Anti-War Events (1 Viewer)

[ant]

This is my first time posting on Thumped. Now that I have a job with Internet access, I have no excuse.

I'm not sure if this is the best board to post this to. The events page all seem to be musical in their nature. However I imagine that most people reading the Politics Forum will already be aware of the following ...


The US military have for some time been building up their forces in the Middle East in preparation for a war which can not be justified. There are a number of upcoming events to protest against and to highlight the use of Ireland as a military base for US forces on their way to the Middle East. This is our chance to stand up and let the government know that we strongly object to Ireland's involvement in this war.

The first is a public meeting at 7.30 pm on Wednesay 4th December in Liberty Hall. Dublin. The speakers are:
* Ciaron O Reilly (pacifist from Catholic Worker)
* Eoin Dubsky (activist from Refuelling Peace who recently spray-painted a US war-plane)
* Farah Mokhtare Izadeh (campaigner against Iraqi sanctions)
* Chekhov Feeney (representing the Dublin Grassroots Gathering organising group)
More info: Patrick 087-7939931 or email [email protected]


The next event will be a march in Dublin on Saturday 7th December organised by the Irish Anti-War Movement. Demonstrators will assemble at the Central Bank at 2 pm and proceed from there to the US Embassy.


Finally - and most importantly since it is in Shannon that Ireland participates in the US war effort - a national protest takes place at Shannon Airport itself. This demonstration has been organised by Grassroots Gathering and takes place on the following day, Sunday 8th December.

There will be a bus leaving Liberty Hall in Dublin at 9 am on Sunday morning. Tickets for the return trip cost €13 and you can arrange to book a place or get more info, by contacting [email protected] or ringing Patrick on 087-7939931.

From Galway, a bus will be leaving from Quadrangle (old building, main entrance of university) at 10.15am. Cost is 10euro (waged), 5euro (unwaged) and free seats for children.To book a seat please phone 087 9935876 or email [email protected]

 

[spiritualtramp]

Originally posted by ant

The first is a public meeting at 7.30 pm on Wednesay 4th December in Liberty Hall. Dublin. The speakers are:

* Chekhov Feeney (representing the Dublin Grassroots Gathering organising group)

sweet mother of jesus!
was this person actually christened chekov?

 

[ant]

Re: Re: Anti-War Events

Originally posted by spiritualtramp
sweet mother of jesus!
was this person actually christened chekov?

LOL

The first reply to my first posting on thumped.com gives me a good laugh. Right after a stressful day at work. I'm interpreting that as a good omen.

To answer your question: Yes.
I believe his parents are/were fans of the playwright.

 

[pete]

Wednesday 18th December 2002
IRISH ANTI-WAR CAMPAIGN: FUNDRAISER
The Irish Anti War Movement is hosting an evening of music to raise awareness of and protest against the U.S./U.K. War on Iraq. The Irish Anti War Movement is a coalition of a wide number of groups and political parties, including the Green Party, the Labour Party, the Socialist Workers Party, Sinn Fein, and numerous social justice groups, including U.S. Citizens in Ireland for Alternatives to War, Ireland-Palestinian Solidarity, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Pax Christie, etc. Hazel O'Connor and her band will be with us, and we will also be joined by Sonny Condell. Doors 7.30pm - for further information, please contact: [email protected].
Doors: 7:30 PM

If i'd known this was on i'd have buked the christmas do for another night.

Ah shite.

 

[spiritualtramp]

Re: Re: Re: Anti-War Events

Originally posted by ant


To answer your question: Yes.
I believe his parents are/were fans of the playwright.

dearie me.
the poor lad must of got loadsa stick in school.

I'm confused as to why they named him chekov , that is a surname.
its the same as calling a child smith.


I'm a big fan of russian literature meself but there is no way in hell I'm intending upon naming my first son nabokov.

 

[deco[y]]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Anti-War Events

Originally posted by spiritualtramp
dearie me.
the poor lad must of got loadsa stick in school.

I'm confused as to why they named him chekov , that is a surname.
its the same as calling a child smith.


I'm a big fan of russian literature meself but there is no way in hell I'm intending upon naming my first son nabokov.

how about ratface? !bing

 

[george w bush]

update

// mail this notice to your friends and twice to your enemies !!


