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Our Chant Arose: "VANUNU IS FREE".
international |
rights, freedoms and repression |
feature
Monday April 26, 2004 23:46 by Justin Morahan - Peace People
Five Peace People were in Israel for the Release of Mordechai Vanunu Last Week Five Peace People - Mairead Maguire, Ann Patterson, Barbara Faibish, Kevin Cassidy and Justin Morahan - were outside Ashkelon prison in southern Israel when Mordechai Vanunu walked to freedom on Wednesday 21st April. Here is a vivid account from Justin of his trip. And yes - he was the person spotted on SKY News with the Irish language banner . "On Wednesday, we started in the early hours, again by coach, to Ashkelon. Now the media presence was immense. During our vigil, hundreds of Vanunu objectors crowded into the space between us and the prison gates, many of them walked in front of our lines with Israeli flags shouting angrily at us in Hebrew, some tearing posters or throwing liquid. A few made their displeasure known to us through the medium of English. Some of these engaged in friendly dialogue. One of them told me I would be welcome at any time into his home. A young girl suddenly appeared beside me and asked where I came from. She held a poster in Hebrew. It read "Betrayed", she said. We exchanged ideas quietly. Meanwhile, car drivers made rude gestures, there were two anti-Vanunu dances on the open road. In all cases where anyone interfered with any of us the police intervened, sometimes, we felt, too much. The angry shouts around the prison gates increased as Israeli banners multiplied by the minute. The largest was a yellow one saying "SUSANNAH YORK IS A HYPOCRITE". All the while, Ben the trumpet player drowned out the angry invective with his uplifting music. Then eighteen doves floated into the air. When the gates opened - (you may have seen the prisoner emerge. We didn't) - we saw the angry mob and a few placards of a bodyguard that had been chosen to accompany him. Our chant arose "VANUNU IS FREE". He was driven away. Our chants drowned out the angry ones. Then several dozens of eggs were thrown at us from behind by supermarket workers still in their red SPAR-like uniforms. Several hit their targets. We saw crates of eggs being carried from the supermarket. After ten minutes of this we got directions to return to our coach where we closed all windows and drove home." Five Peace People, Mairead Maguire, Ann Patterson, Barbara Faibish, Kevin Cassidy and myself, were outside Ashkelon prison in southern Israel when Mordechai Vanunu walked to freedom on Wednesday 21st April. We had flown out of Belfast on Monday morning, arrived in an empty-looking Ben Gurion airport late that night and stayed in the Old Jaffa Hostel. TUESDAY'S VIGIL On a sunny Tuesday morning we had non-violence training practice on the roof with a group of forty, then prepared our individual placards and travelled to Ashkelon by coach around midday. There, as part of an international support and welcoming party of about 100, we vigilled for four hours. The world's press and TV were already there, and just as we arrived a group of angry anti-Vanunu people began to shout and roar at us for the cameras. Then there were speeches, chants, songs, interviews and the heartening sound of a trumpet playing "We shall overcome". Felice Coen-Joppa from the US named all the cities that were holding vigils on Wednesday and ended by saying "in Dublin, Ireland, there will be an all-night vigil tonight and a march to Parliament to morrow". All the while we were accommodated behind police barriers on the side of the road farthest from the blue prison gates. Organizers of the vigil in Israel had agreed to this with the local police. The vigil ended without incident. WEDNESDAY: VANUNU IS FREE On Wednesday, we started in the early hours, again by coach, to Ashkelon. Now the media presence was immense. During our vigil, hundreds of Vanunu objectors crowded into the space between us and the prison gates, many of them walked in front of our lines with Israeli flags shouting angrily at us in Hebrew, some tearing posters or throwing liquid. A few made their displeasure known to us through the medium of English. Some of these engaged in friendly dialogue. One of them told me I would be welcome at any time into his home. A young girl suddenly appeared beside me and asked where I came from . She held a poster in Hebrew. It read "Betrayed", she said. We exchanged ideas quietly. Meanwhile, car drivers made rude gestures, there were two anti-Vanunu dances on the open road. In all cases where anyone interfered with any of us the police intervened, sometimes, we felt, too much. The angry shouts around the prison gates increased as Israeli banners multiplied by the minute. The largest was a yellow one saying "SUSANNAH YORK IS A HYPOCRITE". All the while, Ben the trumpet player drowned out the angry invective with his uplifting music. Then eighteen doves floated into the air. When the gates opened, you may have seen the prisoner emerge - we didn't. We saw the angry mob and a few placards of a bodyguard that had been chosen to accompany him. Our chant arose "VANUNU IS FREE". He was driven away. Our chants drowned out the angry ones. Then several dozens of eggs were thrown at us from behind by supermarket workers still in their red SPAR-like uniforms. Several hit their targets. We saw crates being carried of eggs being carri edfrom the supermarket. After ten minutes of this we got directions to return to our coach where we closed all windows and drove home. We were to meet Mordechai Vanunu in a Jaffa restaurant for a meal of
celebration but the venue was too open and dangerous for him so we
headed to an unknown destination that evening. It turned out to be
Jerusalem. We filed past the cameras into the Church of St George and
stood waiting for something to happen. It happened from behind
us.Mordechai Vanunu had begun at the end of the line to hug us
individually. All through this tour our guide talked to us about the present awful
situation in Palestine. In his own village no family has escaped
without the death of at least one member. There has been constant
encroachment on Palestinian land, the face of the map is always
changing, what is there to do? He believes in non-violence. We pass
close to the Wall, approaching the road from a field. Next week "the
wall will have passed across the road and our coach will not be able to
pass by". Do people in our countries realise what is happening in his
country. How can the full news come to us? |
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Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8This is an excellent report. Justin, can you get in touch for an interview?
its a pity more concerned Irish went to Israel than protested in Dublin - must have been the lure of the warm weather in the Promised Land!
Great going Justin. you might not have seen him come through the gates, but I saw you outside the jail. You sprang on SKY with your Failt'e sign while I was doing the graveyard shift at the shelter.
Sounds like a great crew of folks there....he4e's some snaps & report of the vigil in Dublin and a letter folks can send to the Embassy here.
Can you give a report at the Ploughshares benefit gig at Mother Redcaps on Thursday night...give me a call on 087 918 4552 to confirm????
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=64532
Justin, I’m delighted you were there in solidarity with Mordechai when he was finally released from prison, and I was thrilled to hear of his release. Have a safe trip home, and I look forward to meeting up soon.
Dominic
I've tried contacting both of you without success. The answer in both cases is yes, but I'll get to the gig very late, Ciaron.
The Letters to and from Vanunu were read in public spaces on 23/4 (jordi he killed the dragon day).
Now hopefully we will learn more about the rôle played by Aparthied South Africa in the development of that WMD program.
=That would be now be timely.
Like we would like to know like
who exploded the nuclear devices in the mines and Indian Ocean. Coz we know that Israel didn't really have suitable space to test their WMD - did they?
If you've got the Bomb, it helps if you know it works. Otherwise it's just an effin big white oliphant.
Haaretz reports today that the Anglican bishop, Abu al Assal, who hosted the reception in Jerusalem on Wednesday 21st, has now offered unlimited sanctuary to Mordechai Vanunu in St George's Church's Guest House in East Jerusalem.
This puts an end to waves of speculation that began while we were there to the effect that, because of the constant police and media presence outside St George's, Mordechai would have to vacate the Guest House before worshippers arrived in large numbers on Sunday last
Although this is good news the fact remains that he is still a virtual prisoner and in constant danger wherever he goes in Israel
Playing air of We shall overcome