Pit Stop Ploughshares

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Statement of Faith
Dublin Catholic Worker "Pitstop" Ploughshares Action

Letters from prison: Karen Fallon Hammered by the Irish Prisons within Prisons Ciaron O'Reilly The Action was Beautiful From Protest to Resistance Minimum Security Deirdre Clancy Speaks from prison Damien Moran Letter from Prison Nuin Dunlop Letter From Limerick Prison Words from a Jail

Recent Audio: Intro's by Ciaron O'Reilly, Deirdre Clancy, and Karen Fallon (Three of five in the Catholic Worker Pit Stop Ploughshares) Ciaron Deirdre Karen Ciaron O'Reilly CW Movement Damages Make State Accountable Vigils Worldwide Deirdre Clancy Asan Irish Children Irish Neutrality Big Oil Wars Burning House Complicity In War Desperate Actions The Jury Karen Fallon 911 Illegal War Ireland Lied To Like Vietnam Shannon Airport USA Using Ireland War Crimes These MP3 audio files may be freely used but there must be mention of the website: http://PloughsharesIreland.org and credit given to Indymedia Ireland http://Indymedia.ie links above also listed at: http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61947 Older Audio: Dublin Catholic Worker Workshop August 10th 2003: Streamed download Scott Schaeffer-Duffy from the St. Frances and St. Therese Catholic Worker in Worcester, Massachusettes, USA. Wynn's Hotel June 3rd 2003: Streamed download Iain Atack from AFrI Intro Streamed download Caoimhe Butterly, Voices in the Wilderness, Speaks about Iraq Streamed download Cathy Kelly,Voices in the Wilderness, Speaks about travels to Iraq during US/UK Invasion Streamed download Cathy Kelly Intro of the Catholic Worker 5 Streamed download Damien Moran Speaks about War Resistance Streamed download Deidre Clancy Speaks about War Resistance Streamed download Karen Fallon Speaks about War Resistance Streamed download Nuin Dunlop Speaks about War Resistance Streamed download Ciaron O'Reilly Speaks about War Resistance Pardoned by Acting President Martin Sheen: download 20min mono MP3, 5MB, of press conference download 3min mono MP3, 600KB, just Sheen statement Video: Pardoned by Acting President Martin Sheen: download 23min edited footage in super high quality DivX 5.0.5, size 145MB, (big download) (Codec package and player can be downloaded free here mov Caoimhe Butterly Back from Iraq: Report #1

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Hammered by the Irish
Karen Fallon Apr 3 2003
Belated posting of letter from Karen Fallon
The Dublin Catholic Worker ploughshares action at Shannon Airport was necessary, as both the Irish and American governments thought to use a commercial airport in a neutral country to supply and wage war, or more correctly, genocide, upon the Iraqi people. This was actually happening without informing the public or even asking their permission. By allowing this, the Irish government forfeited its neutrality and made itself complicit in an illegal war against the Iraqi people.

The constitution of Ireland, article 15, 6, 2:

"No military or armed force, other than a military or armed force raised and maintained by the Oireachtas, shall be raised or maintained for any purpose whatsoever."

At Shannon, the Irish government "maintained", by the act of refuelling US military aircraft and allowing US troops to disembark and shop "duty free" (even if this was with capitalist intentions), the U.S. military war machine.

Article 28, 3, 1:

"War shall not be declared and the state shall not participate in any war save with the assent of Dail Eireann".

At the time of our action, the US did not have public or governmental permission to use Shannon Airport in its deployment of troops and munitions to Iraq. What did the Irish government think they were doing at Shannon? Buying souvenirs?

Article 29, 1:

"Ireland affirms its devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality."

The Irish government was so devoted to the ideal of peace, that it demonstrated this by selling its people, its neutrality, its justice and its morality, to the US dollar. At Shannon, the Irish government not only contravened international law and its own constitution, it lied to its people. Even two previous actions taken by individuals at Shannon, failed to stop the Irish government's whorish behaviour!

As a non-violent individual dedicated to a more peaceful existence, I find accusations that our action was violent and anti-American both ignorant and arrogant, to say the least. Whilst in prison, we have been accused of "destroying the Irish economy" and once again, being "anti-American". I find this ludicrous, as one of us is American, and if we could destroy capitalism we would all be delighted and the world would be a better place.

Both the Irish government and the US government put civilians at risk at Shannon. The British government is now doing the same at Prestwick. The first casualty of war is innocence - THEY LIE WE DIE! Which part of the world PEACE don't they understand?

Karen Fallon, 14/03/03.

Due to practical issues (stuff being scattered around various parts of Limerick and Dublin after coming out of prison), I am only now, with apologies to Karen, posting this letter she wrote in March. It's timely, however, after the Gardai's display at last night's peaceful sit-down protest, to remember that there is someone still in prison for civil disobedience relating to Shannon, refusing to co-operate with bail conditions on the basis that she does not believe she committed a criminal act. Five TDs and one senator agree, and called for our charges to be dropped at a press conference yesterday, along with those of Mary Kelly. In light of Ed Horgan's case before the high court, Karen's reflections on sections of the Irish constitution are also relevant and timely. - Deirdre.