National Demonstration
International Day of Protest
Saturday Febuary 15th Assemble 2pm Garden of remerbrance, Parnell Square, Dublin 1.


FEB 15th INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST WAR ON IRAQ.

// more info
http://irishantiwar.org/calendar/item.tcl?scope=public&calendar_id=35



DO IT !! .|..|

 

[spiritualtramp]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Anti-War Events

Originally posted by deco[y]
how about ratface? !bing

only saw this now.

ooh the wit .ha ha ha etc etc !baggyyyy

 

[spiritualtramp]

Re: update

Originally posted by george w bush
// mail this notice to your friends and twice to your enemies !!


National Demonstration
International Day of Protest
Saturday Febuary 15th Assemble 2pm Garden of remerbrance,

would that be near the garden of remembrance , by any chance?!ironyyy

 

[george w bush]

spelling bee

look man im running the world here - spelling words correct is for those who actually finished school (officially)

rememberants



do it! .|..|

 

[mazzyianne]

Saturday 19th
SWP oh sorry I mean Irish anti-war movement (how silly of me) have busses going to Shannon for a tenner
It's what you make it.
Busses leave from Liberty hall at 9.30am I think, maybe 9
No Arabs, no camels

 

[snap-apple]

interesting
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=23992&start=0

 

[pete]

sure let's have it in full

What Prime Time didn't want you to hear
by Aidan - IMC Tue, Jan 14 2003, 11:47pm
Tuesday the 14th of January's Prime Time left Tim Hourigan out of the loop. Here's the inside story of some of the behind the scenes wrangling behind this extraordinary story.

Yesterday it was reported that Tim Hourigan, the dogged peace activist who has done so much reporting on the comings and goings of US military aircraft at shannon; would debate the issue with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, on Prime Time RTEs political affair program. Anyone who watched tonight’s program would be surprised to see that instead of a live debate Tim's part was pre recorded, at RTE's limerick studio.

This is, in part, the story of why this happened, but it leaves us with more questions then answers.

In the early afternoon Tim was contacted by Prime Time staff, and informed that due to potential “technical difficulties" the live feed would have to be cancelled.

Contacting a source at the Limerick RTE studio, I learnt that this was utterly untrue. The technician was frankly insulted, that this was used as an excuse.

Tim meanwhile had arranged his own transportation to the studio in Dublin. Now Prime Time told Tim that he could not participate in the debate because he was not a "politician". This change in tactic was countered by Green Party chairman and spokesperson on foreign affairs; John Gormley. The TD offered to let Tim replace him, acting as the Green Party spokesperson on Shannon. Prime Time instead decided to decline to have John Gormley on the program, and the person now debating the minister would be Gay Mitchell; the Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesperson. Fine Gael is a party who have murmured quiet words on the governments stance on Shannon; and have agreed in general with Fianna Fail's policy towards the US and Iraq.

When questioned about Prime Times decision; whether it was a technical problem, or whether it was because Tim was not a "politician"; The producer Noel Curran, respond "both". Confronted with the fact that sources in the Limerick studio denied any technical fault, Noel ignored the question.

I then moved onto the definition of "politician". Tim had stood as a Green Party candidate during the last election and received over four thousand votes. Noel scoffed that didn't qualify as a "politician", but refused to give his definition of the job. On several occasions Prime Time has used authorities in fields to speak on subjects. Few people outside of air traffic control in shannon, and the government have Tim's knowledge of the comings and goings in shannon, and the constitutional rights of foreign military aircraft using an Irish air field.

Noel then became belligerent and aggressive. He said that Tim's qualifications were this journalists opinion, and whats more he (Prime Time) wanted a political debate. He then went on shouting that HE was the producer of his program and didn't HE have the right to decide who HE let on his program. This was repeated over and over again. Rational argument was ignored; and it became clear that only a “professional” politician was only qualified to speak on this matter, at least according to Prime Time.

Unsurprisingly the debate was at best toothless. What was disgusting was the pre recorded section with Tim. Tim wanted to state that although use of troops through shannon was important, he wanted to discuss the transport of munitions unreported and without escort. Tim section was cut off quickly when he tried to raise this point.

