Activists arrested in Shannon in October back in court on Wednesday
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Saturday April 26, 2003 23:27
by Seanie
Nine of the ten anti-war activists arrested during the mass trespass at Shannon airport on 12 October 2002 will be up in court in Tulla District Court again on Wednesday. Most pleaded not guilty at their last appearance and the case was consequently postponed. It is expected that they will receive their sentences on Wednesday. The nine were arrested following the successful pulling down of the fence and a 100-strong mass trespass on airport grounds following an anti-war rally at the airport. Five of those up in court are from the rebel city of Cork. All hail the Peoples Republic of Cork!!
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Hope people turn up to support them. With all the blowholing around March 1st etc those arrested during the SUCCESSFUL direct action last October have been completely forgotton. Far as i know this was the only successful MASS direct action at Shannon. Am i wrong?
thats our number if you need somewhere to stay the night before or directions etc.............
Bzz bzz...bzz bzz...splutter, splutter...yeah, Shannon Peace House here. Shalom!...uh huh...yeah...right, no problem. It's just beyond the airport...grand...yeah... no, you can't focking stay. Do you think this is some focking flop house? A hangout for hippies and non-working Catholics?...yeah, grand, ah yeah, awright so. As long as you don't try to mobilise big groups of people...yeah, affinity groups only...Doink!
On another thread it has been calculated that 18 anti-war activists have done the business at Shannon:
Eoin Dubsky: 1
October fence-job and mass trespass: 9 (should be 10 but 1 seems not charged)
Mary Kelly: 1
CW in February: 5
CW recently: 2
Let's not forget the Shannon 18 now that things are less hectic. We can't just go home and forget about them. All 18 need our support - financial and otherwise.
The October action, where the fence was actually pulled to the ground, was the first major act of civil disobedience/DA at Shannon. Eoin Dubsky had carried out a brave act shortly before by painting for peace but the mass trespass really showed up the weakness of security at Shannon. I suppose individuals involved in mass actions never really receive the same attention as those involved in individual DA, but this was a serious piece of work. Those involved set out to pull down the fence to instigate a mass trespass - and they succeeded brilliantly. It was a class piece of work!
10 peeps were arrested on March 1st, of them one flew the coop, 5 were successfully prosecuted on public order charges, and 4 got off.
There are still some costs to be met for these peeps.
Also other folk are being prosecuted for involvement in anti-war action, e.g. some people arrested in belfast during bush visit.
When you include everyone arrested at the airport and all those who have had names taken to be passed onto the DPP* the figure climbs into the 40's. This is excluding the Belfast arrests and the last 2CW ones which would push it into the 50's.
There were also two arrests in North Strand (the railway bridge anti-war action, see
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=35949
and another during a picket of a top oil station. see
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40852
There were also two arreats at the IAWM Dail picket, see
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40210
Anyone aware of anymore. In any case its clear that the real number if somewhere around 60 rather then 18.
Some of these people have been too court and have been found not guilty including most of those arrested March 1st. Some have been fined. Most are awaiting final court cases.
An indymedia thread from March 10th lists 47 arrests/name takings whatever as of that date see
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=33594
* [The names taken for the DPP cases add up to quite a large number in all. A few are journalists and very unlikely to be charged.]
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.