OZ Anti-War Activist O'Reilly on Trial inIreland *Begins July 5 : Melbourne Indymedia

A Brisbane peace activist & four co-defendants from the pacifist Catholic
Worker movement return to Dublin's Four Courts this Wednesday July 5th
for their third trial in 16 months. Long time Brisbane peace activist Ciaron
O'Reilly along with Deirdre Clancy, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran and Nuin Dunlop face a charge of $US2.5million 'criminal damage without a lawful
excuse' charges arising out of their non-violent disabling of a US Navy plane in the early hours of February 3rd 2003 at Shannon airport, six
weeks
before the outbreak of the Iraq war. The maximum sentence they face, if
convicted, is 10 years imprisonment.

The five accused testified in their previous trials last year that they
were
inspired by the biblical mandate in Isaiah 'to beat swords into
ploughshares', a prophecy that has inspired numerous citizens
internationally, lay and religious, to disarm military and nuclear arms
equipment engaged in illegal and immoral activity. Their first trial
collapsed in March '05 at Dublin Circuit Criminal court before Judge
Frank
O'Donnell after the defence counsel successfully argued that the his
role
was tainted with a 'perception of bias'.

A retrial was ordered for October '05 where once again the trial
collapsed,
this time after two weeks of prosecution and defence testimony. Judge
Donagh
McDonagh had little choice but to agree with senior barristers for the
accused that his presence at the 2001 presidential inauguration of
George
Bush was sufficient grounds for the public to perceive the defendants
could
not receive an impartial judicial process.

During the October '05 trial the jury heard expert testimony for the
defence
from former US army staff seargent and Iraq war veteran Jimmy Massey
(http://www.ivaw.net) , former UN Asst. Secretary General Denis Halliday,
twice
Nobel peace prize nominee Kathy Kelly (http://www.vitw.org) and finally
British
military logistics expert Geoff Oxley OBE. Over a hundred international
and
national anti-war activists converged on Dublin for the two previous
trials
where they participated in public witness events and meetings against
the
Iraq war and the U.S. military use of Shannon.

O'Reilly and his co-defendants have attracted support from Irish
M.P.'s,
Bishop Desmond Tutu, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Sheen, Joan Baez and
most
recently Cannes winning Director Ken Loach. A series of events are
again
being organised around the country and internationally to coincide with
the
upcoming trial. In Brisbane friends and family of O'Reilly will gather
at 4
pm outside St Mary's Church and will lead a procession to the old Court
house in the city to hold a solidarity vigil.

Meanwhile in Ireland, the five defendants will gather with their
supporters
each morning of the trial at 9am at the Spire on Dublin's O'Connell st.
and
hold a silent peace walk to the Four Courts in memory of all the Iraq
war
dead. The trial is scheduled to last about two weeks.

O'Reilly spent 13 months in U.S. prisons for disabling a B 52 Bomber
at
Griffis Air Force Base on New Years Day 1991. He is presently featured
in
the "Taking it to the Streets" exhibition at Brisbane's City Hall and
was a
recent guest on Andrew Denton's "Enough Rope" where he discussed the
anti-war action at Shannon and his forthcoming trial.

For interviews with Ciaron O'Reilly Ph. 00 353 87 918 4552
For information about the Brisbane solidarity vigil contact Sean
O'Reilly
Ph. 0408 067 945

More info. re. events/background on the trial http://www.peaceontrial.com

Update
by Ploughshares Support Wednesday July 05, 2006 at 06:08 PM
Text Solidarity- 00 353 87 918 4552 At Large!

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly On Trial for the third time - July 5th 2006, Dublin Four Courts, Ireland.

http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile) +353 87 918 4552 (international)

CONTENTS
1) Shannon Anti-War Activists Remember the War Dead & Celebrate the Departure of World Airways
2) Pit Stop Ploughshares Join 150 others in Marching on the "HMS Ocean" Docked in Dublin
3) WMD Plowshares Charged with Sabotage-Bond Hearing July 5th. in North Dakota
4) Daily Routine of Trial Kicking Off Wednesday July 5th.
5) International Call for Solidarity Vigils on July 5th
6) Wed July 5th. Public Meeting "Iraq War, Guantanemo & Ireland"
7) Mark Thomas Comedy Gig for Afri
8) Thurs July 13th. - Public Meeting "Iraq War on Trial"
9) Public Meetings "Iraq War on Trial" Fri. July 14th. Cork, Sat. July 15th., Sun. Belfast July 16th.
10) International Support at Trial
11) Help Fund the trial

1) SHANNON ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS REMEMBER THE WAR DEAD & CELEBRATE THE DEPARTURE OF WORLD AIRWAYS

On July 1st. local anti-war activists celebrated the last World Airways U.S. troop carrying flight from Shannon. World Airways has carried 50% of the 600,000 U.S. troops who have passed through Shannon Airport on their way to U.S. wars on Afghanistan & Iraq. World Airways has relocated to Leipzig, Germany.

Photos & report on link.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77008&comment_limit=0&c...56876

2) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES JOIN 150 OTHERS IN MARCHING ON THE HMS OCEAN, DOCKED IN DUBLIN

On June 29th members of the Pit Stop Ploughshares joined 200 other anti-war activists in marching on the HMS Ocean, docked in Dublin port. The British Navy ship, used extensively in the war on Iraq, was docked in Dublin to win hearts & minds to promote a new British beer, recruitment, wine, dine & seduce NGO's. Speakers at the dockside recounted that the British Navy had bombed Dublin in 1916, enforced genocidal sanctions on Iraq in the 1990's and played an esssential role in 'Operation Telic' (Invasion) on Iraq.

See link for photos & report......
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76968

3) "WMD PLOWSHARES" CHARGED WITH SABOTAGE HAVE BOND HEARING JULY 5TH. IN NORTH DAKOTA

Former soldier Greg Boertje-Obed, Oblate missionary priest Carl Kabat & Vietnam Veteran Michael Walli had no problem finding Weapons of Mass Destruction in the heartland of the United States. Something the U.S. military have failed to do in 3 1/2 years of their illegal occupation of Iraq. The three carried out a nonviolent plowshares disarmament action on an E-9 nuclear missile silo in North Dakota on June 20th. The three remain in custody and have been charged with sabotage. They have a bond hearing set for July 5th.

More info & photos on the link below.....
http://www.jonahhouse.org

4) DAILY ROUTINE FOR EACH DAY OF TRIAL - KICKS OFF JULY 5TH.

*We will gather in anti-war vigil from 8.30 am at The Spire on O'Connell St. each morning of the trial.
*Around 9.15 am (depending when the trial is slated to start that particular day) we will process in silence in single file carrying the names of the dead (Iraqi & U.S.) in memory of the dead to the Four Courts.
*We will have a circle at the Four Courts, some reflections and folks will be briefed with the logistics for the day.
*We hope to sustain a vigil with the Buddhist monks outside the Four Courts while the trial is in process...a roster will be created each morning.
*The court usually finishes at 4pm so we will then proceed each day to the Franciscan friary refectory on Merchants Quay (main entrance - Directly opposite the Four Courts). Tea/Coffee and refreshments will be served (free). Supporters are asked to come before 5pm as the public entrance closes after that - txt 087 9184552 or 087 9638398 if you cannot gain access. We have this space up to 8pm each evening.

5) INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY VIGILS ON JULY 5TH. AT IRISH EMBASSIES, CONSULS & SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE

At our past court appearances solidarity vigils against ongoing Irish complicity in the war on Iraq have been held at Irish Embassies & Consuls in Washington DC, New York City, Houston, Melbourne, Vancouver, London, Dili (East Timor), Brussels, Gotenburg,, Auckland. Also solidarity vigils were held at Bishop Romero's grave (El Salvador), the Berlin Gate, US Air Force Base at Christchurch Airport (New Zealand), Shannon Airport, Belfast, Scales of Justice statue Brisbane, statue in Budapest and an Irish theme bar in Amsterdam.
Before our first trial in march last year, a group of nonviolent activists staged a solidarity sit in at the Irish Embassy in London. This got a lot of media attention as it was such a "man bites dog story" after 30 years of Irish protests at British Embassies, we have a crew that stages a British protest at an Irish Embassy!
If you have friends travelling or living in other parts of the world. Approach them to stage a solidarity vigil on the first day of our trail at an Irish Embassy or Consul. Have them email us about their gathering'
The list of consuls & embassies, can be found on the link below.........
Related Link: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/embassies/?m=e

*BRISBANE
5th of July
4pm - 6pm
speakers

Walk from St. Marys Church corner of Merivale and Peel St, South Brisbane, to the old court house, Cnr George St & Adelaide St in the City.

Post Vigil drinks at the Criterion Tavern, across the road from the old court house.

Contact Imagine for more information 0404 903 402

*MELBOURNE
Vigil for the Pit Stop Ploughshares
Friday 7th July 2006, 5pm-6pm

Office of the Honourary Irish Consul
Cnr Queen & Little Lonsdale Sts, Melbourne
(same place as last time)
Contact-pwdyson@yahoo.com

*PERTH
- Contact - Jarrod McKenna oi_jarrod@hotmail.com

*LONDON
Members the Oxford Catholic Worker will be vigilling at the Irish Embassy, at 17 Grosvenor Place, London SW1 on 5th, 6th, and 7th of July, 12noon-2pm.
Nearest tube is Hyde Park corner. 5 minutes walk from the Embassy, behind Buckingham Palace.
-Contact Sr. Susan Clarkson srclarkson@yahoo.co.uk

*WASHINGTON DC -
Contact - Art Laffin artlaffin@hotmail.com

*NEW YORK CITY
-Contact Carmen Trotta trottacarmen@yahoo.com

6) WED JULY 5TH. *PUBLIC MEETING
"IRAQ, GUANTANAMO & IRELAND"
Wed July 5th. 7.30 pm
Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin city.

*Carmen Trotta - U.S. citizen who walked to Guantanemo in December.
http://www.witnesstorture.org
*Teresa Grady - U.S. Anti-War Resister
http://www.stpatricksfour.org
& the Pit Stop Ploughshares Defendants
http://www.peaceontrial.com
Ph.087 918 4552

7) WED JULY 12TH.- MARK THOMAS COMEDY GIG FOR AFRI
(Action from Ireland)
in his new anti-arms trade/torture equipment show
"As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela"
http://www.mtcp.co.uk/

ADMISSION - â‚¬ 20

TIME - 9pm

VENUE-The Laughter Lounge
Eden Quay (just off O'Connell St.)

Tickets available from Afri only
Ph. 01 882 7563
Web:http://www.afri.buzz.org
Email afri@iol.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough, Dublin 7

*Purchase of tickets in advance is strongly recommended.

8) PUBLIC MEETING THURS. JULY 13TH. "IRAQ WAR ON TRIAL" - DUBLIN

7pm, ATGWU Hall 55/56 Middle Abbey St, Dublin 1
.
*Iraq War Veteran, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey
*Kathy Kelly "Voices in the Wilderness", present during the Shock & Awe bombing of Baghdad

9) PUBLIC MEETINGS
CORK JULY 14TH, GALWAY JULY 15TH, BELFAST JULY 16TH.
Speakers
*Iraq War Veteran, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey
*Kathy Kelly "Voices in the Wilderness", present during the Shock & Awe bombing of Baghdad
Friday July 14th. Cork-Venue to be announced.
Saturday July 15th.3PM Galway-Town Hall.
Sunday Belfast-Venue & time to be announced.

10) INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS COMING TO TRIAL & HOSPITALITY NEEDS
The folks we know who have indicating they are coming to trial in Dublin are Martin, Scott, Chris & 2 other LCW's (London CW), Carmen (NYCW), Kathy (Chicago), 3 Pax Chrsiti women (Manchester), Sr. Marta (Buddhist Peace Pagoda Milton Keynes),
Sylvia (England), Roisin (Brisbane)

If you are planning to come to trial and need help with accomodation please mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
We can't guarantee accomodation if you turn up spontaneously, so please email us first if you need help with accomodation.

*If you are based in Dublin and can offer a bed or floor space to an international peace activist please mail us and state for which dates you can offer accomodation
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

11) TRIAL DONATION DETAILS

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO TRIAL EXPENSES:
You can do so by donating in the following ways.......
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd.
Dublin 7
IRELAND

Donations can be lodged at any
Bank of Ireland branch:
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551

*If you are in the U.S. and wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Kim Driscoll"
2400 Tuna Canyon Rd.
Topanga
CA. 90290
*If you are in Australia & wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Ciaron O'Reilly"
38 Elbury St.
Mitchelton
Brisbane
Q.40533

More information
http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

E-mail: dbamoran@yahoo.com

Polish mobile: 0048 607340093
Irish mobile: 00353 879638398

http://www.peaceontrial.com
http://www.geocities.com/dublincatholicworker
Related Link: http://www.peaceontrial.com

Pit Stop Ploughshares will resume Monday July 10th. at Dublin's Four Courts with appointment of Judge, jury selection & prosecution.

Anti War Vigil 8.30 am at The Spire, O'Connell St. (Next to GPO)
Peace Walk to court 9.15 am
Court & Anti-War vigil outside of court from 10 a.m.

For reports from Wed. July 5th. se the link below

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77054

Ploughshares Support will maintain an anti-war vigil this Thurs & Fri outside the GPO 12noon-2pm.

*Further updates info & background http://www.peaceontrial.com

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77054

See other Melbourne Indymedia story:

http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/116376.php

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1666150.htm

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76749?comment_limit=0&condense_comments=false#attachment22002

Trial Day 2 Report
by Ploughshares Support Tuesday July 11, 2006 at 11:48 AM
00 353 87 918 4552 (text solidairt) Dublin's Four Courts

Update from Ploughshares Support
author by Ploughshares Supportpublication date Tue Jul 11 00:31:32 2006author address At Large!author phone 087 918 4552

DAY 2 OF TRIAL

A Call for Solidarity from the Pit Stop Ploughshares on Trial in Dublin's Four Courts
July 10 2006

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly On Trial for the third time - July 5th 2006, Dublin Four Courts, Ireland.

http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile) +353 87 918 4552 (international)

CONTENTS
1) Trial day 2 report July 10
2) Pit Stops Join the Call forthe Assault on Palestine to Cease
3) Daily Routine of Trial Kicking Off Wednesday July 5th.
4) International Call for Solidarity Vigils
5) Mark Thomas Comedy Gig for Afri
6) Thurs July 13th. - Public Meeting "Iraq War on Trial"
7) Public Meetings "Iraq War on Trial" Fri. July 14th. Cork, Sat. July 15th., Sun. Belfast July 16th.
8) International Support at Trial
9) Help Fund the Ploughshares on Trial

1) DAY 2 OF THE TRIAL OF THE PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES AT DUBLIN'S FOUR COURTS
Check Link for Report & Photos the pit stop ploughshares
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77156

2) PIT STOPS JOIN THE CALL FOR THE ASSAULT TO CEASE ON PALESTINE
Saturday July 8th. the Pit Stop Ploughshares & Support Joined a protest in the Dublin Rain to Call for the Israeli's State Assault on Palestine to Cease.

