Dublin Grassroots welcome labour party annoucement

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Monday October 11, 2004 20:31

by rosie o dwyer - DGN

less lethal weapons

Dublin Grassroots warmly welcomed the joint statement by the four Dublin Labour Party Mayors Condemning the Less Lethal Weapons Conference.

Activists campaigning against the so-called “Less Lethal weapons Conference” in Jury’s Berkley Court on the 19th and 20th of October have warmly welcomed the statement by Dublin’s Lord Mayors.

The Labour mayors of Dublin's four local authorities are voicing opposition to a weapons conference that is due to be held in the capital later this month.

Dublin City Lord Mayor Michael Conaghan Councillor Michael Conaghan said:

“Dublin’s citizens will be horrified to discover that a conference dealing with so-called less lethal weapons is to be held in a Dublin hotel in the coming weeks. The term less lethal weapons should not seduce the general public, less lethal is actually a misnomer – we are talking about weapons which can inflict horrific damage or kill. In October 2002, a ‘less lethal’ gas was used to subdue terrorists in a Moscow theatre; however, the gas killed 117 people out of the 800 hostages.

There is nothingless lethal about these weapons"

The Dublin Grassroots Network calls Jury’s Doyle Hotels to reconsider their decision to host the Jane's “Less Lethal Weapons” conference. At a workshop at the Irish Social forum (http://www.irishsocialforum.org) this weekend participants heard of the use of these weapons in torture and to repress social protest.

Considering the 17 deaths caused by ‘less lethal’ plastic and rubber bullets on this Island the Dublin Grassroots Network is opposed to any promotion of these weapons. We are especially concerned at the presence of Irish Gardai and defence forces personnel at this event.
We remain committed to trying to shut down the conference.

As part of the campaign to stop this conference grassroots activists and sympathisers have called for an economic boycott of Jury’s Doyle in Ireland and the U.K. until the decision to hold the conference has been reversed.

Meanwhile protest actions have continued at several Jury’s Doyles hotels including Belfast (http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66957)
and Manchester (http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66905)

An accelerating series of actions targeting Jury’s hotels nationwide and internationally is being planned – culminating on the 19th at 5pm at the Berkley Court Hotel, Ballsbridge

More about the damage done by less lethal weapons can be found at
(http://indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=66325)