Events Planned for Shannon in October

clare | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Thursday October 02, 2014 23:37

by shannonwatch

Shannonwatch are inviting groups and individuals from around Ireland to join them in organising a series of peace events at Shannon Airport on the weekend of October 11th and 12th. The main event of the weekend will be a public demonstration on Sunday 12th at 2pm, calling for an end to the US military use of the airport.

The event is being co-organised and supported by a large number of groups including Shannonwatch, Galway Alliance Against War, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA), the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM), Afri, and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). Bus transport is being arranged from Dublin on Sunday 12th and as a result a large turnout is expected (contact details for the bus are given below).

Over the weekend, musicians, photographic and other artists are invited to use the public spaces at Shannon to show their disgust at the airport's 13 years of involvement in renditions, weapons transportation and global warfare. At 2pm on Sunday 12th individuals and groups from all around the country will join together in front of the airport entrance, under the "Welcome to Shannon Airport" sign, to say that war planes are not welcome at Shannon.

In addition, a groups of peace activists plan to hold an overnight peace camp and vigil at the airport from about 2pm on Saturday Oct 11th. This will continue up until the main event at 2pm on Sunday Oct 12th. Anyone interested in taking part can get in touch with Shannonwatch for more details (contact information below).

October will mark the 13th anniversary of the unjustified US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Ireland and Shannon supported that invasion despite the country's proud record of neutrality. This support for unilateral declaration of war at the start of the last decade was continued when Shannon facilitated the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003. That invasion caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and led to the current violent situation that exists in the country.

Since 2001, almost 2.5 million troops and their weapons have passed through Shannon. Today, the airport continues to be used as a US military hub, with troop carriers landing most days of the week. Cargo planes licensed to bring munitions from the US land regularly. Some of these may have been used to supply ammunition used by Israel to commit war crimes in Gaza.

The current Irish government and the Shannon Airport authorities have said they are in favour of additional military flights. That, and the recent decision to allow US fighter jets to fly over Dublin as part of an American football event at Croke Park, shows that Ireland is edging closer to full involvement in the military axis of the US, NATO and the EU. This goes against the wishes of the majority of Irish people, and is likely to drag us deeper into unnecessary conflicts in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

There is no legal, moral or economic justification for the continuing involvement of Shannon in global warfare. On October 12th the Irish government will be called upon to end the US military use of the airport.

It is time to reclaim our neutrality, to start promoting peace, and to demand respect for human rights and justice.

For more details on what is arranged for the weekend of peace events contact Shannonwatch at shannonwatch@gmail.com or phone 087 8225087087 8225087.

To book a place on the bus from Dublin to Shannon on Oct 12th contact info@pana.ie or phone 087 2611597087 2611597.

For information on travel arrangements from Galway phone 087 9159787087 9159787.

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Comments (2 of 2)

The system

by Asconi

Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:16

Expressing opposition to the war machine and raising awareness is commendable but despite the best efforts of well meaning commited people I think we're headed into a pretty dark period in the near future. 'They' are going to escalate the war in the Middle East because they can basically do what they want and have done for a long time, how many young men and women have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan broken and with missing limbs and yet more are willing to take their place!. They parade them and exploit their naivety on Saturday night entertainment shows with weepy music scores to brainwash the potential new soldiers in their parents living room. Everything they do no matter how trivial it seems has meaning and an effect, this is how they get away with it.

They saturate us with their news feeds, you can't even buy a pint of milk now without seeing sky news playing in the background ( Yes it does sink in even if you're not actively watching ). The people that plan the wars are different from us, they're playing chess while most of the general public are still getting to grips with draughts. They have it down to such a tee that they can literally enter a country covertly and instigate a plan and watch it spread like a virus and they can make the citizens think that it's what they actually wanted in the first place. Clever doesn't begin to describe it, it's almost supernatural!. Are protest marches really effective?, does it send shivers down the spine of the ruling class and military top brass, I doubt it!.

What we need is to educate people on the psychology of brainwashing, symbolism, media manipulation from an early age even though this will meet with opposition and knee jerk reactions from the education and some within the community. Practice passive resistance and civil disobedience and let the psychopaths come to us, force them to show their true colours. Try to move away from reliance on the supermarket for food as much as it is practically possible in case things get really bad due to fuel shortages etc. They're going to bring us to WW III, it's how we deal with the effects that matters. Don't be surprised if a call to arms for the men of Europe to join the new EU 'reaction force' or something similar is sent out in the next couple of years, their success is dependent on how many answer the call and fall for the swindle.

We're in an unprecedented period of economic violence against the working classes ( inclusive of middle classes ) where maintaining a comfortable standard of living is fading even if you have a job!. The level of bespoke healthcare and access to good food and standard of living is world class in Ireland, if you have the money to pay for it, the establishments solution to your troubles, 'Become and entrepreneur!' 'Can't find a job, don't have the apptitude to work in IT or work in lab?, tough shit jack!'. We can march and protest as much as we want at the end of the day all it seems to be good for is a day out for like minded people to share ideas and express themselves which is great in itself. The bulk of regular people don't participate in these movements however, they're just not inclined to do so or they're too ensconsed in trying to make ends meet and they seem to like watching the broken veterans on Ant & Dec.

poor planning

by dividedwefall

Thu Oct 09, 2014 20:40

nothing on for weeks then two crucial protests on the one day

Why did this event have to clash with the water protest in Dublin on 11th??

What hope is there if we can't even co-ordinate in this simple manner

or worse, was it deliberate?

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Weekend of Peace Events Planned for Shannon in October

Comments (2 of 2)