Limerick Rally calls for end to attacks on civilians in Lebanon
national |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report
Friday August 04, 2006 02:53
by John Lannon
Up to 200 people gathered at a rally held in Limerick on Thursday 3rd August to protest against the killing of innocent civilians in the Israeli-Lebanon war. Those who attended included members of the Arab community in Limerick as well as concerned Irish people who wanted to express opposition to the ongoing death and destruction being caused mainly by Israeli forces.
Section of crowd attending Limerick rally
The rally was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), UL Palestine Solidarity Society, and Amnesty International Limerick Group, and was supported by a wide range of other organisations. Speakers who addressed the crowd were unanimous in their call for an immediate ceasefire, and stressed the need for the Irish government to do all in its power to achieve this.
The rally was held at the lower end of O’Connell St., and started just after 7pm. It was addressed first by Haider El Mawla, a Lebanese man living in Limerick. Haider spoke of the awful suffering of women and children in South Lebanon, of people having to move from their homes, and of the fact that he himself has family living in danger in Beirut. Other speakers included John Lannon of Amnesty International, Jan O’Sullivan, Labour TD for Limerick, and Edward Horgan, former Irish Army Commandant and peace activist.
John Lannon said that what Israel was doing now appears to be direct, deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. He said that such action violates international humanitarian law, and amounts to war crimes. He condemned killing of civilians by both sides in the conflict, but pointed out that the Israeli Defence Forces actions made it impossible not to focus on their actions. John also referred to the ongoing collective punishment being carried out by the Israeli’s in the Gaza Strip, saying it was out of proportion to abductions, risk from armed factions, or anything else the Palestinians have done.
In her speech, Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan echoed the description of events as violations of international law, and stressing the need for the Irish Government to do more. She said that she and her party were opposed to the use of Shannon airport as a stop for the US forces, and reminded the crowd that Ireland does have a role to play in trying to bring an end to the Middle East conflict.
In summing up, Zoe Lawlor of the IPSC said that one thing people can do to show their opposition to what Israel is doing is to stop buying Israeli products. She said that in Limerick many of the major supermarkets stock Israeli fruit, vegetables and herbs, and she asked people to inform customer services that they objected to the sale of these. She also encouraged people to contact their local TD, MEP, Senator or councillor with a demand that the Irish government call for immediate international sanctions against Israel.
Jan O'Sullivan TD addresses the Limerick rally
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Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14I think many people in this country and throughout the world have a sense of futility, despair and helplessness in relation to the terrible human tragedy unfolding in Lebanon. These rallies are great way of standing up and saying we do not agree with what is happening and are angry that our governments are either procrastinating or doing nothing to help the situation. Every day that goes by means more unnecessary deaths. We need to keep up the pressure on international governments to find a resolution or at the very least stop aiding a regime that may be committing war crimes.
This is a good site for petitions and first hand information on the situation in Lebanon
I am an American, and I don't take offense. In fact, the demonstration reminds me of one of our greatest writers and thinkers, Mark Twain.
His writings at the beginning of the 20th century are strangely relevant now:
http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/marktwain-impe...m.htm
I salute you Limerick. Carry on! You are helping us salvage our republic and our constitution.
Bury your head in the sand Mr. Small and no-one can help you.
I do however salute the soldiers of the US who are fighting and
dying to preserve your freedom to read Mark Twain and your freedom
to practice whatever beliefs you hold.
In the middle east you wouldn't enjoy these freedoms.
John also referred to the ongoing collective punishment being carried out by the Israeli’s in the Gaza Strip, saying it was out of proportion to abductions, risk from armed factions, or anything else the Palestinians have done.
Somebody should explain to John that Israel withdrew from gaza in good faith that the palestinians would look after their territory as they promised to do
Instead within 2 days the palestinians started lobbing rockets and mortars from the then paleistinian exclusive territory into israel, a blatent fuck you approach and typical of the palestinians, giving Israel no choice but to march back in and like a parent to an insolent child, teach a lesson in basic manners
Unfortunately the palestinians are extremely slow learners
It is difficult to know and understand what frames the attitude of a comment such as the previous ill-informed one from `"suicide bomber" - which in itself is a testament to the depth of the analysis from which it squirted.
"Israel withdrew from gaza in good faith that the palestinians would look after their territory" - WOW. Where should one begin in order to expose the crass shallowness and ignorance of the facts which this statement obviously demonstrates?
