A-Infos (en) Shannon Report (Ireland)

[Al S <klasbatalemo@yahoo.ie>]

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Report of events in Shannon on J18, and summary of
some other stuff happening in other parts of the
globe.

Media reports estimate between 1,500 and 3,000 turned
up last weekend at Shannon (a civilian airport in the
west of Ireland now being used for military aircraft
re-fuelling).

This is in comparison to 70 in August, 700 in October,
and 300 to 400 in December.

Personally speaking I landed in Galway after the
holidays on Friday night, by Saturday I had been
conscripted into organising some transport, we didn?t
have the meeting to get it together until Tuesday and
will still filled a bus (52 seater) - could have
filled another as we then had to put people into at
least 3 overflow cars - and there was another bus
going from Galway (plus loads of people who made their
own way). 

Got to the terminal, getting it together after we had
spotted an opportunity on the way up.. - a poorly
guarded entrance adjoining a mysterious ?Afghan
Airlines? plane.

Normally civilian planes hired by the American
military are absent during these protests - on January
18 there were two suspect planes present. 

Standing around talking ..and another bunch took over
the roof of an office building!!! Ran up to join in -
but our path was blocked by police.

Dodged police dogs to take over an adjoining roof ?. ,
which was redecorated with ?No War but the Class War?,
tons of up for it kids?.

Got into a bit of a bloc and tried to enter the
hangers on the way back (through the aforementioned
entrance near the suspect aircraft) but ended up
trapped in what was a catering warehouse. No arrests,
but several people were held by police, who were
themselves blocked by a line of protesters.

Protest and Play from Cork re-turned with the sound
system in a shopping trolley , louder this time (also
the great fiddle player).

The night before the demo. a U.S. Military Hercules
landed for re-fuelling and left early - after being
spotted by peace camp people and brought to the
attention of airport passengers.

There has been a permanent peace camp in Shannon since
January 4th, for details visit
http://shannonpeacecamp.org 

J18 was a worldwide day of action and it is heartening
to see that elsewhere the anti-war movement is moving
away from pleading and towards acting.

In San Francisco an anarchist bloc of two thousand
broke away from a permitted march of 200,000 to wreck
havoc on the streets. The British Consulate and the
Immigration and Naturalisation Service offices were
re-decorated, and the police constantly outwitted.

In Volkel in the Netherlands one hundred voluntary
weapons inspectors gained access to the grounds of a
military air base.

In Northwood near London over 150 demonstrators took
photos of the British military HQ - illegal under the
official secret acts, and the next day the base was
blockaded by hundreds.

There was also a demonstration outside the U.S. Army
Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.

Earlier in the month:

Jan. 5th Anti-War protestors break into a U.S. Airbase
in Suffolk U.K., Jan. 8th, Scottish train drivers
refuse to carry ammunition, Jan. 11th, Anti-War
demonstrations disrupt US Air Force-run military base
in Norfolk UK., same day, blockade of Naval base at
Portsmouth, U.K.

Later in the month (on the 26th of January) Fairford
USAF base in England is due a blockade. 

Last weekend?s event at Shannon demonstrated a number
of things:

It?s possible to mobilise massive numbers to
demonstrate at Shannon (it was 3 times the size - at
least - of the last anti-war demo. in the capital).

There is the potential there for mass direct action in
defiance of the law - plenty of people on the day went
for the roof.

But effective coherent action, which will cost the
government, and the private companies involved in
re-fuelling, necessitates prior communication among
the disparate groups who want to see that happen.

Furthermore we need to do our upmost to support the
peace camp in whatever fashion we can.

*******************************************************

A personal report from a member of the Anarchist
Federation (Ireland)

http://www.afireland.cjb.net
contact@afireland.cjb.net

http://www.struggle.ws/freeearth.html

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