The argument between Brian Cowen and Gay Mitchell was incredibly poor. A half hearted attempt to discuss US troops and their side arms was raised. Cowen having already played his "get out of jail" card yesterday by announcing some troops "may" be carrying personal weapons on "certain" flights, meant he could deflect the half hearted questions from Gay Mitchell. The debate descended into half hearted mumbling about UN resolutions over Iraq. The serious issue of US leased cargo planes carrying munitions through shannon was deftly ignored.

Prime Time has a well won reputation for serious unflinching journalism. The questions now keep coming, why did Prime Time flinch from this debate? Tim's profile and recognition has never been higher. His knowledge of the comings and goings in shannon, and the constitutional breaches they represent is without par. There were no technical problems, and furthermore he easily could have made it to the Dublin or Cork studio in plenty of time. Gay Mitchell’s opposition could be best described as limp wristed, and honestly be described as pathetic. Fine Gael’s opposition to US foreign policy and troops in shannon is another in the parties desperate scrambling to find public support where ever it can . And the essential point of the situation at Shannon was ignored. This could not be by accident. Tim and others have provided plenty of information (including legal details of the leasing agreement between Strategic Air Command and the Cargo carriers).

Why exactly did Prime Time flinch from a real debate?

To learn more about Tim’s work in Shannon read his latest dramatic report at;
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=23883

Or click here
www.refuelingforpeace.org

 

[kstop]

Originally posted by pete
sure let's have it in full

Yer man Tim was a bit stunted when it came to the old speaking on telly, maybe that's a contributing factor.

While stuff about both cargo planes and non-cargo carrying Hercules gunships and EW platforms was pretty much avoided, the presenter and Gay Mitchell did get definite agreement from Brian Cowen about the illegality of munitions being transported via Shannon. If there was incontroverible evidence of it actually going on, those statements would come back to haunt him.

Is there such evidence? Are there pictures, video footage, manifests?

 

[pete]

The two telephone interviewees (from Janes and a US defence research institute) before the "debate" were pretty confident that all 70,000+ military personnel that have passed through shannon in the last year would have had their "personal" weapon with them in the hold of the plane - "standard operating procedure" both of them called it, on more than one occasion.

Which is illegal, if it's not declared.

Which it isn't.

The whole debate was a fucking joke - on one side, a man who either just doesn't give a fuck what happens in shannon, or (more likely) knows damn well that we have too much to lose by standing up to the US government.

And on the other side a man there purely for a political point scoring exercise and who was more upset at the fact that the goverment haven't gotten us into a military alliance yet.


http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0114/primetime.html for real video stream of Prime Time

 

[spiritualtramp]

Originally posted by pete

The whole debate was a fucking joke - on one side, a man who either just doesn't give a fuck what happens in shannon, or (more likely) knows damn well that we have too much to lose by standing up to the US government.

And on the other side a man there purely for a political point scoring exercise and who was more upset at the fact that the goverment haven't gotten us into a military alliance yet.

well said.
I was looking forward to primetime all day yesterday (christ I am sad) expecting a fierce debate/screaming match that would bring the government down.

it wasn't a debate about neutrality at all , I was disgusted.

 

[kstop]

Actually ... why don't any of the groups involved try to find out where the planes are coming from exactly? With that information, they stand a better chance of proving more conclusively that our neutrality is being compromised.

Even better, if they could get in touch with similar groups in the US they might be able to get footage of them being loaded, which would remove the need for a Garda inspection in Shannon to prove their point.

And what's the story with the waived ATC fees? Should they be highlighting this point more? To point out to people that their taxes are being used to support the US military? Are we paying for landing/refueling costs as well?

 

[pete]

The ATC thing is an international agreement that affects all sorts of air traffic, not just military - it's just our bad luck that a hell of a lot more flights go over ireland than irish flights go over other countries.

I'd imagine it's all pretty notional anyway.

 

[kstop]

Originally posted by pete
The ATC thing is an international agreement that affects all sorts of air traffic, not just military - it's just our bad luck that a hell of a lot more flights go over ireland than irish flights go over other countries.

I was under the impression that there was a fee (user fee?) paid by the operators of flights that made use of the ATC services in their route. And that this was being waived for the US flights, to avoid a papertrail, with the cost to the IAA being paid by the govt in one lump sum. Or am I just confused?

 

[pete]

i think that's it alright - but it's not just US flights.