Someone with more time than me needs to write the book "Israeli Genocide for Dummies".
Well done Limerick.
Article 27: The Palestine Liberation Organization shall cooperate with all Arab states, each according to its potentialities; and will adopt a neutral policy among them in the light of the requirements of the war of liberation; and on this basis it shall not interfere in the internal affairs of any Arab state.
lol, SOMEBODY TELL THAT TO JORDAN AND LEBANON
They murder civilians end of story
Israel withdrew from gaza in good faith that the palestinians would look after their territory" - WOW. Where should one begin in order to expose the crass shallowness and ignorance of the facts which this statement obviously demonstrates?
In essence the person is correct---Israel did withdraw from gaza and the PLO promised to stop hamas from attacking and importing rockets from Egypt. You may remember when Israel occupied gaza in the 80s the palestinians threw stones--mainly because they could not get weapons from Egypt. Once Israel withdrew the rockets rained down on Israel from gaza despite abas promising that they would not
lets face some hard cruel facts---the israel incursions are overbearing and harsh, but the fact is the militants are out of control in gaza
if the PLO had kept the peace, they would have got more territory and maybe even a settlement, but with the militants now in control there is slim chance of anything from any side apart from violence
Israeli Justice minister haim Ramon "in order to prevent casualties among Israeli soldiers battling Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, villages should be flattened by the Israeli air force before ground troops moved in."
"All those now in south Lebanon are terrorists who are related in some way to Hezbollah" ah,... the Israeli military way of avoiding killing civilians... is to say that they are all terrorists... that's why only Hizbollah can be called terrorists... cause the Israeli bombs didn't kill any civilians. Inspiring level of humanity there from Minister Ramon.
To be free in the US it helps to be white, rich, christian etc etc. Go tell the people of New Orleans how free they are! Or the native Americans in their reservations/ghettos. Tell the person who is refused admission to hospital because they don't have any insurance how free they are. Or people stuck in housing projects without a chance of getting a proper education. Or the people who are forced to join your army because of the 'poverty draft'. Your American dream is a lie and a myth.
Finnegan,
Who the hell is threatening Wm Small's right to read Mark Twain?
Reports indicate that's its President Chucklenuts whose obsessed with what we're reading...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-05...x.htm
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2...10705
"Mr. President: You are not fooling anybody with your alleged war against terrorism. In our perspective, you and Israel are the most unscrupulous terrorists on earth. If you want to fight terrorism, we suggest that you start with your administration and your hideous ally, Israel.
You repeatedly claim that Israel is acting in self-defense. How preposterous! Self-defense on other people's occupied territory is tantamount to one thing: blatant aggression."
Bye Bye bush.
in penance for the crappy treatment Limerick City gave its Jewish citizens by forcing them out in 1904, and in penancefor the stunningly limited refuge Ireland gave to the desperate homeless European Jews who had survived the horrors of WW II (when Ireland was "neutral"), I call upon all the communities of Limerick and all the politicians to offer a place to live to at least 10,000 Lebanese refugees. Right now.
Lord knows the Lebanese fleeing their country at this moment cannot count on their neighbours in Syria or Jordan to help them out. Look what the Syrians and Jordanians and Egyptians and Lebanese did to the Palestinians who fled from "Israel" in 1948 when it was established there by the Brits and the UN. Those nations forced the refugees to live in wretched sweaty hopeless camps and never absorbed them as citizens. Then they forced the children of these refugees to be refugees and then forced their children's children to be refugees -- thus creating generations of miserable footsoldier pawns in their campaign to eliminate Israel.
Well, it's easy to make speeches. But actions speak louder. For those who have forgotten, there is precedent -- Limerick did offer refuge to hundreds of Hungarian refugees in the 1950s (although they did not remain for long). So let's put our money where our mouths are. Let's be an example to the world, bring those refugees over here, and offer it up for our sins.
WWJD?
Mr. Finnegan Wake Up! Perhaps there is some help for you. I won't give up. Especially since I like the Constitution that Mr. Bush and his apparatchiks have been subverting for the past few years. Your rhetoric is the same old bull I have heard from the fake super-"patriots", the neo-cons and the talk radio geniuses since my adult life began in America. And I am sure that Twain also heard the same bull from the fake "patriots" bringing "freedom" to the Philippines by massacre in his day. Try to be original--come up wtih some new improved rhetoric slightly in tune with reality. Amuse me!