Check link for photos & report of the demonstration
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77119

3) DAILY ROUTINE FOR EACH DAY OF TRIAL -

*We gather in anti-war vigil from 8.30 am at The Spire on O'Connell St. each morning of the trial.
*Around 9.15 am (depending when the trial is slated to start that particular day) we will process in silence in single file carrying the names of the dead (Iraqi & U.S.) in memory of the dead to the Four Courts.
*We will have a circle at the Four Courts, some reflections and folks will be briefed with the logistics for the day.
*We hope to sustain a vigil with A Buddhist nun outside the Four Courts while the trial is in process...a roster will be created each morning.
*The court usually finishes at 4pm so we will then proceed each day to the Franciscan friary refectory on Merchants Quay (main entrance - Directly opposite the Four Courts). Tea/Coffee and refreshments will be served (free). Supporters are asked to come before 5pm as the public entrance closes after that - txt 087 9184552 or 087 9638398 if you cannot gain access. We have this space up to 8pm each evening.

4) INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY VIGILS ON JULY 5TH. AT IRISH EMBASSIES, CONSULS & SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE

At our past court appearances solidarity vigils against ongoing Irish complicity in the war on Iraq have been held at Irish Embassies & Consuls in Washington DC, New York City, Houston, Melbourne, Vancouver, London, Dili (East Timor), Brussels, Gotenburg,, Auckland. Also solidarity vigils were held at Bishop Romero's grave (El Salvador), the Berlin Gate, US Air Force Base at Christchurch Airport (New Zealand), Shannon Airport, Belfast, Scales of Justice statue Brisbane, statue in Budapest and an Irish theme bar in Amsterdam.
Before our first trial in march last year, a group of nonviolent activists staged a solidarity sit in at the Irish Embassy in London. This scored a lot of media attention as it was such a "man bites dog story" after 30 years of Irish protests at British Embassies, we have a crew that stages a British protest at an Irish Embassy!

This past week saw solidarity vigils at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC & London, at the irish Consulate in Melbourne, the Scales of Justice statue in Brisbane & the Irish tourist bureau in Belfast. This coming week will see solidarity vigil at the Irish Embassy in Warsaw.

Photos & reports of the solidarity vigils that have taken place can be found on the day 1 of Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial feature on
http://www.indymedia.ie

If you have friends travelling or living in other parts of the world. Approach them to stage a solidarity vigil on the first day of our trail at an Irish Embassy or Consul. Have them email us about their gathering'
The list of consuls & embassies, can be found on the link below.........
Related Link: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/embassies/?m=e

5) WED JULY 12TH.- MARK THOMAS COMEDY GIG FOR AFRI
(Action from Ireland)
in his new anti-arms trade/torture equipment show
"As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela"
http://www.mtcp.co.uk/

ADMISSION - Ã¢â€šÂ¬20

TIME - 9pm

VENUE-The Laughter Lounge
Eden Quay (just off O'Connell St.)

Tickets available from Afri only
Ph. 01 882 7563
Web:http://www.afri.buzz.org
Email afri@iol.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough, Dublin 7

*Purchase of tickets in advance is strongly recommended.

6) PUBLIC MEETING THURS. JULY 13TH. "IRAQ WAR ON TRIAL" - DUBLIN

7pm, ATGWU Hall 55/56 Middle Abbey St, Dublin 1
.
*Iraq War Veteran, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey
*Kathy Kelly "Voices in the Wilderness", present during the Shock & Awe bombing of Baghdad

7) PUBLIC MEETINGS
CORK JULY 14TH, GALWAY JULY 15TH, BELFAST JULY 16TH.
Speakers
*Iraq War Veteran, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey
*Kathy Kelly "Voices in the Wilderness", present during the Shock & Awe bombing of Baghdad

*Friday July 14th. Cork
Time 8.30pm
Venue- Metropole Hotel

*Saturday July 15th.3PM Galway-
Time-3pm
Venue-Irish Centre for Human Rights, Earls Island
More Info- 087 741 3741

*Sunday Belfast-

7.30pm, Sunday 16th July
Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast

Called
by Peace People, INNATE, Zero28
Details: 0773 781 9569
jntcx@bonbon.net

http://www.peacepeople.com
http://www.innatenonviolence.org
http://www.zero28.org

8) INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS COMING TO TRIAL & HOSPITALITY NEEDS
The folks we know who have indicating they are coming to trial in Dublin are Martin, Scott, Chris & 2 other LCW's (London CW), Carmen (NYCW), Teresa (Ithaca CW, NY) Kathy (Chicago), Sheila (Manchester), Sr. Marta (Buddhist Peace Pagoda Milton Keynes), Sylvia (England), Caroline (Brisbane)

If you are planning to come to trial and need help with accomodation please mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
We can't guarantee accomodation if you turn up spontaneously, so please email us first if you need help with accomodation.

*If you are based in Dublin and can offer a bed or floor space to an international peace activist please mail us and state for which dates you can offer accomodation
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

9) TRIAL DONATION DETAILS

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO TRIAL EXPENSES:
You can do so by donating in the following ways.......
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd.
Dublin 7
IRELAND

Donations can be lodged at any
Bank of Ireland branch:
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551

*If you are in the U.S. and wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Kim Driscoll"
2400 Tuna Canyon Rd.
Topanga
CA. 90290
*If you are in Australia & wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Ciaron O'Reilly"
38 Elbury St.
Mitchelton
Brisbane
Q.40533

More information
http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

E-mail: dbamoran@yahoo.com

Irish mobile: 00353 879638398

http://www.peaceontrial.com
http://www.geocities.com/dublincatholicworker
http://www.peaceontrial.com

Report Trial Day 3 (J11)
by Ploughshares Support Wednesday July 12, 2006 at 05:45 PM
00 353 87 918 4552 (text solidairt) At Large!

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77179

Please come and support

Justice for Ciaron O'Reilly and the Pit Stop Plowshares

PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES VIGIL

Friday 14th 12.30 - 1.30 pm
Outs ide Consulate General of Ireland
400 George St Sydney

Cnr King and George Sts

Court Report - Ploughshares Trial - Day Four (J12)

1) Ploughshares Trial Day 4 (J12) Report
2) Ploughshares Trial Day 4 (J12) Photos
3) Mark Thomas Supports Ploughshares

1) PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL DAY 4 REPORT

Day 4 of the Trial

Due to some delays at the start today, the jury wasnï¿½t brought in until 11.35.

Ciaron was called to the stand, and after being sworn in and told to make sure that the microphone was close to him, he immediately decommissioned it. The Court was treated to a comical interlude as Ciaron crawled around on the floor of the witness box trying to put it back together. The jury was dismissed again as it became apparent that Ciaron was better at breaking stuff than fixing it. They returned four minutes later after a court official improvised the job......

Court report continues on link below......
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77207

2) PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL DAY 4 (J12) PHOTOS

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77200

3) MARK THOMAS SUPPORTS PLOUGHSHARES

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77206

1) Ploughshares Trial Day 5 (J13) Report
2) Support from Spiritan Chapter
3) Ciaron interviewed by Canadian Broadcasting Commission radio

4) Daily Routine of Trial Solidarity
5) International Solidarity at Irish Embassies & Consulates
* Sydney Report & Belfast promo
6) Cork Fri 14th.
* Galway Sat 15th.,
* Belfast Sun. 16th.
Public Meetings
"Iraq war on Trial"
+ Report on Dublin public meeting held Thurs July 13th.
7) July 22nd. David Rovics Benefit Gig
8) International Supporters Accomodation
9) Financial Support for Ploughhsares Defence Fund

1) PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL DAY 5 (J13) REPORT

The following is a short summary. Apologies for deficiencies and errors. Quotation marks are not intended to mean that the quotation is an exact rendering of what was said.

Karen, Deirdre and Nuin completed their witness in the course of the day.

At the end of the day, as Kathy Kelly was called to give evidence, the Judge sent the jury home early and, after an hour of legal argument, said that she would make her decision in the morning as to whether or not to allow Kathy on the stand.

Earlier in the morning, the prosecution continued its cross-examination of Karen. It was interrupted four times by Senior Counsel Brendan Nix who objected to the line of questioning being pursued.

Day 5 (J13) court report continued on link below...........
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77228

2) SUPPORT FROM SPIRITAN CHAPTER BEING HELD IN DUBLIN

The Spiritan (Holy Ghost Fathers) Provincial Chapter has been running in Dublin during the Pit Stop Ploughshares trial. The Spiritans are a missionary order working in Asia & Africa. Damien Moran was a seminarian with the order at Kimmage when he was arrested at Shannon Airport with the Pit Stop Ploughshares.

The Spiritans provided accomodation & hospitality to Damien & Ciaron when they were released on bail from Limerick Prison following the action. Several Spiritans have attended demonstrations against the war and the three trials in Dublin.

23 of the monks gathered for their provincial chapter in Dublin signed the following statement......

"Spiritans gathered at Emmaus Conference Centre for their Provincial Chapter send a message of support to Deirdre, Karen, Nuin, Ciaran & Damien of the Pitstop Ploughsares, currently on trial in Dublin for disarming a military aircraft at
Shannon Airport which was involved in an immoral (Pope John Paul 2) and illegal (Kofi Anan) war against the people of Iraq.

We salute your courage and generosity and we trust and pray that the Irish Court system will exercise the true justice your integrity deserves".

3) CIARON INTERVIEWED BY CANADIAN (CBC) RADIO

(Part 2) "As it Happens" Link-
http://www.cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20060707.shtml

4) DAILY ROUTINE FOR EACH DAY OF TRIAL -

*We gather in anti-war vigil from 8.30 am at The Spire on O'Connell St. each morning of the trial.
*Around 9.15 am (depending when the trial is slated to start that particular day) we will process in silence in single file carrying the names of the dead (Iraqi & U.S.) in memory of the dead to the Four Courts.
*We will have a circle at the Four Courts, some reflections and folks will be briefed with the logistics for the day.
*We hope to sustain a vigil with A Buddhist nun outside the Four Courts while the trial is in process...a roster will be created each morning.
*The court usually finishes at 4pm so we will then proceed each day to the Franciscan friary refectory on Merchants Quay (main entrance - Directly opposite the Four Courts). Tea/Coffee and refreshments will be served (free). Supporters are asked to come before 5pm as the public entrance closes after that - txt 087 9184552 or 087 9638398 if you cannot gain access. We have this space up to 8pm each evening.

5) INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY VIGILS ON JULY 5TH. AT IRISH EMBASSIES, CONSULS & SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE

*SYDNEY REPORT
"Dear PitStops,
In solidarity with the Pit Stop Ploughshares mob, we held a vigil today (Friday 14 July) outside the Consulate General of Ireland, 400 George St, Sydney, Australia.

present were

Dr Vacy Vlazna, Coordinator Acheh Papua Moluccas Human Rights Online
Ego Lemos, East Timor's leading rock musician ('Cinco Do Oriente'/ Five of the Orient)
Pamela Bryce
Ciaron's friend, Sr Marnie Kennedy - Redfern Parish (sister of Fr Ted Kennedy)
Fr Claude Mostowik- Convenor PAX CHRISTI (Australia), National Convenor of MSC Justice Matters
Jefferson Lee -Australia East Timor Association

A reporter from the expat Irish Echo interviewed us.

Please keep us updated on the trial

We're right there with you in spirit and prayers

Vacy

*BELFAST SOLIDARITY PICKET OF IRISH TOURIST BUREAU
Join the picket on Castle Street

Anti War activists will be holding a picket, leaflet distribution and
collection of signatures in support of the Pitstop Ploughshares 5 at the Irish Tourist Board offices Castle St., Belfast, on Friday the July 14th between 1pm and 2pm.

It's our intention to carry at least 2 activities per week
during the duration of the trial.

All help, support and solidarity welcome!

Join us in solidarity with the Pitstop Ploughshares as they face the southern courts for acting to protect lives in Iraq.

Organised by Anti-War Ireland

At our past court appearances solidarity vigils against ongoing Irish complicity in the war on Iraq have been held at Irish Embassies & Consuls in Washington DC, New York City, Houston, Melbourne, Vancouver, London, Dili (East Timor), Brussels, Gotenburg,, Auckland. Also solidarity vigils were held at Bishop Romero's grave (El Salvador), the Berlin Gate, US Air Force Base at Christchurch Airport (New Zealand), Shannon Airport, Belfast, Scales of Justice statue Brisbane, statue in Budapest and an Irish theme bar in Amsterdam.
Before our first trial in march last year, a group of nonviolent activists staged a solidarity sit in at the Irish Embassy in London. This scored a lot of media attention as it was such a "man bites dog story" after 30 years of Irish protests at British Embassies, we have a crew that stages a British protest at an Irish Embassy!

This past week saw solidarity vigils at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC & London, at the irish Consulate in Melbourne, the Scales of Justice statue in Brisbane & the Irish tourist bureau in Belfast. This coming week will see solidarity vigil at the Irish Embassy in Warsaw.

Photos & reports of the solidarity vigils that have taken place can be found on the day 1 of Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial feature on
http://www.indymedia.ie

If you have friends travelling or living in other parts of the world. Approach them to stage a solidarity vigil on the first day of our trail at an Irish Embassy or Consul. Have them email us about their gathering'
The list of consuls & embassies, can be found on the link below.........
Related Link: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/embassies/?m=e

6) PUBLIC MEETINGS
CORK JULY 14TH, GALWAY JULY 15TH, BELFAST JULY 16TH.
Speakers
*Iraq War Veteran, U.S. Marine Sgt. Jimmy Massey
*Kathy Kelly "Voices in the Wilderness", present during the Shock & Awe bombing of Baghdad

*Friday July 14th. Cork
Time 8.30pm
Venue- Metropole Hotel

*Saturday July 15th.3PM Galway-
Time-3pm
Venue-Irish Centre for Human Rights, Earls Island
More Info- 087 741 3741

*Sunday Belfast-

7.30pm, Sunday 16th July
Peace House, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast

Called
by Peace People, INNATE, Zero28
Details: 0773 781 9569
jntcx@bonbon.net

http://www.peacepeople.com
http://www.innatenonviolence.org
http://www.zero28.org

*DUBIN REPORT
50 people attended the Dublin public meeting Iraq War on Trial on Thursday night July 13th. The meeting was chaired by Harry Browne, Kathy Kelly shared about her prison time in the U.S. for nonviolent resistance. She reflected on her childhood & formation and emphasised the obligation 1st. World people have with those of countries our governments have invaded occupied & exploit. Jimmy Massey reflected
on the killing of his father by Florida state troopers, his childhood growing up in a trailer park in Texas, his recruitment by the U.S. marines as an "economic conscript" and his experineces in Iraq. Ciaron O'Reilly reflected on the nonviolent resistance community building around the trial of the Pit Stop Ploughshares and his journey with Catholic Worker & Plowshares communities in Australia, U.S. England & Ireland and the ongoing trial.

