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Cork Anti-war Activist is Jailed for 60 Days national |
anti-war / imperialism |
feature
 Wednesday November 26, 2003 21:12 by Dominic Carroll - Clonakilty Against the War/Cork Anti-War Campaign clonakiltyagainstthewar at eircom dot net
 Fintan Lane Begins Sentence. Jailed as a Result of His Refusing to Pay Fine for Shannon Trespass. Fintan Lane has begun a 60-day jail term for his part in a peaceful protest at Shannon Airport. He was taken to Limerick Prison from Cork at 4pm today.
UPDATE: Indymedia.ie interviews Fintan Lane before going to Limerick Prison ( Interview ) Fintan Lane has begun a 60-day jail term for his part in a peaceful protest at Shannon Airport. He was taken to Limerick Prison from Cork at 4pm today.
A fine of €750 was imposed in April by Judge Joseph Mangan at Tulla District Court for Fintan’s part in a mass trespass at Shannon airport on 12 October 2002. Dr Lane was given three months to pay the fine, but refused to do so. The deadline for payment passed on 29 July.
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51Irish Independent story (Wed Nov 26th)
The indo is reporting that Dr.Fintan Lane's principled refusal to pay the $750 fine imposed upon him could result in a 60 day sentence
The brief article makes the point that the cost of keeping Dr.Lane in prison for 60 days will be 10,816 euros -- approximately 14 times the original fine.
Dr. Lane is reported as saying " I have no sense of guilt regarding my actions and I have no regrets [..] I would obviously prefer not to be in prison for Christmas but this is the course I have chosen."
The arrest of the chair of the Cork Anti-War Campaign member, comes just after he has initiated major rejuvenating changes in the Irish Anti-War Movement.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62295
I, for one, wish him well and hope that when he presents himself to the Gardai at 3:30pm that someone, somewhere will have seen what a travesty of justice it is to imprison this honourable, peace-loving man.
will get no thanks from us. If he got his way, we and thousands of others would still be suffering terror and torture for years to come.
This man did Lane an evil thing to us.
1. Fintan takes on the Trots in the IAWM.
2. Fintan ends up in prison.
Funny the State didnt try to activate the sentence before Fintan caused problems for the Trots.
The State operates in strange ways when it comes to prosecutions or activating jail sentences. But not just in Anti War actions.
The Trot Generals, RBB, Stephen Boyd, Kevin McLoughlin didnt end up in prison during the bin protests. They are allowed to sign their own type of waiver where they privately promise to obey the Council injunctions. They are happy to let their younger members and OAPs rot in jail.
Fair dues to Joe and Clare and Brid for not taking that route.
No Anarchist has gone to prison for the bin tax. No Anarchist would be prepared to go to prison for the bin tax.
James in Cork was in jail before your jackeen lot got in on the act.
Before people get carried away with who did what and any other such nonsense let's put this in perspective.
Fintan Lane has been one of the most active anti-war campaigners in Ireland over the past 18 months to 2 years and deserves a lot of credit for the stand he's taking.
He also deserves the support of the wider anti-war movement, regardless of differing positions on other issues.
Fintan will be handing himself in at Barrack Street Garda Station in Cork this afternoon at 4pm. A group of supporters will there to greet him shortly beforehand.
From then he can expect to serve anything up to 60 days in prison for his principled stand. It's a decision he hasn't taken lightly therefore it's important that the anti-war movement is 100% behind him.
It is important too that the anti-war campaign should continue to highlight the ongoing use of Shannon Airport as a military base for US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After all it is because of his opposition to this and for involvement in a peaceful act of civil disobedience that Fintan is being deprived of his liberty for two months.
Elsewhere on this site are details of mobilisations for the blockade of Shannon Airport planned for Saturday, December 6th. All those in the anti-war campaigns should make an effort to mobilise people to be in Shannon on that date.
Finally, the Cork Anti-War Campaign will be regularly posting updates of the situation concerning Fintan's imprisonment over the next while.
James wrote a report from Cork prison when he was jailed for the bin tax protests back in 2001. An extract from it is below
"Cork prison is full, overcrowded in fact. Nearly everything I expected about the place turned out to be true. The population is overwhelmingly working class; Travellers are over represented, making up about 10% of the prisoners, confirming the nature of the society outside the walls. Visits are taken in a seriously inadequate room where prisoners are forbidden physical contact with visitors whether children, parents or lovers. The noise levels in the visiting room make conversation difficult and privacy impossible."
