Anti-war blockade planned for Shannon airport on Saturday, 6th December

national | anti-war / imperialism | press release Monday October 27, 2003 07:10 by Fintan Lane - Irish Anti-War Movement corkantiwar at hotmail dot com 087 1258325

PRESS RELEASE 27/10/03

Anti-war blockade planned for Shannon Airport

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) is planning to step up its protests against the refuelling of US warplanes at Shannon airport. A demonstration due to take place on Saturday, December 6th, will now take the form of a mass blockade aimed at disrupting normal business at the airport. Demonstrators will gather at 2pm in the town centre before marching to the airport terminal to participate in the blockade.

According to IAWM spokesperson Dr Fintan Lane: "This will be about people power. It will be about ordinary people taking action for themselves and refusing to accept the integration of an Irish civilian airport into the U.S. war machine."

Dr Lane continued: "It is worth remembering that on February 15th more than 100,000 people marched in Dublin against U.S. plans to invade Iraq and against Irish complicity with the American military. They were treated with contempt by the Irish government, which ignored the huge turnout and instead continued to assist the build up to war. Tens of thousands also marched in other urban centres and on Shannon airport itself, and they were similiarly treated with contempt by Fianna Fail and the PDs. This attitude persists and Shannon airport continues to be shamed by the presence of U.S. warplanes. In fact, the airport is openly assisting the occupations of both Iraq and Afghanistan. That is simply not acceptable."

He continued: "This is not some minor disagreement regarding Irish foreign policy. Shannon airport has played a role in the killings of thousands of men, women and children in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is about protecting the lives of our fellow human beings. That is the issue at stake, and that is why we feel so strongly, and why we will continue to protest until the U.S. military are denied access. The Irish government has blood on its hands and has dragged Ireland into complicity with a war that most Irish people opposed. They are kidding themselves if they think that we are simply going to go away."

"Civil disobedience has a long and honourable tradition in anti-war and civil rights movements throughout the world. Think of Carnsore Point, CND in the 1960s, the American civil rights movement, or those who opposed the Vietnam war. Civil disobedience is an entirely appropriate tactic when human lives are at stake."

"Some commentators who are hostile to the anti-war movement may accuse us of planning violence. That is nonsense. This will be a peaceful act of mass civil disobedience and will be conducted in a spirit of non-violence. That said, it will also be a determined effort to disrupt the operation of the airport in order to make clear just how strongly people feel on the issue."

Dr Lane concluded: "What is happening at Shannon airport is immoral and politically reprehensible. An Irish civilian airport has effectively become a U.S. airbase. The government refuses to withdraw these facilities, so it is up to Irish people to take action themselves to force an end to this outrageous complicity with Bush's war machine. The more people that travel to Shannon on December 6th, the more effective the blockade will be, so we are appealing for a large turnout. We intend to make our presence felt."

PRESS RELEASE ENDS

A more detailed press release will be issued in the week before the demonstration.

To contact Fintan Lane, IAWM spokesperson, phone 087 1258325