7) SAT. JULY 22ND. DAVID ROVICS TO PLAY BENEFIT GIG FOR PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES IN DUBLIN
Venue to be Announced
In the meantime give the guy a google, he's great!

8) INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS COMING TO TRIAL & HOSPITALITY NEEDS
The folks we know who have indicating they are coming to trial in Dublin are Martin, Scott, Chris & 2 other LCW's (London CW), Carmen (NYCW), Teresa (Ithaca CW, NY) Kathy (Chicago), Sheila (Manchester), Sr. Marta (Buddhist Peace Pagoda Milton Keynes), Sylvia (England), Caroline (Brisbane)

If you are planning to come to trial and need help with accomodation please mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
We can't guarantee accomodation if you turn up spontaneously, so please email us first if you need help with accomodation.

*If you are based in Dublin and can offer a bed or floor space to an international peace activist please mail us and state for which dates you can offer accomodation
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

9) TRIAL DONATION DETAILS

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO TRIAL EXPENSES:
You can do so by donating in the following ways.......
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd.
Dublin 7
IRELAND

Donations can be lodged at any
Bank of Ireland branch:
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551

*If you are in the U.S. and wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Kim Driscoll"
2400 Tuna Canyon Rd.
Topanga
CA. 90290
*If you are in Australia & wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Ciaron O'Reilly"
38 Elbury St.
Mitchelton
Brisbane
Q.40533

More information
http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yaho

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77230

REPORT - Trial Day 7 (J17)
by Ploughshares Support Tuesday July 18, 2006 at 07:34 PM
00 353 87 918 4552 (text solidairt)

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL REPORT Day 7 (J17) -Reports, Links, Updates, Events

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly On Trial for the Third time

-http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile)+353 87 918 4552 (international)1)

1) Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial Report Trial Day 7 (Mon July 17th) in Dublin
2) Kathy Kelly to Testify Tuesday July 18th.10.30 am Court 23 Four Courts
3) Jeb Bush in Town (Dublin) Friday July 21 st.12 noon Conrads Hotel
4) Prison Solidarity Workshop
5) International Solidarity at Irish Embassies & Consulates
* Belfast Vigil & Leafletting Ongoing at Irish Tourist Bureau
6) Further Photos, Reports & Debates Arising from Kathy Kelly/ Jimmy Massey meetings in Dublin, Galway, Cork & Belfast

7) July 22nd. David Rovics Benefit Gig
8) International Supporters Accomodation
9) Financial Support for Ploughhsares Defence Fund

1) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL RESUMES IN DUBLIN- MON. JULY 17TH.

Report Ploughshares Trial Day 7 (J18)
categoryauthor by justin morahan - Peace People
Tense day waiting

.The whole morning was given over to legal argument while the jury were asked to return at 2 p.m.

Late in the afternoon, Dr Jean Allain of Queen's University Belfast was called as a witness for the defence. Dr Allain studied law in Canada, Los Angeles and the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva where he researched the League of Nations., spent six months in The Hague, as a law clerk at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. One of his books is on International Law in the Middle East.

In evidence, Dr Allain said that after 1945 the UN established a charter that outlawed war. Henceforth war could take place only if the UN Security Council authorised it or if it was for self defence. Asked if, in his opinion, the war in Iraq(2003) was lawful under either of these two conditions, he replied "No - and that is not just my opinion". Resolution 1441 of the Security Council did not authorise the war. The Security Council uses "a trigger mechanism" in its resolutions which is always there if it is agreeing to the legality of a war. The mechanism is the phrase "by all means necessary".. Resolution 1441 did not use that phrase but decided to "remain seized of the matter" This meant that the power to go to war was not given (to the US and Britain)

Asked about the Bush doctrine of the legality of a pre-emptive strike for self defence he said that most international jurists disagree with this "doctrine". There is a international consensus among jurists on this - apart from conservative American authors.

When, in cross-examination, the Prosecuting Counsel Conor Devally asked if this issue had been tried in a domestic court in Ireland or Britain, the witness replied:
"I don't study domestic law", When a further similar question was asked there was an objection from Senior Counsel Brendan Nix who said that the Prosecution was attempting to give evidence by means of a question.

The jury was sent out again

After legal argument the witness agreed with Junior Counsel for the Defence, Muireann Brogan, that the UN Charter was different from the League of Nations in that the Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. (The League could only delay the issue of war).
Asked if Governments could be tried if they didn't follow these rules, he replied that in the 1980s the US was found, by the International Court of Justice, to have been in breach of international law. (Nicaragua versus the United States). Both countries agreed at the start that they would accept the outcome.
Asked what punishment applied when a country so breached the law, he said "In international law, there is no police force. . . you cannot put a State in jail. You can take only limited action."

Kathy Kelly was called to the stand very late in the evening but Defence Counsel asked for a postponement of her evidence until tomorrow.

The trial continues Tues (J18) at 10.30 a.m.

2) KATHY KELLY TO TESTIFY TUES (J18) COURT 23, DUBLIN'S FOUR COURTS

Renowned peace activist brings truth to the courtroom

Kathy Kelly is a person of profound integrity, who knows how to walk the walk. She will testify at the trial of the Pitstop Ploughshares tomorrow in the Four Courts. In a climate in which the issue of Iraq and the use of Shannon has been put on the back burner for many, Kathy Kelly is there to remind us of what things are like on the ground for the ordinary people of Iraq as they continue to struggle with the ongoing daily realities of depleted uranium effects and ever escalating violence. Kathy has been a loyal and consistent supporter of the five on trial, having travelled to each of their trials and remained consistent in her support throughout the three-and-a-half years of legal proceedings.

Continued on
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77292

3) JEB BUSH IN TOWN (DUBLIN) FRIDAY 12 NOON CONRAD HOTEL

Death penalty enthusiast, brother of George Junior and possibly future Pesident of the United States of America, Jeb Bush, is coming to Dubin this Friday to speak at Conrad Hotel
hosted by Meteor. A variety of anti-war & human rights groups
are organising criticalreceptions. AY are hosting a noise demonstration at 12 noon
Conrads Hotel, Earlsfort Tce 12noon
Check lnk for map and more info
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77238

IAWM, NGO Peace Allaince & PANA kick off their protest at 12.30pm.

4) PRISON SOLIDARITY WORKSHOP HELD

Following the conclusion of the court scene of Trial Day 7 (J17). Pitstops & solidarity activsts gathered at the Franciscan Church opposite to the Four Courts to
a) Share experiences of prison & solidarity
b) Reflect on how we can support our present anti-war prisoners (both civilaian & military
c) Discuss how we can best support anti-war activists (present company excluded hopefully) during future prison time.

a) Kathy reflected on her approx 2 years of U.S. County Jaisl & Fed Prison time in the U.S. & the experience of being hogtied (http://www.soaw.org archives)
-Carmen (NYCW) on being set up by the NYPD for assault & a week in Rikers Island (pop 10,000) & receent experience of The Tombs (NYC)
-Martin on his 2 years in Rikers & 2 years in English prisons.
-Fr. Martin on his 4 months in Bedford Prison & 2 months in Belmarsh (London) max security.
-Scott on nights in police stations & a night in the Milton Keynes supermax.
-Eamonn on being bashed in police custody.(Ireland)
-Karen, Deirdre & Damien (Pitstops) on their time in Limerick Prison (http://www.peaceontrial.com).
-Justin on 6 months in Mountjoy Prison in the ' 70's (Ireland)
-Ciaron on his 13 months (USA) in Texas & New York County Jails & Louissiana & Oklahoma Fed Pens ("Bomber Grounded, Runway Closed", Rose Hill Books USA 1993), 5 months in Darwin Jail & short stints in Boggo Rd. (Brisbane) max security n the '80's. How prison solidarity work contributed to the closure of that barbaric prison. (Australia)
-Fintan on his 60 days in Limerick Prison following outbreak of the war (Ireland).
-Teresa (http://www.stpatricksfour.org) on her recent release from 4 months in U.S. County Jail & Fed Detention.(USA)

b) Solidarity from the outside anti-war movement was seen as basic to sustain the imprisoned anti-war resister & make it safer from attacks by prison staff & hostile (proactive minority,usually younger, fellow prisoners.) Acknowledgement as anti-war resistance grows within the militaries & civil society there will be more anti-war prisoners.

The "Prison Addresses" section of the following website was recommended as the best source for updated prison addresses primarily for U.S. anti-war prisoners & some internationals.
http://www.jonahhouse.org

c) Proposals & Suggestions
-that a group of 4 (Joe, Dave, Cathy, Fintan) be set up immediately if Ireland gets 5 new anti-war activist prisoners real soon! The 4 would coordinate outreach to sympathetic groups to politicise the imprisonment as a resistance to the war, nourish the activists in terms of the basics (visits, money for stamps, support during crisis etc), vigils (weekly at Mountjoy, monthly at Irish embassies), sustain the website (imprisoned activists encouraged to write reflections on war & custody).
-Similar solidarity collectives to be set up in Australia, England, Poland Scotland, U.S.
-to ask folks to do what they do best for the imprisoned resisters (punk musos & gig organisers to do benefits, artists to do posters, stickers, writers to wrote articles publicisng the incarceration as statements against ongoing Irish complicity in the war, walkers to walk, vigillers to vigil, priests to celebrate mass outside the jails, samba folks to make some noise outside the jails etc. Eamonn to finally finish his film!

5) INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY VIGILS ON JULY 5TH. AT IRISH EMBASSIES, CONSULS & SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE

*Tuesday (J18) vigilling & leafleting continues once again outside the Irish Tourist Bureau in Belfast.
More info link below..
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77267

*Photos & report from solidarity vigil held outside the irish Embassy in Warsaw, Poland.
http://poland.indymedia.org/pl/2006/07/21903.shtml

If you have friends travelling or living in other parts of the world. Approach them to stage a solidarity vigil on the first day of our trail at an Irish Embassy or Consul. Have them email us about their gathering'
The list of consuls & embassies, can be found on the link below.........
Related Link: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/embassies/?m=e

6) REPORTS, PHOTOS & DEBATES ARISING FROM KATHY KELLY/JIMMY MASSEY PUBLIC MEETINGS IN DUBLIN, CORK, GALWAY & BELFAST

"How could you kill my...."
"Those words ring in my ears and haunt my dreams every night. Those words came from an Iraqi man after we shot into his car at a checkpoint near the Baghdad station. We had given a hand and arm signal to stop but they did not. There were four Iraqis in the car three of them were fatally wounded." - Former US Marine, Jimmy Massey.

Reports, Photos & Debates arising continued on
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77230

* Extra Photos from Dublin Meeting & Liverpool Catholic Worker Resurfaces!

More photos including one of a resurfaced Liverpool Catholic Worker. The Liverpool CW was born out of the trial & acquittal of the Seeds of Hope" Ploughshares trial in July '96.

The Liverpool Catholic Worker saw a community of CW's & East Timorese exiles sustain a rhythym of steady resistance at British Aerospace, Warton, Lancashirre where the "Seeds of Hope" disarmament of aBritish Aerospace (BAe) Hawk Fighter which had taken place Jan' 03 The Hawk was in Indonesian Air Force markings days from export to Indonesia in its genocidal war on the people of East Timor.

East Timor is now free of a genocidal Indonesian military occupation, expert witness at the trial, Jose Ramos Horte, is now East Timor's Prime Minister, the "Seeds of Hope" gather iin Liverpool for their 10th. anniversary.

The Liverpool CW faced a sustained backlash from the BAe corporation & British state that included high court injunction, arrests & infiltration by Lancashire Special Branch & a private intelligence corporation (that also ran 6 agents in Campaign Against the Arms Trade).
(See "The Damage Done Alan Fossey & the Liverpool Catholic Worker" as a subsection of
http://www.spinwatch.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=sh...part1

Before their understandable disintergration the Liverpool CW's produced a wonderful t-shirt inspired by a derogotory remark by the then Home Secretary Jack Straw at a Confernce on Prison "Scousers are always up to Something!" You betcha Jack! Later popularised by the punk rock director Alex Cox ("Repo Man", "Sid & Nancy", "Walker" "Highway Patrolman") on dodgy late night British TV & while making his latest film "Revenger's Tragedy. He later adopted the t-shirt as a signature for his film production company "Avenging Angel"
Continued on link below.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77286

7) SAT. JULY 22ND. DAVID ROVICS TO PLAY BENEFIT GIG FOR PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES IN DUBLIN
"The Bull & Castle" (opposite Christchurch Cathedral" at the top of Dame St.)
5-7 Lord Edward St.
Christchurch D2
Dublin
*ENTRY by donation

8) INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS COMING TO TRIAL & HOSPITALITY NEEDS

As we go into the second week of trial we are understandably losing a lot of our international supporters who have been working fulltime on trial support & understandably have to return home. 2 London CW's left last Friday, our 2 New York CW's are due to leave this coming Wednesday. Jimmy Massey leaves today (Tuesday). We grow more dependant on local support rising to the occasion.

*If you are planning to come to trial and need help with accomodation please mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
We can't guarantee accomodation if you turn up spontaneously, so please email us first if you need help with accomodation.

*If you are based in Dublin and can offer a bed or floor space to an international peace activist please mail us and state for which dates you can offer accomodation
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

9) TRIAL DONATION DETAILS

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO TRIAL EXPENSES:
You can do so by donating in the following ways.......
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd.
Dublin 7
IRELAND

Donations can be lodged at any
Bank of Ireland branch:
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551

*If you are in the U.S. and wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Kim Driscoll"
2400 Tuna Canyon Rd.
Topanga
CA. 90290

More information
http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
http://www.peaceontrial.com

Folks who were (& weren't) at the prison & solidarity workshop after the trial day on Monday.

Here is the link to rough minutes of that meeting & suggestions of solidarity organsing should we hit jail.

