Anti Bush march to Shannon airport

by pc Sat Jun 26, 2004 01:07

http://breakingnews.ie/2004/06/25/story154204.html

The protest march was halted temporarily after 15 minutes by the organisers, who were dissatisfied with the close proximity of so many gardaí.

It resumed when a gap was established between the protesters and the Garda mounted escort.

fair play on that

Others held posters which said: “You can bomb the world to pieces but you can’t bomb it to peace

by Peter Moore Sat Jun 26, 2004 07:19 Somewhere out there

On RTE Nine O'Clock News a Garda was being interviewed. Behind him, and neatly framed in the shot was a protestor with a poster which said "Arrest Bush". Excellent.
Full marks to everyone who managed to get to the march despite the threatening weather, threatening army with their tanks or armoured cars or whatever they are described as, and despite the intimidation by the Gardai. The raid on the peace camp was completely unnecessary, and was really just part of the state propaganda effort to portray the protestors as a threat.
Anyway, I have no doubt that people across the United States are delighted that the protests took place. They have been suffering from heavy intimidation whenever they protest against the war and against the war criminal who managed to get himself appointed (not elected) to head up the terrorist regime running the USA.

by John Sun Jun 27, 2004 01:51

9-10,000 in Dublin; about 1,200 in Shannon. Well done to Anti-War Ireland.

by Shannon man Mon Jun 28, 2004 14:08

I am a Shannon resident and the only people who managed to stop me from going where i wanted to go was you bloody lot when you blocked the road near the town centre.I do find it funny when i see a few of your ilk arriving to protest in their 03 and 04 volvo's wearing your your levi jeans diesil tops and carying your sony camcorders.So much for the evil of coperate globalisation.The one question you continue to ignore is what alternative to us occupation is availible?Civil war would insue in the vaccum of a us withdrawl.The only thing the yanks did wrong was to wait 10 years in going in after Saddam.Bush is an idiot who underminded the UN when he went ahead with out Un saction.The rest that follows is wh\at happens in war.The world is not a socialist marxist utiopa.It is imperfect.Wars happen people die.Your arguements as i have heard them lack logic or a grasp on the reality of the situation of what is actually occuring in the world.The arugements pro or anti a war that finished a year ago are obsolete.What the US are dealing with now is terrorism just like what was occcuring in Ireland of the 1970's and 1980's.No difference except the locatiopn.Come offf your socialist anti american( none of you can deny that ) high horses.As for the refueling of us aircraft at shannon.... this has happened since 1953 and nearly every country in the world including Iraq has refuelled there at some time or another.If iraq had an airforce they would be welcome to top up the tank here.Since 1953 the US has fought in Korea Vietnam Greanda Panama Somalia Gulf war 1 afghanist\an etcwetc and i never saw one protest until a crazy bitch started to whack the shite of a 737 incapable of carrying anything bar people.U cant drop bombs out the wheel bay of a 737 u know!As for the turn out in Shannon.If you had more than 600 peresons ther id be shocked.I did have a lil giggle when i saw that lady( the one and only resident i heard to give out) on sky news saying she was burning your pass in protest or hadnt collected it in protest which you lot were all cheering and comending.You didnt happen to ask her why her ex hubbie was in prision.Nothing to do with being a member of the IRA.Time you pinkies to get a life

by Plover Mon Jun 28, 2004 15:45

Bush "Irish" connection ridiculed by AWI in USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-06-24-bush-irish_x.htm


President has touch of Irish in family tree
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — President Bush has to reach back 10 generations, but he can claim a sliver of Irish ancestry when he arrives in County Clare, Ireland, today for meetings with European Union leaders.

Bush ancestor Adam Holliday was born in County Down, in what is now Northern Ireland, in 1680. Another forebear, William Shannon, was born in County Cork in 1730, says Gary Boyd Roberts of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Shannon moved to Pennsylvania and fought in the Revolutionary War. Holliday's son William moved to Kentucky.

