Shannon Protests continue

SHANNON PROTESTS
WILL CONTINUE:

Protesters who attended the monthly peace vigil at Shannon Airport on

October 13 vowed that the protests, maintained since 2001 when the Afghan

War began, would continue until the Irish Government honoured its commitment made in 2011 to enforce international law at the Airport as the

majority of the Irish people wished according to the latest opinion poll last

September.

A large contingent of peace activists from Dublin and other cities travelled to

Shannon to join the local activists in their protest and some of them were

interviewed during the journey by Connolly Media Group:

http://vimeo.com/77093252#at=0


Aircraft Identified:
 

The aircraft which landed on September 5 last in breach of Irish Neutrality and so-call "assurances" by the US Government and its Embassy in Dublin has been identified as a USAF Hercules C130W registration 87-9288. This is one of the "gunship" versions of the C130 and is armed with two 30mm cannon in its usual array.

                                          USAF Hercules C130 with weapons system on port side.

30mm Cannon are weapons capable of demolishing concrete buildings and destroying vehicles

including armoured types such as tanks and APC's. Needless to say, human beings in the path of destruction wreaked by aircraft like these stand no chance of survival. The presence of this aircraft

on our territory is grossly offensive to our sovereign rights and the Irish people's Constitutional commitment to settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.

The Irish Government's explanation of this event as an "administrative error" by the US  military authorities is farcical and unbelievable. No US military aircraft could leave the USA except on a defined mission and detailed flight path whether filed in public or not. 

The Irish Government must be more forthcoming with the public on how this aircraft was allowed to land and not detained and impounded under the Defence Act 1954. The Irish people require no less from their Government and the Garda Síochána responsible for law enforcement at Shannon Airport.

Later today in Dáil Éireann, Deputy Michael Wallace will ask the Minister for Defence to state the cost of additional security at Shannon Airport due to the use of the airport by the US Military.