Report in full at http://struggle.ws/ws/2001/65/cork.html
Could anyone who sees Fintan later today please send him my best wishes. Could you also post his prison address here when you get it. Many thanks -Eoin
an address to send letters of support or an email
Fintan was doing so much work within the IAWM, his imprisonment is coming at such a bad time for the movement and on a personal level, i can't imagine spending christmas in prison.
This act playing directly into the hands of the anti direct action SWP on the steering committee who the state obviously would prefer to remain in control.
SWP, when you're being favoured by the state you are not helping the movement!
When I look at the role of th SWP in the bin tax, SIPTU and in the IAWM. I can't help but think that someone or some people in the SWP leadership are paid agents of the state.
Messages of support can be sent to Fintan at the following address:
Cork Prison
Rathmore Road
Cork City
Just go to the link and you will see Colm Stephens throwing his weight around. Tactics and stewards already decided on and appointed by a IAWM "working group".
The SP are organising the Cheka/Stewards to enforce their idea of law and order.
We arranged for his imprisonment. We want him out of the way for December 6th so we can teach those Anarchist crusties a lesson or two.
Cynic you are nothing but a troll.
Why don't you volunteer for stewarding? Or do you never leave your keyboard
Cynic you are a fucking tool. SO the SP are now fans of tough 'law and order'? Don't you remember they have had 6 of their members thrown in prison and slapped with massive fines and legal bills for the bin tax. Really the actions of law and order heads.
Why don't you do something constructive and actually get involved in the anti war movement instead of sitting on the side line sniping.
Some of us dont believe in organising in a leninist style. Why dont you address the points about undemocratic decision making and appointment of stewards in the IAWM?
Why dont you take part in Direct Action for that matter.
Is blocking trucks and depots not Direct Action?
DA is a tactic not an ideology. Sometimes it is not tactically the best thing to do. Other times it is.
I am not a SP member. But I am sick and tired of trolls like 'cynic' coming on indymedia and ruining by dishing out unreasonable childish rubbish
Just like to register agreement with the above
some UTTER drivel has gone down here as so called "comment" come on kids this is moronic
Mean time fair play to Finatan Lane and any and all who have gone to prison for their political beliefs from what ever group.
If you have nothing useful to say
If you never want to say who you are
then kindly feck off !
cheers
Conor
"DA is a tactic not an ideology...I'm not an SP member"
The first phrase is copyright of the SP, every single member uses it when talking about DA, nobody else ever uses it.
You're post also seems to be implying that the SP do not think that direct action is the correct tactic in this situation. Leaving aside the question of why not? there is the more important question of why an organisation that doesn't support the tactic has abrogated to itself the stewarding duties and has decided exactly what tactics are to be used on the day - doesn't make sense unless they are going to try to make sure that the DA is not effective.
Cynic you can't be using personal abuse against people who like it or not are fundamentally on the anti war side and then expect to be taken seriously. If you have a philisophical problem with stewarding per se well spell it out but end the nonsense of slagging Michael who by the way Fintan Lane has no problem with being a steward nor anybody else on the steering committee as far as I can gather.
Let's not use Fintan's imprisonment to indulge political infighting. I don't think it's appropriate at the moment. Fintan has gone into prison having made a conscious, principled decision not to pay his fine: he was actually surprised the guards didn't arrest him sooner, and they prearranged the time with him last week by mutual agreement. While it's true that Fintan may differ with certain people in the IAWM on tactics at certain levels, his imprisonment is a chance to highlight commonalities rather than differences. While he is an advocate of civil disobedience in certain circumstances, he also feels quite strongly that there are other, equally valid, forms of protest. We're all struggling for the same thing, ultimately. Whether you wish to risk arrest on December 6th or not, your presence is valued - there's no hierarchy of protest tactics. Let's just make the blocade a success, so that in prison, Fintan can feel his original suggestion has been implemented faithfully.
This just in via SMS from Deirdre: Fintan will be staying in Limerick Prison, not Cork, after all.
Address then is:
Fintan Lane
c/o Limerick Prison
Mulgrave Street
Limerick
(the "c/o" is the funny part!)