We have been informed by our legal team that (worst case scenario) we could be taken into custody/ remanded without bail by the Judge as early as Wed evening (most likely Thursday). It would be hoped if things go that way we would be granted bail until seentencing. It would be hoped (even with the presnt absence of a vibrant anti-war movement in the streets of Ireland) that we get acquitted .

Prison & Solidarity Workshop Link , please contribute reflections & suggestions

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77298

If folks who shared their prison reflection at the high quality workshop could post some as "comments" on the link above. Even folks who weren't there could share their reflections on the link above. If you want to support us if & when we hit jail feel free to contribute solidarity suggestions on the link above.

For what there worth.
Here's my reflectionson on prison & solidarity....

Reflections on Jail & Solidarity-Ciaron O'Reilly- Pit Stop Ploughshares
author

Some of us shared our scariest times.

The last time I saw Nathan "The Colosus of Boggo Rd." Jones, he was getting his throat slashed by Brad Pitt in the opening scenes of"Troy". The first time I saw him I was in my 20's and in Boggo Rd. (max security) Jail Brisbane , for refusal to pay a fine for nonviolent civil disobedience. The screws tried to intimidate me by leaving me solo in a yard with Nathan for the day.

In the meantime Nathan finished his 8 years for a series of armed robberies in Tasmania (go figure? Tassie population 400,000, Nathan is 6' 10"....not sure how he was planning to blend into the crowd?), got himself an agent and ended up in WWF and now he's in the movies.There's a photo of Nathan here on this link....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Jones_(wrestler)

Part of the spin off of Brisbane actvists refusing to pay fines and doing jail time was prisoner solidarity work which climaxed with us (prisoners & advocates) closing Boggo Rd Jail down. As prisoners took action on the inside we were able to speak on the outside about conditions, start a Prisoners radio Show that is still going & do solidarity demonstrations outside the jail and street speak downtown when there were hunger strikes and guys on the roof. One of the best prisoner activist on the inside I met was Gary Gray. He died to young. here's an obituary I wrote at the time....

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2000/414/414p12.htm

The longest stint I've done so far has been 13 months in New York & Texas County Jails & Oklahoma & Louissiana Federal Pens. I was in the ANZUS Plowshares community with Bill, Sue & Moana we had disarmed a B-52 Bomber ('91 Rome AFB, upstate New York) on the eve of the Gulf War. I ended up being flown on Con Air to the Texas border & shipped into the outback.

I was the only white guy in the jail & was in a cage with 23 other men for 9 months. I found the first month very difficult. the amount of support mail I recieved made the guards back off from harrassing me and made me popular with the stamp collectors. The next 8 months were manageable. I was pretty disciplined about spiritual & physical exercise, serious & light reading & writing and trying to be helpful to other prisoners. Out of my correspondence came a journal that produced a book "Bomber Grounded, Runway Closed" that was published in the U.S. here's a chapter from the early period of the sentence....

http://vof.cat.org.au/visions/cairon.htm

The 5 months jail time following the Jabiluka Poughshares was also interesting for a white australian as Darwin's Berrimah Prison was approx 95% aborigine inmates/ 95% white staff. This is an article about a small resistance action I pulled off in jail against DNA testing......

http://www.serve.com/nukeresister/nr119/nr119ciaron.html

The last stint was in Limerick Prison remanded after the Pit Stop Ploughshares. The old Dan Berrigan maxim "Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!" makes a lot of sense following a serious action. The five of us entered jail and fasted for 5 days, staying put soaks up the seriousness of the nonviolent resistance to the war and fasting tells your body your in a different place. here's aletter I wrote at the time...

http://www.themanifesto.co.uk/witness/articles/letterCi....html

I lived with Phil Berrigan at Jonah House (Baltimore, Maryland, USA) for the best part of a year. Phil would say "friends in jail for peace speak to our conscience, which is the way God speaks to us". here's some articles by & about PhiL who spent 11 of his last 30 years in prison for nonviolent resistance to the war machine
http://www.jonahhouse.org/phil.htm
Related Link: http://www.peaceontrial.com

PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL REPORTS & UPDATES -Reports, Links, Updates, Events

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly On Trial for the Third time, Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland.

http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile)+353 87 918 4552 (international)1)

1) Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial Day 11 Briefing ( Fri July 21st)
2) Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial Day 10 Briefing ( Thurs July 20th)
3) Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial Report Day 9 (Wed July 18th.)
4) Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial Report Day 8 ( Tues July 17th.)

5) Jeb Bush in Town (Dublin) Friday July 21 st.12 noon Conrads Hotel
6) Prison Solidarity Workshop
7) Call for International Solidarity/ Anti-War Vigils at Irish Embassies, Consulates & Sites of Significance in the War Effort on Iraq-for Friday July 21st. (Verdict Day)-Reports & Photos from Previous Solidarity Vigils
8) Reports, Photos & Debate Arising Out of Kathy Kelly/ Jimmy Massey "Iraq War on Trial" Public Meetings in Dublin, Cork, Galway & Belfast.

9) July 22nd. David Rovics Benefit Gig
10) Pine Gap Crew go to Trial Oct in Alice Springs, Australia *Kicks Off Oct 3.d
11) Fairford 5 Go To Trial Oct in Bristol Crown Court, England *Sept.4th-18th.
12) International Supporters Accomodation
13) Financial Support for Ploughhsares Defence Fund

1) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL VERDICT DAY FRI JULY 21ST.

Judge will charge the Jury Fri 10 am Court 23 Four Courts, Dublin. Jury will be sent out!

2) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL CLOSING ARGUMENTS THURS JLU 20TH.

3) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL DAY 9 (J19)

*****KATHY KELLY'S EVIDENCE BELOW IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN - AS IT WAS GIVEN IN FRONT OF THE JURY - FEEL FREE TO PUBLISH OR POST*******

4) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL DAY 8 (J18) REPORT

Kathy Kelly's evidence

SUMMARY
Kathy Kelly finally gave her evidence on Tuesday.
She spoke quietly about the chilling effect of the sanctions that had been imposed on Iraq after the 1991 war, of the devastation caused to the country, the lack of water and electricity, the ilnesses and diseases, the lack of medical supplies due to veto, the deaths of over 500,000 children between ages 0 to 5, the deaths of 1.5 million Iraqis due to sanctions (a quarter of the estimated number of Holocaust victims), the fear of the people before the Shock and Awe blitz of March 2003, how she related her first-hand experiences to the defendants, her acquaintance with Denis Halliday who had resigned as Assistant Sec General of the UN because of his disagreement with the sanctions. Mr Halliday who was sitting in the court..was pointed out by Senior Counsel Brendan Nix She described in detail the photos she had brought from Iraq which became part of the defendants' shrine

In a day of high drama, there were numerous objections raised, followed by interruption of evidence and jury retirements.

KATHY KELLY'S EVIDENCE
Tuesday 10:43 a.m.

Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy Kelly to verify that she was from Chicago, has an Irish passport as well, and has travelled to Iraq many times since 1991. He also mentioned that, with others, she founded Voices in the Wilderness in 1996, and that the organization brought medicines and other relief to Iraq having realized that the economic sanctions didn't cause direct harm to Saddam Hussein but were instead causing children to suffer. Kathy stated that Voices in the Wilderness obtained information from UNICEF and other organizations, but also reported back, following travel to Iraq, about their own experiences. Members sometimes stayed with families in Iraq.

Asked about why she first visited Iraq in 1991, Kathy stated that she was part of a peace team encamped on the Iraq side of the IraqÃ¢â‚¬â€œSaudi border during the first Gulf War, the Desert Storm war. The Gulf Peace Team members believed that their lives were not any more or less valuable than the lives of civilians and soldiers and that perhaps if peace activists took the same risk required of soldiers they would have a better chance of voicing opposition to the war.

Kathy returned to the United States in August, 1991.

The next time she visited Iraq was in March,1996, with Voices in the Wilderness, and after that she made regular visits (21 times) before the 2003 outbreak of the Shock and Awe bombing and invasion. Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy when the Shock and Awe bombing began. She said that it began on March 20, 2003, but that in a sense the war had never ended. There was regular bombardment, and Kathy had witnessed some of it, in what the military called a "softening up," before the Shock and Awe campaign had even been announced.

Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy about the length of her visits to Iraq. She said they were normally 10Ã¢â‚¬â€œ12 days, but at one point she had lived in the Jummuriyah neighbourhood of Basra during the summer of 2000 for 10 weeks and that she had stayed in Iraq throughout October and November and until Christmas Eve of December, 2002, during the build-up for the Shock and Awe bombing. Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy what she had experienced during those ten weeks. She said that people she knew felt sure they were gong to be hit by U.S. bombs but didn't know when. Many remembered the 1991 bombing and were fearful. They feared they would run out of water, that their electricity would be destroyed, their homes damaged. Some tried to dig wells, but this was a futile attempt because they couldn't get drinkable water. Many moved away from Baghdad if they could. But those who lived near military installations were especially fearful.

The U.S. Army issued a 1991 report which stated that after the first Gulf war, just six more months of economic sanctions would cause epidemic levels of water-borne diseases, such as cholera, typhus, dysentery and diarrhoea. Only 20% of the bombs dropped by the U.S. hit their intended targets in 1991, but those bombs completely destroyed Iraq's electrical grid, wiping out the water purification systems that depended on electricity.

The Judge interrupted, stating that Ms. Kelly was only to speak from her own personal experience.

Mr. O'Kelly then asked Kathy to speak about shortages in the hospitals. Kathy spoke of shortages of medicines, even to cure regular diseases, such as respiratory diseases that could turn into pneumonia if one lacked antibiotics. They lacked anesthetics for surgery. Kathy said that she visited many hospitals, each time she went to Iraq, and saw terrible shortages. Rubber gloves were being used for blood collection, Ã¢â‚¬Â¦

Judge Reynolds interrupted, saying that Ms. Kelly had been called to tell about what she had told the defendants when she encountered them.

Mr. O'Kelly then asked Kathy to clarify that she had attended the FÃƒÂ©ile BrÃƒÂde conference in 2003, that she had gone back to the United States at the end of December, 2002, and at the end of January she travelled to Ireland on her way back to Iraq. Kathy stated that AfrI had invited her to speak and that she had told the audience about Voices in the Wilderness, about the Iraq Peace Team, and about their decision to remain alongside ordinary people, in Iraq, who had given them so much hospitality in the past. The Iraq Peace Team members felt they shouldn't walk away from Iraqis at a dangerous time. She stated that in her opinion they bore a great responsibility at a time when there was inadequate coverage, in the U.S., of the effects of the economic sanctions. She wanted to tell people at the conference about the current situation in Iraq and about how frightened Iraqi people were. Given the shortages of electricity, medicines and water which they already experienced in Iraq, if the war caused more destruction, doctors would be unable to cope with new epidemics.

Mr. O'Kelly then asked Kathy if she spoke directly with the defendants. She said that she had spoken with Ciaron, whom she had known for many years, and that she also recalled speaking with Damien and Deirdre. She remembered talking about responsibility to raise public awareness at a grave moment.

Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy if she had given the defendants photographs. She said that she had given them enlarged and laminated photographs. Mr. O'Kelly asked if these photographs were then used by the defendants as part of a shrine they set up and Kathy said yes, these were the photographs. She proceeded to present each of five photographs which were submitted as evidence.

The first photograph showed a smiling little girl who was exceptional because she was able to go home from the hospital. She was healthy. The photo was taken in 1996 by Rick McDowell.

The next photo showed six year old Noor, who suffocated under debris when a bomb hit her street in the Jumurriyah neighbourhood of Basra on January 25, 1999. The photo was taken by Nebil Al Jorani, a photographer working for a hotel in Basra. He was hired to photograph tourists, but there weren't many tourists in Basra at that time. The bomb that hit the street in Jumurriyah was intended to hit a fertilizer factory, but it missed the target. The same day, another bomb was fired and this one also strayed and hit a little girl, Isra, tearing her arm off, in the village of Abu Falous . The third photograph showed Noor's father holding the limp and lifeless body of another of his children. This photo was also taken on January 25, 1999 by Nebil Al Jorani.

The fourth photo was taken by Kathy's friend, Chuck Quilty, in 1996. It showed a child in an advanced stage of malnutrition

In the fifth photo, a doctor was showing a doctor with a child suffering from "wasting," or acute malnourishment. The doctor pinches the child's flesh to show how the flesh falls from the bones. Kathy stated that a friend of hers, Martin Thomas, was in a hospital ward with her and he stated, "I think I understand. It's like a death row for infants."

The Judge interrupted to instruct Ms. Kelly to speak only from her own experiences.

Mr. O'Kelly said that the defendants were aware of Madeleine Albright's statement that 500,000 children had died in Iraq. The jury may not be aware of this. Judge Reynolds asked Kathy what Madeleine Albright had said. Kathy recalled that in May of 1996 a U.S. television program called "60 Minutes" had interviewed Madeleine Albright. At the time, she was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations. Leslie Stahl, the interviewer, said to Ms. Albright, "Ms. Albright, I mean, more children have died in Iraq than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Over a half million children have died and, I mean, is it worth the price?" Ms. Albright responded, "Yes, Leslie, it's a difficult choice to make, and I'm a humanitarian person, but the price, we think the price is worth it." Leslie Stahl then asked, "Worth it?"

Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy if she spoke to the defendants about what should be done. Kathy said that she felt they were responsible to find non-violent ways to raise the awareness of people and to help them realize that Iraqis committed no crime against us. Judge Reynolds asked Kathy what she meant by "us." "Well, I'm from the United States ," Kathy replied, "and the Iraqis hadn't done anything to hurt us."

Mr. O'Kelly asked Kathy if she was looking for volunteers to go with her to Iraq. Kathy said it was very difficult to get visas at that point, and that she was concerned that the members of their group not grow so large that they would lose control and find themselves used by the Iraqi government as human shields. She said that she hoped each person would do what they could to stop the warfare and help voice the concerns for Iraqis who otherwise might not be heard.

CROSS-EXAMINATION

Mr. Devally (for the Prosecution) stated that Voices in the Wilderness was begun in 1996 to give background and raise awareness regarding the effects of economic sanctions and that the participants wished to dramatize a challenge to the economic sanctions. He said that the FÃƒÂ©ile Bride event was giving voice to concerns of the poor and that in the U.S. there had not been enough knowledge about the sanctions, wasn't that so? Kathy added that she believed that if the U.S. people had understood the effects of these sanctions they wouldn't have stood for it.

Mr. Devally asked if Kathy would agree that mention of Ms. Albright's remarks, along with the pictures she showed, would give rise to anger on the part of people who were hearing Kathy's talk. Kathy said that she believed all of the people hearing were responsible for what had happened in Iraq, not just Ms. Albright, and that part of the problem was that Ms. Albright was never challenged. At the time that she made that remark, she was the U.S. Representative to the UN. Not a single op-ed piece challenged what she said. Instead, she was raised to the highest position a woman in the U.S. had ever held, - she was made Secretary of State.