Read Article: Ireland Indymedia


Prisons within prisons
The reaffirmation process: conscience clarification.
Karen Fallon Mar 20 2003 (written Mar 12)
Limerick Prison
By locking up your body they think to lock up your mind and dampen that "passion" which so offended by having the audacity to take a stand and say "NO" to their lies.

Well the de-humanising process does not work. The same people who make the law, break the law and lie. They are also the people who believe that locking people up 22 hours a day and allowing them to be treated as "illiterate dregs" of society will rehabilitate them to the "program". It does not work.

The process of my incarceration reaffirms my beliefs and justifies my struggle for a more peaceful world and an end to war. To be held as a "criminal" by a Neutral Government which knowingly opted to be complicit in an illegal war whilst breaking its own laws/Constitution should cause more damage and embarrassment to them than I ever could...

Read Article: Ireland Indymedia


Words from a Jail
Nuin Dunlop Mar 14 2003
Limerick Prison
We're here in support of Iraqi people who face the threat of war. We also express support for three Dominican Sisters, Carol Gilbert, Ardeth Platte and Jackie Hudson who are currently imprisoned in the US. On 6 October 2002 the three Sisters, wearing chemical weapons suits and carrying clipboards inspected a Colorado nuclear site for American weapons of mass destruction. The sisters proceeded to disarm part of a US nuclear weapons facility. The three saw through the hypocrisy of a nation intent on disarming Iraq, while ignoring its own weapons of mass destruction...

Read Article: Ireland Indymedia


Letter from Prison
Damien Moran Mar 10 2003
Limerick Prison
During the initial 6 weeks of this year, over 23,000 U.S. troops have passed through Shannon Airport en route to military bases in Kuwait and Qatar. How many of these troops will be directly engaged in forthcoming genocide? By allowing munitions to pass through we are already complicit in the deaths of the innocent civillians they kill...

Read article: Ireland Indymedia


Letter From Limerick Prison
Nuin Dunlop Mar 4 2003
Limerick Prison
I am one of the five Catholic Workers on remand at Limerick Prison afteran alleged citizen disarmament of a U.S. military plane at Shannon Airport (3/2/03). According to Tanaiste Mary Harney, I am one of those extreme left types "infecting" the "centre ground" with anti-American ideas...

Read article: Ireland Indymedia


Deirdre Clancy speaks from prison
Deirdre Clancy Mar 4 2003
Limerick Prison
...lookup the term “violence” in the dictionary. Machinery that is on its way to aid and abet the killing of innocents is already damaged goods: its transformation into something less effective in this regard is thedirect opposite of violence...

Read article: Ireland Indymedia


Minimum Security
Ciaron O'Reilly Mar 1 2003
After four weeks in Limerick prison I find myself back on the streets...or "minimum security" as Phil Berrigan called our lives of self-regulated accommodation with the high crimes of state and corporations. This can't be freedom - there must be much more to it than this!

Read article: London Catholic Worker   Ireland Indymedia Melbourne Indymedia


From Protest to Resistance
Ciaron O'Reilly Feb 18 2003
Limerick Prison
Two weeks out from this major military escalation we must directly resist U.S. troop and munition movements through Ireland. We should be doing this or offering proactive, practical solidarity to those who step forward to resist...

Read article: Ireland Indymedia Melbourne Indymedia


The Action was Beautiful
Ciaron O'Reilly Feb 10 2003
Limerick Prison
Its a week since the 'Pit Stop Ploughshares' disarmament of a U.S navy plane at Shannon airport, Co. Clare Ireland. Shannon has become a major pitstop for U.S troop and munition movement into Kuwait and Qatar. The witness once again reveals the twin reality that the weapons are not secure ! / the weapons don't secure us !

Read article: Ireland Indymedia Melbourne Indymedia


"Pitstop" Ploughshares Statement of Faith
Pitstop Ploughshares Feb 3 2003
Shannon Airport, Ireland
We come to Shannon Airport around the Feast of St. Brigid, to disarm and disable the war machine. We hope to begin to take up the runway and ground military aircraft. We hope to be joined in this act of disarmament by those who encounter us. Citizens, police and soldiers wielding hammers brought down the Berlin Wall; we hope all will pitch into take up this runway and ground planes servicing the war machine. We find this easier to envision than the further slaughter of Iraqi children that U.S. British and Irish governments wish us to consider. ...

Read article: Dublin Catholic Worker


Dublin Catholic Worker "Pitstop" Ploughshares Action
Pitstop Ploughshares Feb 3 2003
Shannon Airport, Ireland
In the early hours of Monday 3 February 2003, five members of the pacifist Catholic Worker Movement cut their way into Shannon Airport, Ireland...

Read article: Dublin Catholic Worker