I just got a call from Fintan in custody. He's just been told he's being brought to Limerick Prison tonight, not Cork Prison, even though he had initially been told he could go to the Cork one. This is a surprising turn of events, but he seems to be taking it in his stride.
I can tell you the address, funnily enough, without having to look it up. Please write to him at:
Limerick Prison,
Mulgrave Street,
Limerick.
The Trot Generals, RBB, Stephen Boyd, Kevin McLoughlin do not go to jail.
This interests me how come people like these never take a full stand themselves and instead let their young members and even middle aged ones got to jail, none of them have been in jail and Kevin McLoughlin and Stephen Boyd are notorious trouble dodgers, shame on them/
How refreshing it is to read the comment from Deirdre and the one by John Jeffries, an example to all contributors on how important it is to focus on what unites us, not looking to help out our real enemies by stoking up infighting/sectarian mischief. If we could keep to this standard maybe indymedia could become the kind of constructive medium we need in these dangerous but exciting times...............
That the secretary of the IAWM could come on Indymedia today and pass comment that Eoin Rice was not a spokesperson for the IAWM and the PRO of that same organisation is now on his way to Limerick prison and nobody from the steering committee can issue a statement about it.
I bet if it was RBB or another of the 'chosen ones' we would have seen an official statement.
But then not much of chance of that. They probably would have paid or signed a waiver.
This is an opportunity to show solidarity with Fintan Lane for his part in opposing the undemocratic assault on our neutrality. There will be plenty of other more appropriate threads to discuss the direction of the IAWM. It seems fairly obvious that much of the above commentary is from people with no interest in seeing the anti-war movement succeed. Tough luck suckers -- you're just talking to yourselves.
"Trolls and other wreckers seek to disrupt unity "
Well, then you are wrong.
A member of the steering committee of the IAWM has gone to jail to make a principled stand and I as a member of that organisation am disgusted that the only official comment from the IAWM was by Colm Stephens on an unrelated matter where he seemed to be laying down the law on the dos and donts with regard to Shannon.
I as a member of the IAWM feel disgusted by the lack of unity shown by his colleagues on the same committee.
Fair Play to you Fintan.
There is a world outside indymedia. Just because you haven't seen postings on this website from RBB, KA, MO'B or Raymond Deane, Colin Coulter and the other non aligned people for that matter doesn't mean they don't support Fintan in his ordeal or back the call for his immediate release. Stop inventing divisions that don't really exist.
So much destructive commentary on the site, if it wasnt so people would take it seriously.
Any corrospondance should mention 'Dr'... he's funny about that...
For more on this story, please go to this Indymedia link:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62419
thanks to fintan for having the conviction and integrity to take this stand.shame on the "wets"that snipe away on indymedia trying to dissapate the energy of this movement.thanks to those who talk coherently and work together towards a strong protest dec.6th to support something with a lot more integrity than divisive sniping.lets work towards getting big numbers at shannon...sitting down for peace is a tried and tested ghandian method...it also causes chaos in the nicest most pacifist sort of way...meanwhile,if any who could afford it send flowers to fintan in limerick jail(???yep...honestly??!!)it gives the guards a problem they a..dont understand, and b..dont know what to do with c..theres the slightest possibility they might actually make it to his cell and brighten it up a bit.see yous at shannon...
MAMA (Mid-Western Alliance against Military Aggression) held a vigil outside Limerick Jail tonight in support of Fintan.
Great to hear about the vigil at Limerick Prison last night. The Cork Anti-War Campaign had intended to hold a protest at Cork Prison, but the guards deftly whipped Fintan off to Limerick. Nevertheless, we have a campaign in place and will be active until Fintan is released. It's a thundering disgrace that anyone can be sent to prison for peacefully protesting against illegal activity by the government.
Please find ways to protest against Fintan's imprisonment and the illegal use of Shannon by the US military. Fintan has said that the most effective act of solidarity with him will be the Shannon Blockade. Please step up efforts to make it a success.
Once again it's sad to see that the comments have turned into a row.
It's like a creche here.
I think it does prove that many of the contributors are not serious enough about any of the issues they proclaim to be, if they can't resist insulting each other.
Also, each little clique wants to hold the power. The egos of some of these 'leaders' is every bit as bad as that of the BushBlairAherns of this world. If any of them got into power nothing would be solved.
Of course the whole problem is that ANYONE gets into power.