Mr. Devally then said that if sanctions were imposed by the U.N., but steered by the U.S., and if products were vetted by the U.S., wasn't it likely that the combination of pictures and callous statements would induce anger? Kathy said that she would have failed any gathering if she only caused people to feel anger. People must feel a responsibility to try and challenge the policies.

Mr. Devally said that he understood Ms. Kelly was not trying to foment hatred.

MR NIX CROSS-EXAMINES

Mr. Nix then asked Kathy if it was true that the definition of a child, according to UN researchers, was a child of five years or less. Kathy said that was true.

Mr. Nix asked what the UN had found regarding the number of people whose deaths were contributed to by economic sanctions. Kathy said that economic sanctions contributed to the deaths of 1.5 million Iraqi people. Mr. Nix remarked that this was a quarter of the Holocaust figure. Kathy agreed.

Mr Nix asked if previously Iraq had an advanced system of health care and if it wasn't a place that people from surrounding countries came to, for surgeries and other health care. Kathy said that Iraq's health care had been regarded as enviable by many people in surrounding countries. Mr. Nix then asked if the United States had not threatened to bomb Iraq back into the stone age. She said that was correct.

Mr. Nix then referred to two tapes which the defendants had mentioned. Was Kathy familiar with them. Kathy said yes, that one was called "Paying the Price." Mr. Nix asked if this was not a reference to the quotation from Madeleine Albright. Kathy said it was.

She said that John Pilger had made the film and that he had invited Mr. Denis Halliday to go with him to Iraq. Mr. Nix asked if Denis Halliday was an Irish man who, as Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, had taken over the "Oil for Food" program? Kathy said that was correct.

Mr. Nix then asked if it was true that any member of the UN could embargo every item sought by Iraq. Kathy said that was true and that sometimes it took one and one half years just to fulfill one contract under a very bureaucratic system.

Mr. Nix then asked if it was true that Denis Halliday had publicly resigned his position from the UN. Kathy said that this was true, that Mr. Halliday wanted to be able to speak publicly about his view of the economic sanctions which he later stated were genocidal.

Mr. Nix asked if the man in the pink salmon shirt (pointing to a man seated on one of the side benches) was not Mr. Denis Halliday. Kathy said that yes, that is Mr. Halliday.

MR O'HIGGINS CROSS-EXAMINES

Mr. O'Higgins then asked Kathy if it was true that under the Oil for Food program Iraqis would list items they wanted in exchange for their oil. Mr. O'Higgins clarified that the items sought were not expensive cars or luxury items, but rather items needed for indigent people including such basics as medical supplies.

Kathy stated that food and medicine were never embargoed but that Iraqis couldn't afford to buy these products when they weren't allowed to sell their oil. She noted that in 1989, Iraq had imported 90 percent of its pharmaceuticals and 70 percent of its food. They couldn't afford basic medicines and medical equipment, such as kidney dialysis machines, or medicines needed to cure chronic diseases. They also couldn't get equipment needed to rehabilitate their electrical systems or their oil refineries.

Mr. Devally, the prosecutor, interrupted to remind Mr. O'Higgins that the witness is not an expert on international law.

Judge Reynolds instructed the jury to leave.

When the jury returned, Mr. O'Higgins observed that the UN had been set up to eliminate war and establish means of peacekeeping and to accomplish this through various organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. He stated that these organizations had been involved in collecting raw data about what was happening in various countries and that this data was as nearly as possible considered apolitical and objective.

Mr. O'Higgins then asked if the figure given by the UN of 500,000 children under age 5 dying in Iraq was given much press coverage. Kathy responded that on August 12, Carol Bellamy, the UN coordinator of UNICEF had held a press conference to deliver these findings, but the coverage was meagre. The Wall Street Journal had devoted two sentences, and there was none from the other ten mainstream U.S. media resources. Mr. O'Higgins asked if the Wall Street Journal was known worldwide. Kathy said that was correct.

Mr. O'Higgins then mentioned the bombing of Iraq that began in 1991 and began to suggest that it did not end. Mr. Devally stood to object and Judge Reynolds asked the jury to retire.

When the jury returned, Mr. O'Higgins asked Kathy to clarify that she had experience being in Iraq in 1991 and during bombing in 1998 and that in each instance the United States had carried out the bombing. Kathy said this was true. He asked if it was true that she had shown photographs from a bombing in 1999. She said this was true.
He then asked Kathy to explain what she meant when she had referred to "Shock and Awe" bombing. Kathy began to say that this was a military term, but at that point Mr. Devally interrupted

Mr. Devally said that he was being placed in a position of appearing to attempt to prevent the jury from hearing evidence by registering what he believed to be legitimate objections. Mr. O'Higgins then asked for a ruling, in the absence of the jury, on whether or not he was entitled to pursue his questions.

Judge Reynolds asked the jury to leave

When the jury returned, Mr. O'Higgins asked Kathy what Shock and Awe refers to. Kathy said that it was a military term describing an attack that is so heavy that the enemy can't possibly respond in any way.

Mr. O'Higgins asked when this took place in Iraq. Kathy said that it began on Day 3 of the U.S. bombardment, on March 23rd, 2003

End of Kathy's testimony

The remainder of tuesday was spent dealing with legal matters in the absence of the jury

(Apologies for any errors, omissions, inaccuracies or or deficiencies in the above report)

5) JEB BUSH IN TOWN (DUBLIN) FRIDAY 12 NOON CONRAD HOTEL

Death penalty enthusiast, brother of George Junior and possibly future Pesident of the United States of America, Jeb Bush, is coming to Dubin this Friday to speak at Conrad Hotel
hosted by Meteor. A variety of anti-war & human rights groups
are organising criticalreceptions. AY are hosting a noise demonstration at 12 noon
Conrads Hotel, Earlsfort Tce 12noon
Check lnk for map and more info
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77238

IAWM, NGO Peace Allaince & PANA kick off their protest at 12.30pm.

6) PRISON SOLIDARITY WORKSHOP HELD

Following the conclusion of the court scene of Trial Day 7 (J17). Pitstops & solidarity activsts gathered at the Franciscan Church opposite to the Four Courts to
a) Share experiences of prison & solidarity
b) Reflect on how we can support our present anti-war prisoners (both civilaian & military
c) Discuss how we can best support anti-war activists (present company excluded hopefully) during future prison time.

a) Kathy reflected on her approx 2 years of U.S. County Jaisl & Fed Prison time in the U.S. & the experience of being hogtied (http://www.soaw.org archives)
-Carmen (NYCW) on being set up by the NYPD for assault & a week in Rikers Island (pop 10,000) & receent experience of The Tombs (NYC)
-Martin on his 2 years in Rikers & 2 years in English prisons.
-Fr. Martin on his 4 months in Bedford Prison & 2 months in Belmarsh (London) max security.
-Scott on nights in police stations & a night in the Milton Keynes supermax.
-Eamonn on being bashed in police custody.(Ireland)
-Karen, Deirdre & Damien (Pitstops) on their time in Limerick Prison (http://www.peaceontrial.com).
-Justin on 6 months in Mountjoy Prison in the ' 70's (Ireland)
-Ciaron on his 13 months (USA) in Texas & New York County Jails & Louissiana & Oklahoma Fed Pens ("Bomber Grounded, Runway Closed", Rose Hill Books USA 1993), 5 months in Darwin Jail & short stints in Boggo Rd. (Brisbane) max security n the '80's. How prison solidarity work contributed to the closure of that barbaric prison. (Australia)
-Fintan on his 60 days in Limerick Prison following outbreak of the war (Ireland).
-Teresa (http://www.stpatricksfour.org) on her recent release from 4 months in U.S. County Jail & Fed Detention.(USA)

b) Solidarity from the outside anti-war movement was seen as basic to sustain the imprisoned anti-war resister & make it safer from attacks by prison staff & hostile (proactive minority,usually younger, fellow prisoners.) Acknowledgement as anti-war resistance grows within the militaries & civil society there will be more anti-war prisoners.

The "Prison Addresses" section of the following website was recommended as the best source for updated prison addresses primarily for U.S. anti-war prisoners & some internationals.
http://www.jonahhouse.org

c) Proposals & Suggestions
-that a group of 4 (Joe, Dave, Cathy, Fintan) be set up immediately if Ireland gets 5 new anti-war activist prisoners real soon! The 4 would coordinate outreach to sympathetic groups to politicise the imprisonment as a resistance to the war, nourish the activists in terms of the basics (visits, money for stamps, support during crisis etc), vigils (weekly at Mountjoy, monthly at Irish embassies), sustain the website (imprisoned activists encouraged to write reflections on war & custody).
-Similar solidarity collectives to be set up in Australia, England, Poland Scotland, U.S.
-to ask folks to do what they do best for the imprisoned resisters (punk musos & gig organisers to do benefits, artists to do posters, stickers, writers to wrote articles publicisng the incarceration as statements against ongoing Irish complicity in the war, walkers to walk, vigillers to vigil, priests to celebrate mass outside the jails, samba folks to make some noise outside the jails etc. Eamonn to finally finish his film!

7) INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR SOLIDARITY VIGILS ON JULY 5TH. AT IRISH EMBASSIES, CONSULS & SITES OF SIGNIFICANCE FOR FRIDAY JULY 21ST. (VERDICT DAY)

At our past court appearances solidarity vigils against ongoing Irish complicity in the war on Iraq have been held at Irish Embassies & Consuls in Washington DC, New York City, Houston, Melbourne, Vancouver, London, Dili (East Timor), Brussels, Gotenburg,, Auckland. Also solidarity vigils were held at Bishop Romero's grave (El Salvador), the Berlin Gate, US Air Force Base at Christchurch Airport (New Zealand), Shannon Airport, Belfast, Scales of Justice statue Brisbane, statue in Budapest and an Irish theme bar in Amsterdam.

Before our first trial in march last year, a group of nonviolent activists staged a solidarity sit in at the Irish Embassy in London. This scored a lot of media attention as it was such a "man bites dog story" after 30 years of Irish protests at British Embassies, we have a crew that stages a British protest at an Irish Embassy!

This first week of our 3rd. trial saw solidarity vigils at the Irish Embassy in Washington DC & London, at the irish Consulate in Melbourne, the Scales of Justice statue in Brisbane & the Irish tourist bureau in Belfast. This coming week will see solidarity vigil at the Irish Embassy in Warsaw.

Photos & reports of the solidarity vigils that have taken place can be found on the day 1 of Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial feature on
http://www.indymedia.ie

*London & Oxford catholic Workers have maintained a daily solidarity vigil outside the Irish Embassy in London during our 2nd. week of trial.

*Anti-War ireland & Friends have sustained regular vigils & leafletting in Belfast.

*Dublin Playwrite & thespian Donal O'Kelly will dedicate his performance of "The Cambria" in Kinsale this Thursday night to the Pit Stop Ploughsares 5.

*David Rovics is dedicating his song " Who Would Jesus Bomb?" to the Pit Stop Ploughshares 5 at his gigs on his present tour of England & Ireland.

*Melbourne Vigil Photos & report
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77054?author_name=Paul&...57690

*Photos & report from solidarity vigil held outside the irish Embassy in Warsaw, Poland.
http://poland.indymedia.org/pl/2006/07/21903.shtml

If you have friends travelling or living in other parts of the world. Approach them to stage a solidarity vigil on the first day of our trail at an Irish Embassy or Consul. Have them email us about their gathering'
The list of consuls & embassies, can be found on the link below.........
Related Link: http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/embassies/?m=e

8) REPORTS, PHOTOS & DEBATES ARISING FROM KATHY KELLY/JIMMY MASSEY PUBLIC MEETINGS IN DUBLIN, CORK, GALWAY & BELFAST

"How could you kill my...."
"Those words ring in my ears and haunt my dreams every night. Those words came from an Iraqi man after we shot into his car at a checkpoint near the Baghdad station. We had given a hand and arm signal to stop but they did not. There were four Iraqis in the car three of them were fatally wounded." - Former US Marine, Jimmy Massey.

Reports, Photos & Debates arising continued on
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77230

9) SAT. JULY 22ND. DAVID ROVICS TO PLAY BENEFIT GIG FOR PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES IN DUBLIN

"The Bull & Castle" (opposite Christchurch Cathedral" at the top of Dame St.)
5-7 Lord Edward St.
Christchurch D2
Dublin
*ENTRY by donation

10) PINE GAP CREW GO TO TRIAL IN ALICE SPRINGS KICKS OFF OCT 3RD.
Catholic Workers & Friends called "Christians Against All Terrorism" were arrested and charged aftercarrying out a citizen's inspection of CIA/NSA Pine Gap warfighting sattelite base near isolated Alice Springs in December go to trial in October. Trial occurs on the 20th. anniversary of Pope John Paul 2nd.'s historic visit to Alice Springs. (pop 20,000 in the dead centre of Australia!)
http://www.pinegap6.org
http://sydney.indymedia.org/node/37813

11) "FAIRFORD/B52 FIVE" GO TO TRIAL SEPT 4TH.-18TH. IN BRISTOL CROWN COURT, ENGLAND

Five folks go to trial in Bristol Crown Court in October facing charges from 3 disarmament & attempted disarmament actions at U.S. Air Force B52 Base in Fairford, England. Actions took place in lead up to out invasion of Iraq.
http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=25213

12) INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTERS COMING TO TRIAL & HOSPITALITY NEEDS

As we go into the second week of trial we are understandably losing a lot of our international supporters who have been working fulltime on trial support & understandably have to return home. 2 1/2 more London CW's left last this morning, our 2 New York CW's have extended thir stay until Monday. Jimmy Massey left Tuesday. Kathy Kelly leaves Saturday. We grow more dependant on local support rising to the occasion.

*If you are planning to come to trial and need help with accomodation please mail ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
We can't guarantee accomodation if you turn up spontaneously, so please email us first if you need help with accomodation.

*If you are based in Dublin and can offer a bed or floor space to an international peace activist please mail us and state for which dates you can offer accomodation
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie

13) TRIAL DONATION DETAILS

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO TRIAL EXPENSES:
You can do so by donating in the following ways.......
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd.
Dublin 7
IRELAND

Donations can be lodged at any
Bank of Ireland branch:
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
Account No. 80965573 Sort Code 900551

*If you are in the U.S. and wish to donate, please make cheques payable to
"Kim Driscoll"
2400 Tuna Canyon Rd.
Topanga
CA. 90290
USA

*In AUSTRALIA
Make cheques payable to
"Ciaron O'Reilly"
38 Elbury St.
Mitchelton
Brisbane
AUSTRALIA

PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL CLOSING ARGUMENTS REPORT DAY 10 (THURS J20).

