Peace Walk Shannon Airport to Kilrush Ploughsares Trial J21-J24

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Sat Jun 07, 2003 16:14 pitstopploughshares at hotmail dot com 087 918 4552

Andrea Needham, one of the Seeds of Hope Ploughshares women acquitted of £2.5 million of "criminal damage" to a British Aerospace Hawk fighter will kick off the peace walk to the Pit Stop Ploughshares trial in Kilrush, Co. Clare.
The Peace Walk begins with a rally at 12 noon on Saturday June 21st. at Shannon Airport

Andrea and three other women were acquitted of charges of conspiracy and criminal damage in July 1996 by a Liverpool jury after spending 6 months on remand in Risley Prison.

Since her acquittal Andrea's activism has focussed primarily against the war on the Iraqi people. As part of "Voices in the Wilderness" she travelled several time to Iraq to break the genocidal sanctions.

SEEDS OF HOPE - EAST TIMOR PLOUHGSHARES: On January 29, 1996, borough counselor Joanna Wilson from Merseyside, gardener Lotta Kronlid from Sweden, and nurse Andrea Needham from Kirby, carried out the third British Plowshares action. In the early morning they entered the British Aerospace military site at Warton, Lancashire and proceeded to disarm a Hawk warplane. They hammered on the radar nose of the plane and on the control panel. When they were finished with their work they were able to make some phone calls from inside the South Hanger to tell their friends and the press about their witness. They were then arrested by the police. The Hawk ground-attack airplane that they disarmed (jet number ZH 955) was part of an order destined to Indonesia. Indonesia has since 1975 (when East Timor declared its independence) been waging a genocidal war against the people of East Timor. More than 200,000 people have been killed, which is about one third of the pre-invasion population. The group stated that there is substantial evidence that Hawks from previous deals have been used by the Indonesian military to bomb civilians.
The arms export to Indonesia, and especially the Hawk deal, has been opposed by many people and groups all over Britain, the group says. But the government and BAe have refused to stop the sale. "These planes will soon be killing people in East Timor unless action is taken immediately to stop them", the group says. Another member of the group, Angie Zelter, an environmental campaigner from Norfolk, publicly stated she intends to carry out a future ploughshares action at BAe to continue the process of disarmament there.
The four women where held in remand until the trial in July, charged with illegal entry and criminal damage. During the seven-day trial, the women—three of whom defended themselves—said they were disarming the Hawk, not vandalizing it, claiming the action was justified because the plane was going to be used against the civilians of East Timor. (The Hawk was one of 24 sold by British Aerospace to the Indonesian dictatorship; similar planes previously shipped to Indonesia have been seen bombing and flying over East Timor—and dropping bombs there.)
The three women were imprisoned and charged with illegal entry and criminal damage. Another member of the group, Angie Zelter, an environmental campaigner from Norfolk, England who signed the action statement and vowed to do another ploughshares action at BAe,

was arrested on February 7, 1997 as she was on her way to a public meeting to speak. She was jailed and reunited with the other three.

After six months of imprisonment and nine pre-trial court appearances, the jury trial for the four began on July 23, 1997 at the Liverpool Crown Court. Throughout the week, supporters organized teach-ins and vigils. The prosecution case took two days. It included numerous witnesses testifying from BAe, the prosecutor showing the jury the report the women left in the plane’s cockpit, and allowing the jury to view the video they left on the pilot’s seat which explains their motives. The defense case took three days. Each of the women testified, stating that they had a lawful excuse to disarm the Hawk because they were using reasonable force to prevent a greater crime. They also cited British legislation and International law that outlaws genocide. The report they left inside the plane, along with the video, proved very helpful as references in their defense. The high point of the trial was the testimony of Jose Ramos Horta, the leader of the East Timorese government in exile. Other witnesses who testified included John Pilger, the journalist who made the powerful film about the genocide in East Timor titled, “Death of a Nation.” After several hours the jury rendered a “not guilty” verdict, the first of its kind for a plowshares action. BAe immediately issued an injunction against the women, prohibiting them from BAe facilities so as to prevent “further interference in its businesses.” On August 1, 1997, the four women held a press conference calling for the prosecution of BAe for aiding and abetting murder in East Timor.
Contact: Seed of Hope Ploughshares, e-mail: Ricarda@gn.apc.org; and East Timor Action Network, PO Box 1182, White Plains, NY 10602; (914)428-7299; etan-us@igc.apc.org.

by Pit Stop Ploughshares Wed Jun 18, 2003 19:45 087 918 4552

Trial Moved; Return to Shannon, Brigids Well, Dáil & Embassies
by Pit Stop Ploughshares Wednesday, Jun 18 2003, 6:18pm
phone: 087 918 4552

*Pit Stop PLoughshares Trial Has Been Moved & Postponed
**Return to Shannon J21, Brigids Well J23, Peace Walk J23-J24, All Night Peace Vigil at Dáil J24-25


On Tuesday June 17th., in Limerick Circuit Court, Judge Carroll Moran heard submissions from the "Pit Stop Ploughshares Community" legal team - solicitor Joe Noonan, Junior Barrister Giollíosa Ólideadha & Senior Barrister Michael O'Higgins.

