Remembering The Innocent Dead: 2 Protests to Mark O'Bomber's & British queen's visits

galway | anti-war / imperialism | press release Tuesday May 10, 2011 22:15 by Galway Alliance Against War

The Galway Alliance Against War is to hold two protests in the city next week to mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth and President Barak Obama to Ireland. According to a GAAW spokesperson the protests, which will take the shape of mock funeral processions, are being held to remember “the innocent killed by the British and US war machines in their on-going illegal wars.”

“The Irish State will roll out the red carpet for the commander-in-chiefs of both the British and US armies. We feel there is a need for a reality check. Over the last 10 years both of these military forces have been involved in major illegal and unnecessary wars that have caused the deaths of over a million innocent people in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Barak Obama won the US presidency claiming he personified “Change” and “Hope”, when in fact he continued to pursue the bellicose policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush. In his first week as US President he sanctioned drone attacks that killed some 25 innocent Pakistani civilians. Since then he has proved himself to be nothing other than a serial killer. Also, when one brave whistleblower with the US armed forces, Bradley Manning, showed the world the reality of the US occupation of Iraq he was brutalised and incarcerated“, stated a spokesperson of GAAW.

“The first of the funeral processions in memory of the innocent killed by the British war machine will assemble – quite appropriately in our view – outside the King’s Head at 1pm on Thursday 19th May. It will be led by a sole drummer down to the Spanish Arch where the coffin will be placed in the Corrib. The second funeral procession will be held in memory of the innocent victims of the US armed forces and will adopt the same formal. Assembly is at 1pm on Saturday 21st May next to the King’s Head and will take the same route to the Spanish Arch, where the coffin will be deposited in the Corrib.
“It should not be forgotten that Ireland continues to be an accessory to the deaths, as consecutive Irish governments have allowed the US war machine to make use of both Shannon airport and Irish airspace to conduct these unnecessary wars.
“The protests organised by the Galway Alliance Against War have an historical parallel: during the Boer War Britain’s Queen Victoria visited Ireland in 1900. James Connolly, Maude Gonne, W.B. Yeats, Michael Davitt and others from the Irish Transvaal Committee carried out a funeral procession led by a lone drummer. It is therefore a fitting protest. What is most regrettable that 111 years later nothing seems to have changed, the so-called “great powers” and the minions of the Irish ruling class have learnt nothing!”