An Account of the Submissionsmade by counsel for the Prosecution & the Defence Before the Jury.

Today's submissions were quite lengthy so this isnecessarily an incomplete account of all that was said. Pleae add corrections & ommisions on newswire post on http://www.indymedia.ie as comment.

Counsel for the defence and prosecution summed up their cases before the jury. The judge will summarise for the jury tomorrow and continue on Monday, at which point the jury will retire to consider their verdict. The prosecution got the day rolling with a lengthy submission from Mr Devally.

His main line of argument was that the defendants did not have a "lawful excuse" to commit the action. Under the law if a person charged with the offence has a lawful excuse for damaging property he or she will not be found guilty of criminal damage.

One of his arguments was that the accused did not just seek to directly impede the US military in its impending invasion but also sought to raise the consciousness of others as to what was happening in the Middle East. He argued that in this democratic society (sic) this was an incorrect way of effecting change. Either one could seek a ruling from the courts as to the legality of Ireland's role in the war with regards to the use of Shannon or one could march in the street as on February 15th 2003 or one could lobby elected representatives to change the government's policy and ultimately one could change the representatives at an election.

Counsel for the prosecution also attempted to downplay the importance of the testimony of the expert military witness that the defendants action could have saved life and property in Iraq. He argued that the causal chain was too difficult to understand and he introduced a scientific concept called chaos theory, the popular version of which states that a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon could cause a hurricane in Florida. Similarly with regard to the actions of the accused it was difficult to say if they had any impact on the lives and properties of Iraqis.

The prosecutor laid before the jury various examples of what he considered would amount to lawful excuse (e.g. breaking into a burning building). He argued that the action of the defendants was not reasonable in the circumstances. There were other ways of acting on their honestly held belief that the US military's use of Shannon Airport should be halted, such as requesting the police to intervene or the government to take appropriate action.

There were three separate submissions from three barristers acting for the defendants. They differed considerably in style.

A theme running through the day was the emphasis on the right of the accused to the presumption of innocence. It is for the prosecution to prove guilt, not for the defence to prove innocence. If the jury have a genuine doubt, it doesn't even have to be a massive doubt, as to the guilt of the accused (in any criminal case) they should acquit. This applies right across the board so if the accused put forward a defence, in this case that they had lawful excuse to damage property, then it is for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that they didnâ€™t. If doubt remains, then acquittal should follow.

As there was agreement on the basic facts of the case, the main arguments revolved around the issue of lawful excuse, though at times counsel were not averse to referring to wider issues such events in the Middle East in attempting to give context to their arguments.

The first submission from the defence argued that any wider issues such as whether the defendants hoped that their actions might contribute to the raising of awareness of the impending war, was not actually relevant to the charge as before the courts. The fact that they may have done so did not remove the defence that they also had lawful excuse under the law. That lawful excuse was that they honestly believed that their actions could help save a life and property in Iraq. He went on to argue that not only was their belief honestly held, but that their action was reasonable in those circumstances. The damaging of the infrastructure of war contributes to the lessening of the ability of that war machine. He gave the example of the German counter-offensive in Belgium in 1944 where the Axis forcesâ€™ counter-attack came to a halt due to a lack of petrol for their vehicles rather than a military defeat on the field. The importance of background infrastructure to a war should not be underestimated.

The second barrister for the defence adopted a more oratorical style and emphasised the intentions and courage of the accused and the destruction caused by war. He made frequent reference to the Bible, notably the Sermon on the Mount and its "Blessed are the peacemakers" speech, and said the defendants were attempting to practice in a sincere way their religious beliefs, beliefs to which many people pay nominal heed but is not always followed.

The third counsel for the remaining two defendants reverted to a more analytical approach and contested some of the prosecution's core claims. It was noted that it is for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants did not have lawful excuse. It is not for the defendants to prove that they did have it. He went on to argue why he considered the prosecutions case to fall short of ascertaining that level of confidence and that a jury must acquit if they had doubts.

He read back some of the prosecutions descriptions of the case which he claimed were classic indicators of doubt. For example, the prosecution had said that the defences evidence was strong and that the case was a difficult one to decide.

He noted that some of the prosecutions hypothetical examples of what would constitute a lawful excuse were inadequate to prove that this defence did not apply. For example, the prosecution repeatedly used the scenario of a burning house which a person damages in order to save life. The prosecutor had said this would be justified, but that this example was very different to the case being tried as one could not say that there was an emergency situation. The police or some appropriate body should have been called to deal with the situation. The defence counsel countered that the analogy was inappropriate as the Dail in 1997 had removed the word "immediate" from the legislation and that the prosecution's reliance on emergency-style examples did not reflect accurately the case on trial. There was no imperative for the defence to show that their action was prompted by an immediate threat. He also rebutted an example of destruction of tobacco being exported to a country with no health warnings as being an inaccurate analogy to the case in hand.

The prosecution's arguments, counsel for the defence submitted, did not impinge on the defendantsâ€™ right to rely on the defence of a "lawful excuse". While the prosecutor might think that it may open an appalling vista of posse-style justice, that was a matter that he or the Director of Public Prosecutions should take up with the Minister for Justice with a view to changing the law. The law as it stands, however, enables an accused of relying on the defence and so, it was argued, the prosecution had fallen short of inducing reasonable doubt on this issue.

Mr O'Higgins went on to challenge Mr Devally's grasp of science and chaos theory. He referred back to the expert witness on military affairs. That expert had given evidence that there was a reasonable possibility actions of the accused could have saved life and property could neither be ruled in nor out. Counsel for the defence noted that the prosecution had not called any expert witness to counter this evidence, nor had they sought to challenge his testimony. The defence argued that as an expert witness could not rule out the reasonable possibility that their actions saved life and property, then the actions could fairly be said to be reasonable, and therefore the jury should acquit. This was so as it was for the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was not reasonable yet they had not challenged the expert witness nor brought their own expert witness to give evidence to the contrary.

It was also submitted that the great majority of legal opinion on International Law were of the view that the American-led war in Iraq was illegal and that while it wasn't for an Irish court to decide that issue, it was an opinion worth bearing in mind when considering the actions of the defendants. It is in this context that one of the defendant's statements make sense, namely, he didn't go to Shannon "to commit a crime; I went to Shannon to stop a crime".

audio
mp3 22mins 43 secs - http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/2006.1.cor2.mp3

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77405&comment_limit=0&condense_comments=false#comment160058

Mr Devally

He thanked the jury for their patience and said he had to make an apology at the outset. He had omitted to say that all accused in every trial comes with a Presumption of Innocence. The Judge told you about half way though the trial. It means that all accused of any crime are innocent until proven guilty. The presumption of innocence is very important because it means that it's up to the Prosecution to prove each element of the case and to negative every element of the Defence in all matters. This presumption of innocence goes all the way from the beginning to the end of a trial

The presumption is only displaced if and when the jury decide otherwise.

Mr Devally apologised for this omission and said that it probably had happened because of the unusual nature of this case. Usually there had to be debates about the facts of what had happened but here there was no dispute about the main facts - none of the five was saying "I wasn't there" and none of them was saying "I didn't know what I was doing". The accused admitted through their Statement of Faith that they did the action - there was no argument about this. So the sting of the Prosecution had been removed - it was an unusual case.

The jury has to deal with the facts of the case and there is not a great deal of controversy concerning the facts.: On 3 February 2003 all five defendants (named) entered Shannon airport, went to the hangar, erected a shrine, looked under a door to see a US Navy plane, smashed the glass to open the door, surprised the sole Garda present in the hangar, used a mattock and hammers to damage the plane - the jury would see the pictures of the damage caused.

Mr Devally said that what was in dispute - and the job of the jury to decide - was whether or not what they did amounted to an act of criminal damage, or whether they had a lawful excuse.

All four of us (he and the Defence Counsels) will do our best to explain the law, but the judge is the final person whose interpretation of the meaning of the law must be accepted.

The section of the Criminal Damage Act under which the defendants have been accused is:
In Section the words

"A person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property belonging to another intending to destroy or damage any such property or being reckless as to whether any such property would be destroyed or damaged shall be guilty of an offence."

In the present case there is no question of the accused being reckless - they intended to do what they did.

The accused used different wording in giving their reasons. They all agreed on the wording “to beat swords into ploughshares.”

The operations man at Shannon airport gave evidence that no one had permission to enter there other than the Garda and the U.S. military and other such authorized persons. This is not in dispute.

The plane belonged to the U.S. Navy. This is not in dispute.

All that is left re this section of the charge is the question of lawful excuse. Do you accept from the evidence volunteered by the accused that they had Lawful Excuse? All the other elements of a crime are there.

The Criminal Damage Act 1991 states:

"A person charged with an offence to which this section applies shall, whether or not he would be treated for the purposes of this Act as having a lawful excuse apart from this subsection, be treated for those purposes as having a lawful excuse . . .

( c ) if he damaged or threatened to damage the property in question .... in order to protect himself or another or property belonging to himself or another ... . and, at the time of the act or acts alleged to constitute the offence, he believed

(i) that he or that other or the property, right or interest was in immediate need of protection, and

(ii) that the means of protection adopted or proposed to be adopted were or would be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances."

There were long hours of debate in your absence, and it wasn’t idle debate, as to how the Judge should guide your interpretation of the law.

Mr. Devally then said he would present his effort to help. He asked the jurors to consider whether or not the act was reasonable by imagining what was going on in the minds of the accused...was there a line there which if they crossed it, it would be unlawful...a line what’s going on in the minds…

There are subjective and objective facts or sets of circumstances. With regard to the subjective feature in assessing each one (we have their Statement of Faith)
you must give the accused the benefit of the doubt

In the subjective analysis you consider two things: (a) the circumstances as the accused believed them to be, and (b) was their action reasonable

(a) the circumstances as the accused believed them to be: There were very wide geopolitical factors involved. The use of Shannon Airport (for an impending war) They wanted to prevent an attack. They knew the plane had been already damaged by Mary Kelly
(b) the reasonableness of their action: their belief is that their act was reasonable because of the violent acts to be perpetrated in Iraq, that the plane at Shannon had a part to play in these acts and that there was no "legal" way open to them to stop these acts

That's the subjective test - what the accused believed to be the circumstances and reasonable

But we can still ask, for the objective task, was it reasonable?

We know that hey acted with great sincerity. Their conscience is not on trial. Their morals are not on trial
We’re not here to condemn their view.

Were their acts reasonable? Did they have reasonably held beliefs?

It’s difficult to disentangle lawful acts mores from actions that cannot be allowed
It's not offensive to suggest that the process that brought them to Kildare, what they heard there, (which we know) from the moving evidence of Kathy Kelly, suggests that they share a lot in common

But there are five trials for criminal damage to the door
There are five trials for criminal damage to the plane

They have been waiting for this trial for a long time, living in a black hole, never reaching a judge ….this has been hanging over them for a long time
(I never thought I would be giving this presentation in court!) They have been very patient

At the same time, they went through a process in Shannon airport that led to this

Prosecution represents DPP law office on behalf of the people. I have no axe to grind for the U.S. or George W. Bush, I’m acting for the DPP to prosecute a criminal act.

I’m one Senior Counsel) The accused have three. In fairness, hey could have had five and miffed the system.

Mr O’Kelly beguiles jurors and I’m afraid of him

Mr. Nix is the last of the great orators.

Mr O’Higgins is widely respected and acknowledged and very analytical.

And it is the right of the accused to have the best representation in a full trial

We should all be proud of this. This is a full and a safe trial

Now, in his evidence, Ciaron O’Reilly said The Statement of Faith was an explanation, not a justification. I have said that they were sincere, not a sham. Still,
I have challenged one aspect.
They are sincere
This is not a sham
But were they trying to do something more nebulous, something symbolic, something that was political ? Have we not heard this even from their own mouths, supported possibly by Kathy Kelly

They said they have a lawful excuse because the act was done to protect others. Was there a lawful excuse because the act was done to protect others?

On February 15 2003, people marched to avert war,I walked in a march, all those who marched were protesting in order to save lives, to avert war.
Those who marched were saying: “We don’t like this.” Irish public opinion said: “Please stop this war.”

The accused differed. One of them said, “If I save one life in Iraq it’s worth it.”. and told you under oath or affirmation "It was all I could do"
But that motivation is not a lawful excuse to damage property.

When they were asked, “Did you do this to save lives in Iraq?” their reply was, “Yes.”
But they also said other things to show their true belief.

Ciaron O’Reilly is an articulate man, he frustrated me, gave a lot of information regarding why he did what he did, …to save lives, but he also gave other motives as part of his evidence: He said it was a call to others to carry out non-violent resistance to war He believed Shannon could become a terrorist target. He wanted people to seriously reflect on nonviolent action He was putting out a call to others to take nonviolent action
He described the Catholic Worker commitment to face responsibility.
.
This is not a lawful excuse

If a building is on fire or about to be set on fire in my belief, I would have lawful excuse to smash the door even if it turned out (that the fire was harmless)
I could explain to the jury that I had a reasonably held belief

Suppose I have a political belief that smoking tobacco is an addiction that kills. I go to Dundalk and burn a shipment of tobacco bales before shipment to a third world country where they don’t have a health regime and can’t educate people about the effects of smoking. And I tell the Garda I was saving life

You may feel the action of the defendants was a call to arms to raise the conscience of the Irish people concerning what was happening in Iraq.
The circumstances include not just what they think of Madeleine Albright's (comment on the 500,000 children killed by sanctions in Iraq)

But also this is a democracy. We have a police, we have elected representatives. Our democracy, like all democracies, may be imperfect
The essence of a democracy is imperfection. History is littered with efforts to create a perfect state. Efforts to create perfect societies have led to fascism and totalitarianism.

(In a democracy) there are other things we can do. For example, We can be in NGOs. Indeed Ciaron O’Reilly works in a wet shelter. This must be very difficult work

Our case is that in their long distance intervention that may have saved lives somewhere, all five defendants (named) overstepped the line.
Ciaron O'Reilly broke the door broke the door because it was an emergency. Yet they went on a retreat for four days. This was a calculated act ultimately to avert a war. They took the law into their own hands

We live in a country that has law, a system, a vote, a voice. They said that’s not good enough, we will do something more. They had no lawful excuse. No emergency.

They made an eloquent statement

Damien Moran said he looked forward to being put on trial to test the conscience of the Irish people.
Where do we stop.?

