Antiwar March Report
Today, Saturday 27th of September 2003, the second global anti-war protest
took place throughout the world. In Dublin the Irish Antiwar movement
http://www.irishantiwar.org/
and others organized a protest from Parnell Square to Government Buildings
at Merrion Square.
At 2 pm people from throughout the country congregated on Parnell Square
east and north with their placards and flyers.
Richard Boyd Barrett of the irish antiwar hosted the speech givers and made
his own views heard.
Uriel Mustafa, an Iraqi woman spoke of how bad the situation
is back home and urged people to support the cause. She was speaking in
place of Blathnid the Irish Peace campaigner who was in Iraq, but is
now trapped in Palestine due to an Israeli clampdown.
Prionsas De Rossa of the Workers party criticized the
current government's policy on Iraq and on our neutrality.
A minutes silence was held for Edward Said, New Yorks Columbia University
professor and Palestinian, who campaigned in America to stop them supporting
Israel, and who died of cancer last Thursday.
At 2:45 the marchers moved down O'Connell St, shouting:
"Bertie, Bertie, Bertie, - Out, Out, Out,
US military - out of Shannon,
Israeli military - out of Shannon,
Hail hail USA - how many kids did you kill today?
George Bush, we know you, - your daddy was a killer too,
The real terrorists in the world today - The pentagon and the CIA, "
the last of which drew bemused looks from American tourists around the Molly
Malone statue on Westmoreland St.
O'Connell Street
At 3:30 after marching by the Dail on Kildare St, Stephen's Green north,
and Baggot Street, the marchers ended their march at Government buildings
on Merrion Square East which was closed to traffic.
Speakers spoke from another artic truck trailer, hosted by Richard Boyd
Barrett.
Patricia McKenna, MEP for the Green party, wearing a
"World Peace Now" T-shirt criticized the way the government had broken
international law and the Irish constitution. She also underlined
the need for a referendum to introduce full neutrality into the Irish constitution.
Aoife Ní Fhearghail of Irish antiwar spoke of
Irish assistance to the war, and of the napalm just recently found to be
transported through Shannon.
An Irish priest working in South America spoke of how
it is important to show solidarity with war oppressed people. He talked
of a memorable occasion when a dying man in a leper colony told him he prayed
for peace in Ireland every day back in the 70s.
Paul O'Toole, a musician from Fairview against the war,
read a letter from Mary Kelly urging people not to allow Irish troops be
used to maintain the occupation. He played guitar and sung "Remember Little
Ali" with choice lyrics such as:
"If you're ever wondering what it's all about,
It's crooked politicans,
You couldn't have a doubt,
Making money when the global corporations are handing out,
So the rich are getting richer,
And the poor can do without.".
He also reminded people to boycott TOP oil for carrying out the refuelling
operation of military aircraft at Shannon airport.
A Palestinian man living in Dublin gave a speech denouncing
Ariel Sharon and Israels land grabbing policies. He reminded people that
no matter how many machines the Israelis use the will of the Palestinian
people will not be broken. He reiterated the point that Yasser Arafat is
the democratically elected president of Palestine and that it is not right
for the Israelis making thinly veiled death threats about "removing" him.
He also condemned America for vetoing the UN resolution to ask the
Israelis to withdraw their threat 2 weeks ago.
The highlight of the day was retired Irish army commandant
Edward Horgan's speech about how ashamed he is and every Irish person should
be about the behaviour of our country in this war. He said he had no regrets
about working in the Irish army and in the UN keeping the peace, but that
due to the Shannon participation in the war he felt obliged to return government
award medals and insignia back to the Government. These were
mounted in a picture frame with a green Irish army beret attached to one
top corner and a light blue UN peacekeeper beret attached to the other.
At the end of his speech he climbed down from the trailer stage and walked
the gates of the Dail. No government official was there to receive them
so he hung the picture frame on the spikes of the black railing running
along the street using the returned berets, to deafening cheers from the
crowd. A highly decorated garda commissioner on patrol was
asked by one of the protesters to follow suit but he politely declined...
Quotes from his speech and close ups of the medals are on
www.indymedia.ie -> Retired Commandant Ed Horgan
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61352&PHPSESSID=5099a0d8bb114e905601432b91ed65c9
and -> "Irish Army Officer Returns Medals in Iraq Protest"
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61349&PHPSESSID=5099a0d8bb114e905601432b91ed65c9
Retired commandant Ed Horgan returns his medals of honour
and Irish and UN army berets.
If you look closely you'll see GW on a flying pig with
a barrel of oil in its mouth.
With the main event over the crowds dispersed. Ciaron
O'Reilly, a "Swords into ploughshares" activist and member of the Catholic
Worker Five spoke outside the gates of the Dail about the injustice that
is going on, and urging people to do something about it. Ciaron, an Irish
Australian is one of the Catholic workers who cut through a fence at Shannon
airport on February 3, 2003. They poured their own blood on the runway and
constructed a shrine on the runway to Iraqi children killed and threatened
by American / British bombardment and sanctions. The shrine consisted of
a copy of the the Bible and Quran, rosary and Muslim prayer beads, flowers,
photos of Iraqi children and St Brigids crosses. They began to take up part
of the runway with a mallet and painted "Pit Stop of Death" on a hanger
door. They were arrested in the hangar before they got to the US Navy C-40
Boeing 737 which was being repaired after Mary Kelly's Jan 29 hatchet incident.
In his address to the UN on 25th September, Mr Ahern did an amazing U-turn
when he stated that he condemned the principle of "pre-emptive" military
strikes against potentially dangerous regimes. This statement contradicts
the reality that, in March 2003, Ireland shamefully failed to support a
United Nations approach to the crisis in Iraq and backed an illegal war
by
US led forces against Iraq. Irish participation in this unlawful war helped
to kill over 20,000 Iraqi conscript soldiers, and about 10,000 innocent civilians.