Irish atonement for Iraq

international | crime and justice | news report

Saturday March 20, 2004 19:11

by Edward Horgan - PANA, and Shannon Peace Camp

edward_horgan at hotmail dot com

Flowers and wreath - blowing in the wind

Flowers and wreath were laid at Shannon airport by peace activists as an act of atonement for the innocent people killed in Iraq over the past year. We, the Irish people helped to kill up to 10,000 civilians and up to 20,000 Iraqi conscripts by allowing the United States to use Shannon airport as its main forward airbase. We did this for money.

Shannon, one year on, 20 March 2004.

It was cold wet and windy at Shannon. On the tarmac were at least two disguised US warplanes. One was a Boing Jumbo, 757 at the cargo terminal, with no marking of any sort, painted white all over. This was probably carrying munitions to either Iraq or Afghanistan. In the passenger area was an ATA Airlines, Tristar 1011, probably carrying about 200 armed US troops to war, somewhere. Colin Powel also probably will pass through Shannon this weekend. I arrived at the airport at about 0930, unhindered, with a cargo of 1000 daffodils. I proceeded to the terminal building and scattered the daffodils at both entrance doorways and in few locations within the terminal building. I placed one bunch of daffodils at the ATM cash point in the check-in area, and asked one of the check-in security personnel to take my photo, and he obliged. Since Ireland’s participation in the Iraq war was exclusively for economic reasons, I considered it appropriate to mark this symbolically with daffodils at the ATM. Having distributed about 500 daffodils inside and outside the terminal building, I was then belatedly challenged by airport security staff who ordered me to leave. I refused, telling them that I was in a public place on lawful business, to buy newspapers and commemorate the killing of innocent people in Iraq as an act of atonement. I purchased some newspapers and left terminal building and them walked to the roundabout with a tailfin monument surrounded by a water pond. I placed a further 500 daffodils in this water pond. It was sad to see the daffodils being blown about by winds gusting up to 60 mph. It brought to mind so many innocent people being blown away by soldiers and bombs that passed through Shannon airport just one year ago. I was the sole protester at Shannon airport at this time. My colleague Tim Hourigan was back in Limerick preparing for the wreath-laying ceremony at 2 pm. I then went to the bus stop near the terminal building and placed a small bunch of daffodils there. As I was attempting to take a photograph, I was accosted by a person claiming to be the Senior Airport Police Duty Officer. He ordered me to leave the airport and placed his hand on my shoulder, which I took to be an act of arrest. I told him who I was and that my purpose at the airport was for a symbolic act of atonement on behalf of those unlawfully killed in Iraq. I asked him his name and to requested to see his warrant card. He refused both requests, so I told him I would not agree to leave the airport until he identified himself. He was accompanied by two other persons in uniform who also refused to identify themselves. These three individuals then withdrew about 50 meters away and after some consultations, they disbanded and returned to the terminal building. I then left the airport of my own volition.
I then returned to Limerick, collected Tim Hourigan and materials for the wreath laying ceremony. We returned to Shannon airport to perform a further symbolic act of laying a wreath in memory of innocent Iraqi dead. We were prevented from going to the airport terminal building for this purpose by a large force of Gardai, including armed Gardai, so we placed the wreath instead at the centre of the roundabout before the Aer Rianta checkpoint. Apart from the Guarda Guard of Honour, there were two peace activists present at this ceremony, Hourigan and Horgan. On my return trip to Limerick I was followed by special branch car NO. 01-D-71476. It remained with me during several stops in Limerick city. Perhaps, that only two could be found to attend this act of atonement is appropriate, given, how easily Ireland abandoned its neutrality, how easily we allowed our government to participate in the killing of up to 30,000 people, and given the financial benefit so many Irish appear to believe will accrue from our participation in this war. $14 million has been paid in US military landing and service fees at Shannon. For us two, it was a sad but meaningful day. How about you???

Pictures to follow later