(If someone is drunk and about to get into a car and you go over and assault the person in an effort to prevent him from getting in (and possibly killing someone) that would be reasonable.)
But that's not what happened in this case

In this case, the five have contributed to the action. .Your consciousness may have been raised during the trial.

Deirdre was asked about what would constitute success. She had replied that for her (it would have been) success if other Irish citizens had taken part.
This was her mission.

Kathy Kelly said the purpose of Voices in the Wilderness was to dramatize a challenge to economic sanctions. She described the horror of economic warfare waged through use of economic sanctions; she was here to show what she experienced and how she influenced the five; she gave moving evidence; she spoke of the strong responsibility we have to stop others from going to war…

All five were raising public opinion to stop others from going to war. This is laudable. But is it reasonable, N

It is not a lawful excuse

Each of the hammers has wording, that is making statements (I’m not here to condemn the five but to prosecute a crime) There is a list of other things too that were at the shrine. a Koran, a Bible, candles photos blown up - these are reverential but also making a statement

The five were influenced by Kathy Kelly and she quoted Madeleine Albright's dreadful comment about the children ....(A political statement)
….

Here is another example: people are locked in a room and degrading actions are being done to them I break the lock It turns out there were policemen present should I have asked the police first?

Ed Horgan brought an action to the Courts to prevent the government from using Shannon because he thought it was unconstitutional. Eoin Dubsky did similarly.
At least one of the accused knew of these actions. Not one of them went to a lawyer but had a view on what the law was. They said that the Irish Constitution didn't allow this (the use of Shannon airport by US military)

Only you can decide if it’s reasonable

They knew we have a democracy, a system

If there is criminal activity or threat (unless, as indicated, there is a burning building) we don’t set up checkpoints, vigilantes or posses or take law into their own hands.

What they did was very brave, hats off to them

They did what they did, they knew it was criminal . It was a conscience raising exercise And they looked forward to this trial

You must decide whether what they did falls on the wrong side of the line

Democracy does not allow people to take the law up into their own hands.
Rallying organization

A suicide bomber may feel zeal and a strong cause

The defendants are not driven to such extreme actions
They had time to reflect (four days)

The people who marched (in Ireland against the war in Feb 1993) didn’t burn down an Embassy.

The defendants have the best defence and they are entitled to it.

But they are self appointed individuals who are not delegated to decide what our law should be. In fairness to them, they also took on themselves
The five took it on themselves to face the consequences of what they did. They don’t hit and fllit They faced responsibility for their actions

You have a tough decision to make and I know you’ll face it

Final point: Dr. Jean Allain said that the war was an international crime He’s not relevant to the defence or the honest belief of the accused.defence
I would suggest that his evidence should not be a consideration as to what lawful excuse was

Were they there to save life or raise consciousness?
It is agreed that all four did give as their reason that they wanted to save life. They added other added other reasons such as having responsibility. showing solidarity, urgency and an act of prayer. One hoped that others would respond.. Another hoped their action would be a rallying call. Another spoke of breaches of international Law and divine law. Another hoped to save life and thought what she was doing was the only thing she could do.

Mr Devally said the jury had a difficult case; it was a difficult task

Regarding Mr. Oxley’s evidence, he had said that if five Iraqis took out a plane it would have been an act of war. It would have been a pre-emptive strike.
But the defendants were not Iraqi insurgents

He also said that you could not rule out or rule in the possibility that taking out a support plane could damage the enemy.
This reminds me of the Chaos theory and the butterfly effect – if a butterfly flaps its wings here (or if Mr Nix sneezes) it might cause a tsunami on the other end of the world.
Mr Oxley's reply means that you can' rule it out and you can't rule it in. That’s all he said. That means it’s a possibility, not a probability.
Mary Kelly had damaged a plane a week before. They were aware of it

I asked Ciaron O'Reilly if he was optimistic .(about the success of his action) and he finally acknowledged that he was expecting to be arrested
I asked him why he had said earlier that he wanted to put the war on trial, he said at that time ("War on Trial") was referring to a series of events that were happening around the city.

Ciaron O’Reilly whacked the plane. Karen Fallon did very little, but all had a common design and all accept responsibility

You must be rational, cool , not callous Don’t let your feelings get in the way. There was not an emergency. It is not for them to say that my Constitution should be interpreted as they saw it

***NEW DEVELOPMENT - TRIAL WILL NOW END MONDAY JULY 24TH.

****VERDICT MONDAY JULY 24TH. OR TUESDAY JULY 25TH.

JOIN US IN THE LAST DAYS OF TRIAL
Mon & Tues

*8.30am Anti-War Vigil at The Spire, O'Connel St. (near GPO)
*9.15am Single File, Silent Peace Walk in Memory of the War Dead
*Establish Vigil at Four Courts & Join Defendants in Court 23

(or join us outside the irish Consulate in melbourne if some can initiate, organise & publicise a vigil. There will be one at thge Irish Consulate in dili, Timore Leste initiated by a Christian Brother who taught Ciaron at high scool in the '70's! Also a presence outside the irish Embassy in London organised by the London & Oxford Catholic Workers communities)
They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly On Trial for the Third time, Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland.

http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile)+353 87 918 4552 (international)

1) REPORT- CLOSING SPEECH TO THE JURY BY DEFENSE BARRISTER MR O'KELLY, ACTING FOR DAMIEN MORAN & CIARON O'REILLY

You will decide. In this trial as in any other trial, you are the judges, you alone decide. The judge has a different role. The judge is the final arbiter in all questions of
Law and the Judge insures that the trial is conducted in a fair manner - and it is.

On issues of fact you alone must decide

Mr Devally has said that you have a very difficult task, I agree .It is very difficult to determine the guilt or innocence of another . But you are not alone. A set of principles goes in with you to the jury room

I will try clearly to outline some main points of these principles for you - and for any juror

THREE PRINCIPLES: Presumption of Innocence, "Lawful excuse" defence, and "Beyond reasonable doubt"

1 ) Presumption of innocence.

This means that the accused come in to court wearing a mantle of innocence. Innocent until you, the jury decide otherwise. You the jury come from different backgrounds. None of you are trained lawyers. Experience over the years has shown that a verdict arrived at by people like you, who have taken an oath,
is the best way for accused persons to get a fair verdict

What does presumption of innocence mean? (Remember that Presumption of Innocence goes through every strand of the trial from beginning to end).
We look at any piece of evidence from the standpoint of presuming innocence. The accused must get the benefit of the doubt.
With regard to the presumption of innocence, as Mr. Devally said.: If you were charged, would you look for anything less?

Mr Devally made a very good speech, but I must criticize it on a number of issues. Don't be misled. First let me say that the most important elements in a trial are the Principles and the Evidence.

Mr Devally said it is an unusual trial. Yes this is true. Nevertheless, the same essentials are there as for every other trial. The prosecution bears the burden of proving that there are offences and also every element of the (alleged) offences. In this case, the Prosecution must disprove the possibility of lawful excuse. In a criminal trial, there is a a time honoured standard to resort to, and it is called "beyond reasonable doubt".

Mr. Devally said at a certain stage he was talking about a line over which you cannot go. He suggested that there was a line between, say, Protesting on one side and Damaging a Plane on the other side.
Now this has absolutely nothing to do with what we are here about.
There is a statutory defence that we cannot remove and it's called Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Mr Devally's imaginary line and a certain movement of his hands suggests that you might have to balance probabilities. This is nothing to do with it. The standard is Beyond Reasonable Doubt.
It's not a question of there being two sides and "Do you prefer this or that?"

We're here to try defendants in relation to a particular criminal offence, not to examine a continuum of options for action
The burden is on the prosecution to prove every element of the alleged offence, beyond reasonable doubt

2) Beyond Reasonable Doubt

What is a reasonable doubt? There is no definition but you can arrive at a meaning of it by examples.

Suppose you decide to change your job and you are reasonably happy, but then your partner raises serious questions such as "when am I going to be able to see you ?". . - now you go back on your decision

Or you wake up at 3 a.m. and say, "I wonder?"Â

3 Lawful Excuse

On the question of having lawful excuse: Remember when you use the defence of lawful excuse, the accused person does not have to prove it, but prosecution must convince you - also beyond reasonable doubt - that a lawful excuse does NOT apply

THE EVIDENCE

Mr O'Kelly mentioned the witnesses who gave evidence on both sides. He said you look to the evidence you heard from all of them and then you apply a principle.

As Mr. Devally said, the accused freely admit that they went into the Shannon airport hangar, damaged a plane, intended to make it unflyable, and told us why
In Damien Moran's words it was not to commit a crime but to save life

Dr. Allain gave evidence as a leading academic - The war (in Iraq) was a crime under international law. This was not challenged
He also said that the majority of international lawyers hold the view that the war violated international law
So when Ciaron O'Reilly and Damien Moran said this war was illegal they were in agreement with a majority of international lawyers.

You must bear this in mind regarding the reasonableness of their beliefs.

But the prosecution says that their purpose was much more, that they wanted to draw attention to a forthcoming humanitarian catastrophe.
This doesn' take away, in any way, from their main motive. Of course, they also hoped to get others to come out.
They wanted to save a life. The former doesn't take away the main motive.
The fact of having a broader intention doesn't take away their intention to save a life.

Mr. Oxley - a man of impeccable military background, not a supporter of the war or against the war, came as an independent witness regarding military logistics
Part of his evidence was that there are certain military actions that you know will have consequences on other military actions.
For example, in war, you try to damage the other side's war machine so as to damage or undermine their capacity to wage war

At the end of the last world war, in 1944, the Germans were losing. They broke through the Ardennes forest.and then swept the Allies before them all the way to the Channel, but were stopped there - not by the US or UK or the Allies but because they ran out of fuel.
Because logistics are important in a war. And if you can disable an essential part of a support system for war you could, down the line, affect the ability to launch an attack
So if I do the disabling (in a war situation) how can I not say I am trying to save a life ?

Looking at the Act, and the Amended Act, under which the defendants are charged, The criminal damage Act 1991 amended by the Non Fatal Offences against the Persons Act 1997, notice that it is strictly talking about damage to property, not to life.. It's not as if the law is saying that it would be alright to put a bomb under a plane (to prevent it from going to Iraq) as this would itself endanger life. Mr Devally mentioned that it was necessary that there be an immediate danger threatening (for lawful excuse to hold) but he is mistaken in this. The so-called immediacy clause was taken out by the Oireachtas in 1997 and now reads:
So anticipation that there must be immediate harm does not apply.
5000 miles was a long distance long ago. Now we can go that distance in 4 hours.

In the 1991 Criminal damage Act 5.3,. in relation to lawful excuse it says: "For the purposes of this section it is immaterial whether a belief is justified or not if it is honestly held"

Ciaron O'Reilly and Damien Moran went into a hangar to disable a war plane with the honestly held belief that it was going to kill
They had spoken to Kathy Kelly a few days before. Kathy Kelly is an impressive speaker and also a person who from 1991 until the FÃƒÂ©ile Bride had gone to Iraq 21 times. The last time was in Christmas of 2002 and she was on her way back there in January 2003 to stand with people in an impending war. She gave her speech and showed photos to the five defendants.
Both Ciaron O'Reilly and Damien Moran say she was a special person and that she gave a first hand account
Also they had heard Denis Halliday, former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations
On foot of what they heard, the defendants decided to do a Ploughshares Action

A Ploughshares Action is a form of action developed over time in the United States. You try to make your action, however small, damage a war effort and let others know what is going on If one child is saved that is an achievement.

In law, you don't have to be certain that an action will succeed, what you need is honest belief
If you have no reasonable doubt that they had honest belief in what they did. you should acquit

The Prosecution accepts that the intention of the accused wasn't in question. All the Prosecution is saying is that (their action) wasn't reasonable.
Mr Devally mentioned the "Butterfly effect" but mention of this popular science theory in this context seriously distorts Mr. Oxley's evidence.

He said he couldn't rule it out that damaging a logistics plane would save a life - in other words it's a possibility

Defendants say that if we put one plane out of action, we are stopping an action down the line

Something done on the ground in Ireland can have an effect on something happening
Mr. Oxley was asked if actions such as this could not save lives, he held a reasonable belief : maybe
Is it unreasonable, when Mr. Oxley says so, for the defendants to have thought so?

Towards the end of his speech, Mr Devally strayed a bit. Remember, whether you approve or donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t approve of the defendants' action has nothing to do with it,

They thought it right The law says they don't have to be right in their honest belief

None of us is suggesting that the defendants' action is being prosecuted or defended because we are either for or against the war.

They are charged with damaging property without lawful excuse
You must be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that they had no lawful excuse
Otherwise you must acquit

2) REPORT OF CLOSING SPEECH TO THE JURY BY DEFENSE BARRISTER MR. NIX, ACTING ON BEHALF OF KAREN FALLON

"Mr. Devally dumbed himself down and damned us with faint praise!".

I looked up the word "parable" in the dictionary and learned it
referred
to a short story . . said Mr Nix.

Then Mr. Nix offered a parable.

A young student is a baggage handler working at an airport. He overhears
a conversation in which a man speaking on the phone says that at a
certain time on a certain Airbus plane, when it takes off, "the door
will fall off and kill the bastard." The student thinks to himself what
should he do and he runs to the plane and deflates the tire so that it
cant take off, and the person will not be killed.
When they check the doors of the plane there's nothing wrong with it.
But a few days later another plane takes off and the door does fall off
and kills the fellow.

Mr. Devally has said the action of these defendants was a political act.
I'll tell you of some one who made a great political speech, the
greatest political speech of all time and that's Jesus Christ. And the
name of the political speech he made was "The Sermon on the
Mount".
You'll find it in Matthew chapter 5.verses 3 to 10 This is what it says:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall
have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven".

These are the words of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and Jesus is
one of the greatest pacifists that ever lived on this earth.

Now Lebanon is burning. Today children swimming in a pool were bombed. A
swimming pool is now filled with burning children.
This is war
People in Gaza are suffering and children dying.

Now, I ask you: Would you
take an axe to destroy an Israeli plane or a
Hizbullah rocket?

We may ask "What is good?" Forest Gump's mother has the answer: "Good is
as good does."

Today there are a lot of a la carte Catholics. They go to the sacraments
for weddings and baptisms. The children make their first Communion. They
go to confession now and then. They pick and choose

The trouble is, these people here (these defendants) believe what they
are saying.

To work in a wet hostel - that's not easy.

The Commandments can all be summed up in one maxim: Love God and your
neighbour.
If everyone followed this Commandment there would be no war

You have been given in evidence of an uncontested statistic: more than
500,000 children under 5 years of age killed by the sanctions in Iraq.
If one thousand children had been so killed in Ireland, there would be
outrage. There's another statistic uncontested: 1.5 million people died
in
Iraq because of the UN sanctions. That's a quarter of the number who
were killed in the Holocaust.
Now I want to ask you: If you knew and cared, would you do something?

