Dublin GNAW supports activists in their opposition to war

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Tuesday December 23, 2003 14:29

by Anthony - Dublin GNAW

A few points agreed upon by members of Dublin GNAW at their post December 6th meeting.

Members of Dublin Grassroots Network Against War met last week and resolved the following:

- We deplore the State's imprisonment of Dr Fintan Lane, who was arrested during a non violent direct action trespass of Shannon Airport, which is still being used as a base for refuelling US Military Warplanes. We demand his immediate release.

- We extend out solidarity to the Catholic Workers who are currently facing trial for their excellent disarming of a US military aircraft last February and to Fintan Lane. We encourage all anti war activists, anarchists, and libertarians to write to Dr Lane during his imprisonment as a gesture of support.

Dr Fintan Lane
E Wing
Limerick Prison
Mulgrave Street
Limerick

- Following the blockade on December 6th, we re-iterate our complete opposition to the policy of the Irish Government allowing US Military planes to land and re-fuel in Shannon. The State is complicit in war crimes and the deaths of innocent people.

- We can only respond to Bertie Ahern's recent remarks with a mixture of amusement and disgust. No member of the Irish Government can or should claim that the people who have demonstrated explicitly against war are in favour of State policy. This State clearly supports war. If it didn't, it wouldn't facilitate the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

- We look forward to working in the future with other anti-war groups across the country who favour direct actions against the war machine, and who organise democratically and non-hierarchically.

- We hope in 2004 that people will take to the streets - and (air)fields - to confront the hypocrisy of the State. We hope that we can play our small role in the global struggle against war to the best of our abilities.

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Comments (5 of 5)

Fintan's moved wings

by Deirdre Clancy - Pitstop Ploughshares

Tue Dec 23, 2003 15:59

dee_clancy at yahoo dot co dot uk

Thanks for the support from GNAW; it's much appreciated.

Fintan is actually no longer in the E-Wing. He has been moved to the B-Wing. Letters can be sent to:

Fintan Lane,
B-Wing,
Limerick Prison,
Mulgrave Street,
Limerick.

Fintan appreicates all the letters he's been receiving - they're a real morale boost.

Another thing is that Kevin Myres has decided to focus on Fintan's imprisonment in today's Irishman's Diary. It makes an interesting read, although the logic is, as per usual, a tad twisted to suit the pro-war agenda.
While he maintains that Fintan is a person of principle, albeit misguided principle,
he takes issue with the bunch of historians who wrote a letter demanding his release. Any historians out there who might want to respond?

Look, the principle is a very simple one

by Dermo

Tue Dec 23, 2003 16:42

You have a right to free speech, to express your view publicly, even loudly if you so wish.

This does not give you the right to infringe on the rights of others, trespass or destroy their property.

Simple. Fintan Lane will have the suffer the consequences of his egotism.

sorry Dermo

by iosaf

Tue Dec 23, 2003 17:30

but you'll have to try harder than that.
We have moved the concept of "rights" somewhat in the last years and if many of you have difficulty with that, so be it, but Fintan Lane is a prisoner of conscience.
And he exercised his right to civil disobedience in a non violent direct action.
And those rights were not exercised to the detriment of any other personal "right".
The perimeter fence of Ireland's state airport was breached as that airport was and is being used to facilitate military interventions that have consistently skirted international law.

Property was not "destroyed" in Shannon Dermo, you'll have to go further down flight path for that.

& if anyone has not got that we are developing "rights" yet

Tue Dec 23, 2003 17:39

then they have completely missed the point of the Global Pacifist, anti-capitalist, Feminist, ecological, alternative movements' progress in the last years.
2003 saw us all make considerable progress on the Libertarian agenda, and thanks to those initiatives we may be sure that the consequences of "war" were different and perhaps lessened.
2003 unfortuanately saw most of us in Europe @ least suffer yet more labour problems with precarious conditions replacing unemployment, and increases in living costs which are exorbitant and naturally fuel disgust.
And if one word for me sums up the year it is this : "hypocrisy".
one of the most sickening of social vices.
And in the end it is how we treat upon the "hyopcrisy" that will bring us @ll home.

another right we have now moved to establish.

simple answers.

by Dermo's principles...

Tue Dec 23, 2003 22:00

---You have a right to free speech, to express your view publicly, even loudly if you so wish.

This, we knew already.

---This does not give you the right to infringe on the rights of others, trespass or destroy their property.

That's a good argument against dropping bombs on innocent Iraqi people, don't you agree, Dermo?

---Simple. Fintan Lane will have the suffer the consequences of his egotism.

Yes, for SMASHING those blades of grass.
He's lucky they abolished hanging!

What penalty would you give if he did a shock and awe campaign on a far away city????

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Dublin GNAW supports activists in their opposition to war

Comments (5 of 5)