Protest at the Salthill Airshow, Galway !

by John Cunningham - Galway Alliance Against War Thu Jun 23, 2005 12:40

The Galway Alliance Against War has organised protests against the inclusion of warplanes in the Salthill Air Show since GAAW's foundation in 2001.

We have been concerned to make these protests as effective as possible and, following discussion, decided last year that protesting on the day itself was too late. If instead, people were informed in advance of the militaristic character of the airshow, some of them might stay away.

Considerable effort, this year and last year, has gone into publicising the anti-war position in relation to this event. Our views has been covered extensively in national and local media over the past five weeks.

Photographs from our protest in Salthill last Tuesday have been appearing in the local papers since then - front page pic in Advertiser today; lead story in Sentinel on Tuesday.

We have argued throughout that that the anti-war position represents the majority view of Galwegians with regard to the airshow. We have been concerned, therefore, that by organising a small protest at an event attended by thousands, we might appear to be unrepresentative.

It is good that there are people, like the poster of this item, who still 'have fire in their bellies', but be alert to the likelihood that there will be many people at the airshow who will have firewater in their bellies - so be prepared for drunken abuse. (Participants in GAAW's 'die-in' at the 2003 show felt threatened by the behaviour of some of the warplane fans.)

Those who participate in the protest on Sunday will need to exercise great restraint, therefore, & not respond to the provocation they will face. In this regard, the tone of the above posting is a cause of concern.

As for the GAAW position, we have called on people to stay away from Salthill on Sunday - to boycott the airshow.

by Niall Farrell Thu Jun 23, 2005 18:49

What a week: first, we are told to F**k Off And Die and now we’ve apparently gone away to w**k instead. In between, of course, GAAW through its activities has raised its objections to the Salthill War Show on national radio (Radio 1 & Raidió na Gaeltachta), local radio (Galway Bay FM & Tipp FM), in at least 5 national dailies, on the front page of two of the main Galway city papers as well as getting huge coverage in the other Galway papers. But that isn’t enough for the vanguard of the revolution, Mr Galway Grassroots.
So what has he done so far this week against the War Show? Well, the vanguard of the revolution turned up in person to our very successful event, “Not the Salthill War Show”, and in typical macho-style nearly wrecked it by causing a confrontation with the photographers from the local press.
And he calls us ……

by What's up? Fri Jun 24, 2005 15:27

Basically, the points here are, I feel:

- Reaching the public opinion widely (and not frightening people) or

- A more radical stand of rage release through a protest there and then, where if people gets frightened... sure shouldn't they be even more frightened of what it means to have the fecken army things flying around freely and with our consent?

If the former approach may seem as coming from a "petit bourgeois" elite, the second is also elitist in that it won't attract that many...

I suppose the former approach makes more sense and might be more effective if the public is generally conservative, apathetic and disengaged, which may be the case in Galway? And what about, too, if there are active souls out there who feel overwhelmed by the intensity of Tommy D and would be otherwise more active if Tommy's good heart was also accompanied with some more understanding and wouldn't bully them with his limitless demand for human energy at every minute of the day? Hey, don't exhaust the converted either, man! Let everyone give what s/he can give, and you could be surprised too.

As a newcomer into the world of activism, I don't know what is the best solution. But you certainly need to sit down and talk, if possible without sharp objects, scissors or any of those things they tell you at airports...

Sorry I don't give my name, I'm not ready to be torn off into pieces yet by whoever.

by In agreement Fri Jun 24, 2005 15:40

I agree with the last post,

both view points are ture and both approaches are needed.

Lets stop fighting between ourselves and work for the cause

by Tommy Donnellan - Galway Grassroots Sat Jun 25, 2005 16:15

Back again to Weasel Corner, back again to Indymedia censorship.

"Anti-war," Presumably, you're not some sicko in downtown Timbuktu, faceless and graceless, malevolently attempting to stir it up with poisonous comments?. If by organising a protest for tomorrow - taking up what GAAW have abjured, spearheading the campaign to make Galway City the world's first "Caterpillar Free Zone", in collaboration with IPSC activists, attempting to import Palestinian Taybeh beer into Ireland and by giving unstinting support to the Erris 'Stop Shell' Campaign, Global Women's Strike and Mary Kelly, if by all this (and more) i'm "a liability to the war movement," I plead mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. What are you doing when you're not hissing and spitting in the grass, being GAAW's contemptible hatchet woman and more than likely sticking pins into voodoo dolls?.

So, "by What's up?." tomorrows protest is "rage release" and about "frightening people"?. Why stop there, squire, go the whole hog and contemn it as "Anti-Americanism", Anti-Semitism" - Palestinians and other Middle East students from the Irish Centre for Human Rights will be attending -and even "Anti-Salthillism". All we'll be doing with our PEACEFUL presence, all we'll be saying (PEACEFULLY) will be "Excise the militaristic aspect of the Salthill Airshow, get rid of it " - what GAAW exemplary did two years ago and who are now shirking their duty on the basis some lager louts may say "Boo" to them. You run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, you damm me with hypocritical praise, presumably, we know each other but like venom head, nameless and graceless, you snipe from the undergrowth. If you've got the courage of your veniality, why not out yourself, put a name to yourself?. You seek to demonise and patronise me with your outrageous, outlandish and self serving lies : that I'm out there "bullying" activists with my limitless demands for human energy "at every minute of the day, when all I am doing is taking up the slack of GAAW and trying to lead by example rather than coercion - I leave that loathsome trait to Bush and Sharon, like Farrell, you twist and slander where I'm coming from, for instance, scroll above and you'll find this benighted turkey cock alleging that I nearly "wrecked" GAAW's 'Not the Salthill Airshow" by "causing a confrontation with photographers from the local press". Sure, I unwittingly crossed the camera line of one of them, when taking shots for Indymedia, sure, I moved away when requested to do so and for sure, I gave appropriate response when another of 'em began berating me for not having "respect," for "they were there as a favour." So, I retorted that "respect isn't arrogance" ; I took and take the view that they were'nt there as a favour but because their editors told them so, or, if a freelance, there to earn some money.

So it goes, small beer/ sour grapes, de rigueur vituperation from a group which has lost its focus and way or to coin a phrase ; "Small potatoes from the Couchies", So it goes, sniping from the head honchoes and rank and file, from those who who have opted for the lazy-bed or should I say manger to snarl their ad hominem slaver at some one who is prepared to go beyond shabby tokenism.

Indymedia, am I to be denied legitimate Right of Reply ?. Are you going to pull this posting, same as you did yesterday's?. Shame, Shame on you.

by no 2 of imc Sat Jun 25, 2005 21:01

is backed up by your more-activist-than thou attitude. It is not abousive - the thread proves it.

by "Abousive" - Dictionary Appreciative Society. Sun Jun 26, 2005 01:58

You miss the point, for the pilgrim in question pleads guilty to being "abousive," BUT NOT ABUSIVE and also, God 'elp 'er, as regards impartiality, to being more indymedia than a burning bush atop Mount Horeb - the noose 'around your feet of clay proves it so?. Alright.