Press Statement - Catholic Worker

national | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday February 11, 2003 23:58

by Ciaron O'Reilly - Catholic Worker

pitstop_ploughshares at hotmail dot com

"The action was beautiful."

Feb 10 2003, Limerick Prison

Dear Friends,

Its a week since the 'Pit Stop Ploughshares' disarmament of a U.S navy plane at Shannon airport, Co. Clare Ireland. Shannon has become a major pitstop for U.S troop and munition movement into Kuwait and Qatar. The witness once again reveals the twin reality that the weapons are not secure ! / the weapons dont secure us ! Over 90 ploughshares communities over the last 23 years all arriving at the weapon systems they hope to disarm - many located in more intense security envoirnments than the hangar at Shannon. The presence of U.S troops and munitions in Ireland enroute to war is not only unconstitutional but endangers Iraqi, Irish and American lives.

The action itself was beautiful - After crawling through the sludge and muck of the airfield in the early hours of Feb 4th, we arrived at the hangar. The repairs on the warplane from Mary Kellys disarmament action the previous week had just been completed hours before. We spraypainted the hangar with " PITSTOP FOR DEATH" and " THE WAR STOPS HERE ! PHIL BERRIGAN R.I.P.
We constructed a shrine with photos of Iraqi children (joyous suffering under sanctions, killed by bombing), copies of the Bible and Quran, Islamic and rosary beads, St Brigids crosses, flowers. Human blood and water from Brigids well was poured on the runway and a mattock was used to begin to take the runway up. On the mattock was inscribed the Dorothy Day Quote "IF THEY SHOULD COME FOR THE INNOCENT WITHOUT STEPPING OVER YOUR BODY, CURSED BE YOUR RELIGION AND YOUR LIFE ! "

We managed to access the hangar making our way into the the main area containing the U.S navy war plane. We began to disarm the plane, two of the hammers had been used by the "ANZUS PLOUGHSHARES COMMUNITY" in their disarmament of a B-52 bomber in New York state on the eve of the last Gulf war (New Years Day - 91). One had then made the journey to the "BAE PLOUGHSHARES (-93) to "SEEDS OF HOPE PLOUGHSHARES (-96) to the " JUBILEE PLOUGHSHARES (2000). Notching up about 5 million euros worth of disarmament!. We also carried a huge green, white and gold inflatable hammer with "HAMMERED BY THE IRISH " printed on the head. Human blood representing the past present and future Iraqi slain and water from Brigids well of healing and peacemaking was poured on the war plane.
A garda was parked in the hangar. He pretty much suffered a panic attack during the disarmament. We tried to reassure and comfort him during the dissarmament. I guess those on gaurd at the tomb went through similar emotions during the ressurection. The only fears expressed by the Garda was of the response of the authorities ( eg. he may lose his job! ), he expressed no fear of us. After disabling the plane, we knelt around our inflatable hammer, reciting the rossary and singing.

The state reaction to our witness has been an avalanche of lies slander and hysteria. The Taoiseach, several ministers, the U.S emissary have all repeated the lie that we " OVERPOWERED AND HOSPITALISED A GARDA". This was later rejected by a Garda Siochaina press statement but keeps on being repeated( SAY IT THREE TIMES AND BELIEVE IT ! ! ! ). The government then deployed the army ( 150 soldiers and 4 armoured personnel carriers and the navy drafted in more Garda from Galway to secure the airport. " WORLD AIRWAYS" announced it was rerouting its flights through Frankfurt and we are generally being blamed for single handedly collapsing the economy in South West Ireland ! Air Rianta tried serving a high court injunction on us in the prison.
Upon arrest we began a fast in solidarity with the people of Iraq suffering under sanctions. Court support has been good - with friends travelling from Cork, Galway ,Dublin, Essex, Limerick Shannon Peace camp and house, to express solidarity. It has been great to have Nuria from Iraq and her daughter in court with us. Very moving when she offered her home as a bail address for Nuin - the U.S citizen in our group. From the people of Iraq to the people of the U.S to the people of Iraq - gifts of nonviolent resistance, hospitality and solidarity! We broke our fast together on the 5th day after the action.

We are a community drawn from the Irish experience. Deirdre is from Dublin, Damien from the midlands. Karen, Nuin and I spring from the Irish diaspora. We come from Irish communities in 3 nations that have been involved in this genocidal war of sanctions and bombing against the people of Iraq - Britain, U.S and Australia. We are a very young community. Karen and I have known each other for a few years through the Nipponzon Myhoji Buddhist Temple in Milton Keynes , the London Catholic Workers squat and the Faslane Peace Camp in Scotland where she had lived for the last couple of years. I met Deirdre at the end of October, Damien in November, Nuin on New Years Day . The community building and witness has been rushed due to the impending war that will disrupt and destroy many lives. We really need your love and solidarity to grow and stand steadfast as a community, to fully explore the ploughshares prophecy unleashed.

We have managed to piss off some extremely powerful people and the word has come down the line to hang us out to dry. This was evident at the recent bail hearing where Karen and I were denied bail outright and restrictive conditions to gag us were imposed on Damien, Deirdre and Nuin.

We remain in Limerick prison in solidarity with all those in the firing line of this genocidal war machine and all those on the loose and in chains nonviolently resisting it.
Love and Solidarity,
Ciaron ÓReilly.

P.s. Inflatable hammers are a welcome symbol of visual solidarity with us - They're available from tourist shops on O'Connell St. Dublin