Good lick to Fintan.
You must understand that the peace movement, many of whom have highly laudable (albeit naive) aims, has been hijacked by the Marxist/Anarchist tendency.
It's OK to lump them together like that, both groups want to take away our freedoms.
I think it's terrible that this has happened beacuse in time of war we need certain people of conscience to make a coherent case for peace. We wont get that now, these micro-political groups are pursuing their own crackpot agendas while discrediting all the genuine people out there.
Whilst I'm sure that many contributors here are genuine in their sniping at rival organisations/parties/personalities, I think it is most likely that much of the divisive crap is introduced by right wing trolls or state agents seeking to exacerbate divisions in the movement. They reintroduce past arguements to deflect from current debate.
Be wide and take it with a pinch of salt.
I'm not suggesting that we should ignore the differences in the movement, far from it but they should be tackled in a more constructive manner.
Just a point.... I have a lot of respect for the work of the IAWM and for the work Fintan Lane has done in that campaign, but I wonder whether it was a tactical error to absent himself from the work for 2 months? I consider that non-payment of fines is understandable and I empathise (no-one wants to pay money to the state when they feel they have been fighting for what is right) but it's not really a point of principle.
I wonder whether the decision was influenced by the extensive media coverage the bin tax campaign got with the jailings there? If so I think it was a mistake, there was never going to be serious media coverage of this. And (although I don't know much about the internal life of IAWM) a lot of people seem to feel that Fintan's absence opens the door for SWP domination.
Good luck to fintan. I 've only spoken to him a couple of times ;he came across as one of the least sectarian people you could hope to meet. Let's not use his imprisonment as an excuse for bickering..
JJ wonders if Fintan’s refusal to pay his fine was a tactical error, or if his decision was influenced by the bin-tax jailings. To respond to these two points in reverse order:
Fintan decided not to pay the fine several months ago (it was due to be paid by July 29th – his decision was taken around the end of June); in other words, he made his decision prior to the bin-tax jailings.
Was it a tactical error? I think not. (I also consider it a “point of principle”, contrary to JJ’s view.) Fintan’s reasoning is as follows:
He committed no crime (of if he did, so did civil rights campaigners the world over since time immemorial; no right-thinking person would call these people criminals);
The Irish government and the US military have committed the only crimes in this case (the government for allowing the use of Shannon, the US military for waging war against Iraq);
He refused to pay his fine because he refuses to accept his “guilt”, so the state insisted on jailing him: this is beyond his control;
Anti-war protests are being stymied by the courts which have become eager to impose large fines and to impose exclusion orders of questionable legality (none of which has received much attention in the media);
The anti-war movement has enough to be doing without wasting its time on fund-raising to pay these ever-increasing fines (and neither should those fined be expected to pay these fines themselves);
His imprisonment, whilst personally unwelcome, will receive some media attention (it already has); thus raising the issue of the war, Irish government complicity, and the opposition to both.
Finally, the various comments about Fintan’s absence being tactically incorrect because it “takes him out of the loop” are, in my view, mistaken. The success of the Shannon Blockade depends on the efforts of those who turn up on the day – not Machiavellian manoeuvring. The democratic deficit within the IAWM can be redressed in Shannon, but only if large numbers get there and get active. I’ve said elsewhere on this site that those interested in showing solidarity with Fintan can best do so by building for Shannon and by being there.
The following statement has been released by Joe Higgins TD
Jailing of Fintan Lane for a Peaceful Protest a Travesty
by Socialist Party Press Statement- Joe Higgins T.D.
Press Statement – 27th November 2003
The jailing of the chairperson of the Cork Anti War Campaign, Fintan Lane, is a travesty. His “crime” was to participate in a peaceful protest in opposition to a brutal and criminal war on Iraq.
We know now without a shadow of a doubt that the invasion of Iraq was launched by the US and Britain under cover of a lie.
The Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern, and the Irish Government colluded in that lie and it was the mass movement of opposition to the war which expressed the democratic view of the Irish people who overwhelmingly opposed the war.
I call for the immediate release of Fintan Lane and again call for an investigation as to why the Irish Government was complicit in the criminal adventure that was the invasion of Iraq.
Ends
The statement from Joe Higgins is very welcome to those of us campaigning for Fintan’s release. When Joe was in prison, Fintan wrote to him to wish him well and to commend him for his action it’s great to see Joe taking up the issue in no uncertain terms.
