Shannon is still the problem

national | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis

Friday July 16, 2004 11:05

by Eoin Dubsky

I'VE BROKEN INTO FBO SHANNON'S OFFICE AND AM SENDING YOU THIS MESSAGE ABOUT THEIR COMPLICITY IN AMERICAN WAR CRIMES FROM WITHIN THE AIRPORT! ...Okay, not exactly... but I am in Shannon Airport right now, and I want to write to you again about this place and what we can do to demilitarise it. I'm moving to France, but I'll be back from time to time, and hope to join you for more nonviolent direct actions and court actions to cut off the Pentagon's toe in Ireland.

As I passed through the security check moments ago, an "Airport Police" guy welcomed me by name to Shannon. I replied "thanks. You've really got your police work cut out for you today, what with two foreign warplanes in the centre taxiway." He didn't respond, but his colleague muttered "extra overtime" ("extra" I guess because these guys are always ripping us off pretending to be doing "overtime" already). Sure, extra overtime in Hospitals all over the Third World too.

Two Bundeswehr Luftwaffe Hercules warplanes lie in the middle of the airfield, flanked by an Irish Defense Forces jeep and an FBO Shannon minibus on either side. Just behind them is an Airlingus plane (looks like this photo Tim took almost three years ago: http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~slack/rp/images/usaf.jpg).

I've godda go catch my flight now, but I'll be back here soon. There are people still making their way through the courts system, but likewise there should be others now making their way through the Shannon security system too (security here is crap really, I was walking around earlier... I won't say where... heeh heeh). With enough prep, anyone can get in and disrupt the traffic of foreign warplanes openly and nonviolently.

A bientot! -Dubsky