The submissions related to further discovery of police evidence, the alleviation of bail conditions (daily signing on, banned from County Clare & a mile radius of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin) imposed on the defendants - Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly and a change of venue for the trial.

The Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants have been charged with two counts of criminal damage to a hangar window (approx €200) at Shannon Airport and a U.S. Navy war plane (Govt. sources approx. €2.5 million). These charges arise out of the Pit Stop Ploughshares nonviolent disarmament of a U.S. Navy war plane at Shannon Airport on February 3rd. 2002. The Pit Stop Plougshares face a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment if convicted of the charges. 50,000 U.S. troops & munitions passed through Shannon Airport en route to the war on Iraq.

The Prosecution admitted to further discovery. The Prosecution opposed a change of venue from County Clare. The afternoon was spent in legal argument concerning issues of a "fair trial", "perceived bias" in calling a jury from County Clare where Shannon Airport is such an integral part of the economy and the United States is such a significant customer. The defense barrister quoted a series of prejudicial statements in relation to the defendants from a variety of local and national media & local and national politicians. It was argued that these statements have made a most significant impact in a community with the said strong economic ties to Shannon Airport. The Defense Barrister observing "perhaps the people of Clare might be more inclined to know which side their bread was buttered on".

Following two hours of defense argument and prosecution rebuttal, Judge Carrol retired to make a decision. He rejected defense arguments in relation to a Clare jury being pressured by economic ties to the United States fearing possible economic consequences of an acquittal.

The Judge acknowledged that his duty was to guarantee that the accused had a fair trial and not to consider the evidence of the case at this time. He stated that the perception that the accused would receive a fair trial was important. He conceded to the defense application for a change of venue to Dublin. A trial date is to be set by the Dublin Circuit Court, most likely for October or January sittings.

Ciaron O'Reilly from the Pit Stop Ploughshares stated,

"We look forward to carying the spirit of nonviolent disarmament into court and putting the issues surrounding our act of conscience at Shannon Airport before the consciences of a jury.

The continued use of Shannon Airport as a pit stop for the U.S. war machine remains a serious moral issue for the people of County Clare and Ireland. Our broader community will return to Shannon Airport on Saturday June 21st. 12 noon. As the five defendants -who remain banned from County Clare- hold a peace vigil on the Limerick border, others will gather at the airport to construct a shrine and remember the war dead. The gathering will be addressed by Nuria Nastafa, a member of the Iraqi Community in Ireland, who will travel to Iraq with an aid convoy. Andrea Needham, initially jailed and subsequently acquitted as consequence of the 1996 "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares" disarmament of a British Aerospace Hawk Fighter, will also speak. Ed Horgan from Limerick & a former commandant in Irish Defense Forces will also address the gathering.

A peace walk will then begin meeting the defendants on the Limerick border. We will have a "Celebration of Hope" in Limerick on Saturday night, celebrating the disarmament and ongoing nonviolent resistance to the war & occupation of Iraq.

We carried out this act of disarmament of the U.S. war machine around the Feast of St. Brigid. We were originally set for trial in Kilrush Court, County Clare, on the Feast of John the Baptist - June 24th. We will resume the peace walk at Brigids Well in Kildare on Monday morning, June 23rd. 9 a.m. in and continue to Dáil Eireann arriving on Tuesday evening June 24th. - the Feast of John the Baptist. We will conduct a fast for peace through Tuesday night at the Dáil.

"The axe is already laid to the roots of the trees; any tree that does not produce good fruits will be cut down and thrown into the fire" - John the Baptist, Matthew 3:10

There will be vigils challenging the role of Shannon Airport and Irish complicity in the continued war on and occupation of Iraq on this feast day at - Irish Embassy London, Irish Embassy Washington DC, Irish Consul New York City, Los Angeles Federal Building, Philadelphia Federal Building, Houston Federal Building, Brisbane, Perth, Irish Embassy Sweden, Irish Embassy Netherlands, Irish Embassy Austria, USAF Base Harewood Christchurch, Irish Embassy Wellington, Irish Consul Auckland, Dili East Timor, Archbishop Romeros tomb El Salvador, Irish Embassy Slovakia, Belfast City Hall and elsewhere".

More information
www.ploughsharesireland.org
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile) +353 97 918 4552
Ph. 01 406 4466 (landline) +353 1 406 4466
email pitstopploughshares@hotmail.com

related link: www.ploughsharesireland.org