Bush is the 11th U.S. president with Irish roots. Like his predecessors, he is mindful of the fact that 30.5 million Americans, many of them voters, claim Irish ancestry. Bush may say it's nice to be "home" in Ireland, but Roberts says, "That would be a stretch."

Bush may not feel entirely at home at secluded Dromoland Castle. Anti-War Ireland, an alliance of protest groups, predicts that thousands of opponents of the war in Iraq will greet him.

Polls show that most Irish oppose the war and their government's decision to allow U.S. military jets to refuel at Shannon Airport, where Bush lands tonight.

"Bush is not liked in Ireland and certainly not respected," says Dominic Carroll, one of the protest organizers.

As for Bush's Irish roots, Carroll says, "No one takes it seriously — not only because it's probably not true, but also because Irish people are no longer interested in who is and who isn't Irish."

This will be Bush's first visit to the Republic of Ireland as president. In April 2003, he met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Other presidents have made much of their Irish heritage.

"I have family ties here. My mother was a Cassidy," President Clinton said during a visit to Dublin in 1995. President Reagan's paternal great-grandparents were born in Ireland. During a visit in 1984 to a pub in County Tipperary that was renamed for him, Reagan said his ancestors brought to America an "indomitable spirit."

Roberts, author of the book Ancestors of American Presidents, says his research unearthed another intriguing element of Bush's heritage: The president and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, his Democratic rival, are "cousins eight different ways."

by lish - dublin grassroots Mon Jun 28, 2004 18:57

today's (mon) irish examiner -ray ryan.
(highlights)

"It was the day the stranded media kept george bush waiting until they were liberated by a garda patrol crew from a traffic jam caused by an anti-war protest on the N-18.
After an hour of what was looking more like a mystery tour, watches were repeatedly checked and there were jokes of a great conspiracy having been hatched to keep us away from the great leaders. "

"Meanwhile the word from the castle was that the press conference had been delayed .president bush was going to stay on for our arrival. it was a victory to be embellished and retold in years ahead."

actually the best bit of sat.s protest was that a couple of hundred people from all over the island & some from europe, refused to move to the side to let traffic through, went straight through police barriers, hopped the dual carriageway dividing fence , watched guatanamo bay prisoners plus banner in front of the riot police lines, cheered when we heard we'd delayed the press conference by half an hour, walked back a bit, cut through wasteground, shannon residents, kids & all, & hopped a wall neatly avoiding 3 bus eireannloads of riot cops who were left running round going shit! shit! shit!

i have never before seen that many people in ireland willing to go where they need to go, over whatever barriers, around whatever security forces, by whatever route necessary, realising that they can't be stopped.

then we ran around, over & along walls past the riot cops until we found ourselves between 2 lines of them & 2 tanks.

then we played with the tanks.
one proudly flew an anarchy flag plus a red jolly roger with a stop bush poster taped on the front.
the other wore peace flags, a free iraq flag & whatever people felt like.
when one hapless tank soldier radioed to ask where he was he was heckled with "shannon!"& "an 8 million euro security operation & you don't know where the f*** you are!"
having proven that tanks are worse than useless for crowd control but fun we did a die in, said cheerio & wended our way back to our mates & lifted the Iraq flag over cars for a bit .
it had previously graced a secret service car in drumoland. i hear tell all you could see were shades glinting angrily.

we then ate ice-cream at the roundabout before walking to the airport where we happily missed the last of the speeches & just caught RBB giving bus info. heckles of
"tell us what to do richard!" & " lead us!" were put down to high spirits.

bush waited half an hour for the press & left late, presumably waving to an empty airport just as he did on arrival greeted only by protestors.
an 8.5 million euro photo-op ended without a single baby kissed, red-haired maiden wooed, cheering crowds wowed or even a guinness pic for a re-election boost.
all they signed were their phony agreements

the washington post's june 26th article reads "Ireland welcomes bush with protests."
while the ploughshares macbeth is in the new york times & on cnn.
carole coleman's interview & george's vest are other top stories in the U.S. media who have waited long to see their "president" so exposed. you've no clothes, george.
game over.