Dominic Carroll
Irish Anti-War Movement
Press Statement
Irish Anti-War Movement Condemns Jailing
Thursday, 27 November: The Irish Anti-War Movement today condemned the jailing of Fintan Lane, PRO of the IAWM and Chairperson of the Cork Anti-War Campaign who was jailed yesterday for 60 days after he refused to pay a €750 fine imposed by Tulla District Court in April for trespassing at Shannon Airport during an anti-war protest in October 2002.
Richard Boyd Barrett, Chairperson of the IAWM commented “The jailing of a peaceful protestor is in stark contrast with the treatment of US military who use Shannon Airport as a stopover on the way to Iraq and Afghanistan where the US is engaged in two brutal occupations. These occupations have resulted in the murder of tens of thousands of civilians. Given the fact that over 100,000 US troop have transited Shannon in the last 12 months, it is highly likely that a large proportion of the troops and weapons involved in these killings have used Shannon as a stopover. Recently, US troops went walkabout in Ennis town centre in combat uniform – but no charges were made for this trespass!”
He continued, “Opposition to the war in Iraq is growing worldwide as the recent huge protests in Washington, Paris and London have shown and the anti-war movements around the world and here in Ireland are mobilising for an escalation of their protest in the coming months. It is clear that the US and UK are now embroiled in a new Vietnam and the people of those countries have not swallowed the lies which were used as justification for starting the war. Indeed most people agree that the world is now a much more dangerous place since the invasion of Iraq.”
He added “Meanwhile here the Irish government is continuing its support for the US military and restricting civil liberties by using the courts to jail peaceful protestors. Besides Fintan Lane’s jailing, a Shannon Town resident was ordered last week to leave his home in Shannon whenever the Gardai inform him of a protest at the airport.
However, the IAWM will not bow down to this bullying and calls for everybody to join in the planned protest at Shannon Airport on Saturday, 6 December at 2pm to exercise their right to peaceful protest and civil disobedience”
Before his jailing yesterday Fintan Lane said in Cork “Innocent people are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by the war machine that is being facilitated at Shannon airport. What is happening is an outrage, and it is no exaggeration to say that Fianna Fail and the PDs have blood on their hands.”
The Irish Anti-War Movement demands an end to the illegal occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine and demands that all stopover facilities are removed immediately from the US military at Shannon.
For further information contact:
Richard Boyd Barrett, Chairperson 087 632 9511 or
Colm Stephens, Secretary 087 294 7100
On IAWM website he says 'yes we are calling this a blocade' - here he sez 'he IAWM will not bow down to this bullying and calls for everybody to join in the planned PROTEST at Shannon Airport.
w.t.f.i.g.o.
Besides the fine, I've read on this site that Fintan was also told to stay out of Co. Clare for two years or something. As I don't think a judge can sentence you to stay out of this county or that one, my guess is that his sentence was in fact two months jail, and this was to be suspended on condition that he agreed to (a) pay the hefty fine, and (b) agree to stay out of the county for the next two wars/years. This is basically the "choice" which I was given by the same judge (6 months jail or 1,000 yoyo fine, 2 years "peace" and 2 years out of Co. Clare).
By refusing the court's bargain/threat about the fine -- if I've got this right, and I may have picked it up wrong of course -- Fintan has also rejected the two year ban from the county.
All the best to Fintan. Write to him in prison. Keeping humans in cages is an inhumane, barbaric practice. Letters of support are essential. Shut down Shannon until all US troops, planes and weapons of mass destruction stop traveling through Ireland. Then, uproot the roots of war. Let's close the damn prisons while we're at it! By the time the above suggestions have been accomplished, all of us in the anti-war movement will be too tired to fight with each other over broken fingernails or outdated ideologies.
dont airports not like kites?...
I would just like to comment on the way it is mentioned in this article that 10% of Cork prison is made up of people from the travelling community. I was only up in Cork prison today and i sgree that the visiting room is very public and you don't have any privacy but i did not like the comment made about the travellers. Many of these travellers don't even live in cork. Just because 10% is made up of them do not mean they are the most troublesom people around and some of them are even innocent or even in there for stupid things but it's just because they are travellors and it's comments like yours that they are sterotyped and not given a fair break in life.