Shannon Peace Protest 24th September 2005

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Sunday August 21, 2005 01:48

by Edward Horgan - Peace and Neutrality Alliance

edward_horgan at hotmail dot com

087-7786938

25,000 Iraqis dead, 85,000 missing?

Do you know that there are now thousands of US troops and hundreds of tons of munitions passing through Shannon airport every week? You should know.
Shannon is now the primary US military transit airport in Europe for the War and occupation of Iraq.

Hello all peaceniks and anti-war mongers,

I have been asked to help coordinate events on behalf of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) for the Shannon demonstration on 24th September, so I am asking for your help and support.
This demonstration is being jointly organised by the IAWM, NGO Peace Alliance and PANA.
There has been a concerted campaign by Irish government spin-doctors to portray US military use of Shannon airport as a "dead" issue. It sure is, about 110,000 dead so far, or as the Iraq Body Count reports suggests, 25,000 dead and about 85,000 missing because the US and its allies "don’t do body counts".
The peace movement needs to get its act together to continue to highlight Ireland's role in these unlawful killings. This does not mean that all have to sing from the same hymn-sheet, or march to anyone else's tune. Divisions within the peace movement are a healthy sign of independent thinking, and since we are challenging the abuse of democracy by our government, independent thinking is vital.
The state will respond that they have a democratic mandate for allowing US military use of Shannon. George Bush claimed a mandate for the Iraq war after the last US Presidential election. No one, or no group of people in any state has any right to mandate their government to kill tens of thousands of innocent people. Unlawful killing is murder.
The whole weekend around the 24th Sept or even the week before and after, should be used to remind the Irish people of what is done at Shannon airport in our name. Those of us who do nothing and stay silent are complicit in the crimes that are being committed, and that have already been committed. It was silence and inaction that enabled Hitler to carry out the Holocaust, and Pol Pot the Cambodian Genocide. Over 100,000 dead is about the populations of the greater Limerick city area combined with Shannon area, every man, woman and child, and we in the Mid West of Ireland especially have been part of this.
Some people have expressed concerns about being part of the main IAWM, PANA, NGO PA, demonstration. Fine, then come along and mount your own one person or small group alternative demonstration or protest.
There are dozens of anti-war groups around the country. Each such group could form its own separate demonstration at Shannon over that weekend. We do not need permission from the Gardai and the Irish Government to have demonstrations at Shannon. We are demonstrating against the Government's policies and against Garda and Irish army complicity in the US military use of Shannon airport.
There will be one main demonstration at Shannon on 24th of September, but hopefully there will also be many more supporting events, including temporary peace camps in the area over the weekend.
Perhaps you may feel that it is too much effort to spend an overnight or a few nights at Shannon.
Is 100,000 dead not a good enough reason?
Please lend your individual and your group's support for this protest weekend. Let your voice by heard, or your silence will facilitate the ongoing killing.
There are many who are vocal against the peace movement. They claim that the Iraq War is justified as part of the war on terror, or anyway, it is in the Irish national financial interests. It is the Iraq war that is fuelling the desperation of terrorists, and creating untold terror for its victims in Iraq. Democracy is no more part of America’s plan for Iraq that it was for Chile, Argentina, Guatemala and Nicaragua in the 1970s. A lasting peace in the Middle East would allow the oil-producing states to charge justified higher prices for the oil that they own. Turmoil in the Middle East makes it easier to exploit its resources.
It is important to remember, that you do not need my permission, or the permission of anyone else, including the Irish Government to demonstrate at Shannon.
I would appreciate it however, if you would let me know if you will be "visiting" Shannon over that weekend, and if your group wishes to participate in the main protest or, have your own separate protest.
We need individuals and groups especially to provide food and refreshments, legal support, and to help organise transport to and from Shannon.
Let this be, not just an Irish, 32-county protest, but an international one also. The innocent people we are helping to kill are all non-Irish, so as many non-Irish as possible should attend the protest. Our neighbours are all humankind, not just our friends in the UK and the USA.
We are protesting against the killing and human rights abuses of our neighbours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine. We are opposed to murder and terror in all its formats, be it nuclear weapons, or B-52 bombing or suicide bombers.
Ireland has now become part of this terror by supporting the US illegal wars.
We need to make peace on terror, not war. War creates more terror by using terror as a false excuse to secure an undue share of the worlds energy and oil resources. Shame on those who profit from war.

This will not be a protest against the US government. It will be a protest against the IRISH GOVERNMENT for its complicity in the killing of innocent people.

See you at Shannon if you value peace and cherish humanity.
Let this peace protest on 24 Sept not be a once off affair, but the beginning of new peace campaign, for international peace.