Christ went to Gethsemane. These five went to Glenstal.

Madeleine Albright's most recent quote is in Newsweek magazine. She says
that the US War in Iraq will be seen as the worst foreign policy failure
in US history

What would rise you to action?

If a child's plastic ball rolled into the street and the child ran after
it, would you leave it to the Garda to go after the child?

Or if a child's beach ball went into the water, and the child went into
the water and risked drowning, would you leave it to the life guards

If a child has both knees cut, would you leave it to the parents to
bring the child to the Out Patient's

If a woman's handbag is snatched, would you help her or just leave it to
the Garda?

If it happened on a
bus, would you intervene or leave it to the bus driver?

What would drive you to action?

All of us may have lost parentsÂ¦. Suppose my father has died and I come
out of the mortuary to hear people having a silly argument about a
matter of no importance. Nobody knows of my father's death.. . You begin
to think about what is important. To get a sense of proportion.

Iraqis have died. And these people here are such believers and have such
honestly held beliefs that for them there are no strangers.

You get a sense of proportion

If someone was grieving would you go over to them and share your own
grief with them?

I was in a park today and two children were being followed by a
duck."There was the sound of children playing in the yard close by -
children playing in a yard . . ., and a band was playing ..and there was
no drunkenness.
A sound of universal happiness is the sound of children playing.

At that
same time, Lebanon and Hezbollah were hammering the shite

And I asked myself "What right have I to be happy?" Where is our shared
humanity?
If anyone of us is cut, do we not bleed?

I am a free born man because others made sacrifices. If there are more
who make sacrifices there will be more free people and there will. be an
end to war.
The people who gave me my freedom were treated as treasonous people.

My clients didn't go in to the airport with bombs or guns
You heard the Sergeant give evidence that Ciaron O'Reilly went over to
comfort him when he was in shock.

Yet Mr. Devally says an emergency is needed.

People have been rendered for torture

We heard lies about Weapons of Mass Destruction. Lies.

We heard there were prisoners in shackles.
In Shannon recently one prisoner was found on a US plane in shackles and
they said, "Oh, that's one of our own.Â How can we believe them?

Was the action of the five defendants a publicity stunt? NO.

We get statistics about the number of US and UK soldiers killed but we
don't hear the number of Iraqis killed in the war

Then you hear this phrase "Collateral damage" - a pornographic phrase.
Anyone who uses this phrase has no respect for human life, they have no
regret and they are prepared to do it again and again

These planes were going through our airport to war in Iraq.

What motivated our Catholic Workers to damage a plane with obvious
damage? Karen Fallon wants world peace. She acted out of conscience to
decommission a warplane

She comes back out of conscience to her trial because she said she would

Should people who act out of conscience be labelled as having extreme views?

Bound by her conscience she was moved to actions

I ask the Jury for an acquittal

3) REPORT - CLOSING SPEECH TO THE JURY BY DEFENSE BARRISTER
MR.O'HIGGINS, ACTING ON BEHALF OF DEIRDRE CLANCY & NUIN DUNLOP

In this case there are big questions of life, of evidence of law
For your own patience and good humour, thank you.

Issues of applying law in this case are not that difficult and I'll sum
it up under six headings in the form of questions. (The first two
questions can be answered in a minute or two. All six will encompass
what you need to know.)

1). What did the accused do?

2). Why did they do it?

3). Is the action justified in law? Regarding lawful excuse: the state
must exclude evidence beyond reasonable doubt

4).Were their actions reasonable?

5). What is the State's case?

6) Who are the accused?

Answers:

1) What did the accused do? They disabled an American warplane on the
eve of what was anticipated to be and turned out to be a bloody war.

2) Why? No one phrase can answer this for even one of them. All
of them had a primary reason, namely to protect the lives of people who would be
the end "receivers" of this war. To protect property too maybe but,
first of all, lives They wanted to protect lives and infrastructure
There were complementary reasons maybe. I am not attempting to avoid
that. On the contrary I embrace that fact.

3) Is the action justified in law? They're not hillbillies or
vigilantes, --not seeking to ram their views down anyone's throats, not
looking for any favours; they simply ask meekly and humbly that the law
be applied
--protect life and property
--honest belief that the action was necessary
--it must have been reasonable in circumstances as they believe them to be.

Iraq was on its knees this is not an empty belief. Band their belief
that the war was illegal was well-supported. The plane was damaged -
there is no issue here
You could ask: Was there a lawful excuse?

By the way, the accused do not have to prove they had a lawful excuse.
The state must exclude it. If you are doubtful, you must bring in a
verdict of not guilty.

I am here for Deirdre Clancy and Nuin Dunlop.

There are three building blocks.

i Was the damage inflicted to protect life or property

ii Did they have an honest belief that it was necessary

iii Was the action taken reasonable in the circumstances as they
believed them to be

i You have heard the evidence - they did what they did to save lives

ii Their belief was that the war in Iraq was imminent The fact that it
came on 23/3 is utterly irrelevant. What is relevant is what did they
believe? IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll headline the factors on which : their belief was based

a) The Desert Storm war
b) Regular bombing missions (from Kathy KellyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s evidence)
c) 1991 and well beyond "collateral damage" and sanctions causing the
deaths of over 500,000 children, and at the outbreak of war, Iraq was
completely vulnerable to any further attack
d) The war was illegal. Leading academics' view coincided with
defendants' view. So these are not fringe people - their views are
supported in the highest echelons. The UNICEF figures speak for themselves.
Now, all of these beliefs were well founded. The prosecution doesn't
dispute this.

iii Was the action taken reasonable in the circumstances as they
believed them to be?
In assessing reasonableness, you must look at the questions What did
they believe and What did they achieve

a.what did they believe?

Their information has an input into their reasonableness. These people
had carefully researched the matter. They had carefully checked,
researched and compiled their research. If you measure their action on
the basis of this, they score highly

b. what did they achieve?
t
The supply plane was out of circulation for 3 months
Mr. Oxley is an expert, and he couldn't exclude the possibility that a
life was saved. This element is uncontradicted. The fluttering
butterflies theory is not evidence. The State has no end of military
experts' evidence available to them but there was no challenge any of
them to Mr Oxley.
The evidence was in the case and the Prosecution must exclude it. The
slate cannot be wiped clean on Mr Oxley
If you can't exclude it on an objective basis, the conclusion is obvious

Also, Mr. Devally said the accused may have had other reasons, such as
to raise consciousness, get others to join, etc., and that that, somehow
or other, weakens the reasonableness of their actions.
Raising consciousness doesn't weaken the reasonableness of acting to
save a life
The question maybe that we should be asking is: Why does the vast
majority do nothing?
We all read about the sanctions - Why did we just continue on?

Mr. Nix
elicited that the whole number who died because of sanctions in
Iraq was one quarter of the Holocaust figure. Germany in '39 is not
equal to Ireland in 2003 Germany in the 30s was gripped by a
totalitarian regime. Ireland in 2003 was not. Yet, the question must be
asked "Why did no-one speak out about the sanction deaths in Iraq? Mr
Nix said that if there were even a thousand deaths of children in
Ireland, there would be an outcry. - Is he over optimistic
In Turkey the average age is 57. Our own Travellers - how many are over
over 57? But we don't see it

Three years later, the Events of 2003 have faded. In that year we were
in the eighth year of the Celtic Tiger. There was a great fear of going
back to the bad times - economically - that we had come through. It
became clear in the debate of the time that what the Government was
doing (in letting the US military use Shannon) was based on their fear
that (US) Companies would
get up and go and the economy would regress.
The economy was the important factor.
If you disagree with this viewpoint, fair enough; but if you agree, you
then begin to understand how we can see 1.5 million people die and take
no action to prevent it.

The Germans who stayed silent during the Holocaust were not bad people
The Irish who didn't get angry were not bad people - they were just
people who were wrapped up in their own business

When you do something, as Nuin Dunlop did, you don't know whether or not
the effect will gather the force of a tsunami
History has shown that people who go against the grain make a
difference. You can't conclude it won't make a difference
What you can say is that it's reasonable to assume that it might make a
difference

Rosa Parks got on a bus and set off a chain reaction. Black people were
marching all over America. So much so that their feet were sore, but
their souls were resting.

In 1985 there were horrific pictures of famine in Ethiopia. Children
were shown on TV dying. Bob Geldof decided to have a concert - several
said he was irresponsible, propping up corrupt regimes. Then he got an
idea - to synchronize pictures of the famine with songs. The result was
phenomenal. On the 20th anniversary of Live Aid one of those dying children took the
stage.

An idea is a very powerful thing
Deidre Clancy said that what she hoped for was nave. We need nave
people if we are to have a better future. The fact that they don't
realise their hopes doesn't mean that the act was unreasonable. Remember
Bob Geldof

Robert McCartney was killed (according to consensus of public opinion)
by the IRA. His sisters said We are not going to concede that what went
before, was going to happen again, they stood up and spoke out . . .and
this too has caused profound change

An idea is a very powerful thing. Beating swords into ploughshares is an
idea that they sought to advance.

Mr. Devally was very complimentary towards us. He is regarded among
colleagues with affection and respect. They regard many of their
colleagues with respect, but not affection. Others they regard with
affection, but not respect. Toward Mr. Devally, they feel both affection
and respect. He made an apology asking you to convict. But he is an
example of the iron hand in the velvet glove.

His suggestion to you was to decide what the law was. You are here two
weeks and he asks you to decide where the line is between what is lawful
and what is not.
You should not do that. You should pose the questions referable to the act
You should ask: Did they cause damage, What was their purpose, . . .What
were the circumstances and, finally, Was their conduct reasonable in
those circumstances.

Mr Devally said there was no sense of emergency. There
does not have to be an emergency. The law was changed in this respect in 1997. The
requirement of immediacy was removed. The law in 1991 had in it a need
for immediacy, now it is gone. Mr Devally is inclined to ignore this,
but you can't..

Mr Devally gave you two examples to assist you: the examples were not
relevant. If you think there is a hole in the law you should try to
change it. My clients are criticized for having a clear view of what their strategy
was.

They were asked Did you get legal advice. It was suggested there were
alternative remedies e.g. the Garda SÃƒÂochÃƒÂ¡na. But the Garda are not the
only remedies for stopping what you consider to be criminal action.

Finally, Mr Devally agrees that these are people with great sincerity
who have suffered. On any audit they have put far more into this than
they can ever get out of it. But they are not professional agitators.
They are professional people who have always worked, honourable people
who have given of their time for others,
They are not seduced by the glossy magazine lifestyle. They are imbued
with great courage.
when they heard that over 500,000 small children had died because of
sanctions they reacted. They said No, we are bound to do something about
this.

Their actions were worthwhile if the jurors are now or ever will be
affected.

It is an enormous privilege for you to have served on this jury.

Over 100 folks turned up and turned over to join Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants at "The Bull & Castle" (opposite historic Christchurch Cathedral) last night (Sat J22) Paul O'Toole (Dub) & Pat from County Clare kicked off preceedings with songs about the U.S. military at Shannon Airport before rushing off to their day (?) jobs - another gig down the road. Pat has driven up from Clare to join Paul for about a dzen benefits for us over the last 3 1/2 years.

Next on was "Horsebox" revving up the vibe with a great performance. Maria Lara, chaperoned by her mother who had just landed from Italy, brought the passion of her homeland to her songs & covers - kicking off with the timeless "Masters of War".

U.S. Iraq War Veteran Joshua Casteel spoke of his experiences as an interrogator in Abu Ghraib & of his experiences with Fr. Dan Berrigan & living at the Catholic Worker in South Bend Indiana.

Ciaron, Damien, Deirdre & Nuin gave raps. Along with Don MacLean "the father, son & holy ghost", Karen had taken the last train to the coast" and was enjoying the warm weekend weather in County Clare (the county of the scene of the crime 3/2/03) that has spawned so many PSP5 benefit gigs over the last 3 1/2 years.

Being Catholic felt obligated to have a raffle! Fintan won the jailbreak movie "Lucky Break" (cover redecorated with the PSP5 going over the prison wall). Coilin won Ben Elton's "Blast from the Past" (Elton's Greenham Common missive) and a bunch of people won wine.

David Rovics took the stage and held us in trance with his well crafted songs, humour & anger.

Do yourself a favour get to his gig in Donegal Sunday night (J23) or in Sandino's Bar in Derry, Tuesday (J25). Get one of his CD;s (get two, I bought 3...we sold all on display at this gig!). Check out David's website. Sleep a little easier knowing this man is on the road spreading the anti-war message. he has been dedicating his song "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" to the Pit Stop Ploughshares while we remain before the courts.

http://www.davidrovics.com

Other David Rovics Gigs in Ireland
Sunday, July 23rd, 5 pm, Rodden's "Crana" Bar, Lower Main Street, Buncrana, Co. Donegal
Tuesday, July 25th, Sandino's Cafe Bar, Water Street, Derry

VIDEO LINK-EX ABU GHRAIB INTERRORGATOR, JOHN CASTEEL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST THE WAR & IN SUPPORT OF THE CATHOLIC WORKER & INFO ON NATIONAL SPEAKING TOUR.
Revolt Video link Joshua Casteel Speaking Outside Jeb Bush function in Dublin last Friday
http://video.indymedia.org/en/2006/07/426.shtml

Joshua Casteel (former Abu Ghraib U.S. Military nterrogator at Abu Ghraib) National Speaking Tour.

Joshua Casteel, a member of the Iraqi Veterans Against War, and a former interrogator at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, will speak of his experiences at a public meetings organised by the Irish Anti War Movement across Ireland.

Joshua spoke at the Pit Stop Ploughshares Benefit Gig (Sat July 22nd) he has recently lived in a Catholic Worker in South Bend, Indiana. He is an informative & powerful speaker, we encourage you to attend his meeetings if possible.

* Monday 24th July Limerick: 7.30pm Riddlers Bar, Sarsfield Bridge,
* Tuesday 25th July Galway: 7.30pm Galway City Library
* Wednesday 26th July Cork: 8pm, Metropole Hotel, Macurtain St
* Thursday 27th July Dublin: 7.30pm ATGWU Hall 55 Middle Abbey St
* Friday 28th July Waterford 8pm Marine Hotel Canada Sq
* Monday 31st July Unallocated
* Tuesday 1st August Sligo: details to be announced
* Wednesday 2nd August Derry: details to be announced
* Thursday 3rd August Belfast: details to be announced
* Friday 4th August Dundalk: details to be announced

Approx 30 people walked to dublin's Four Courts with the Pit Stop Ploughshares Monday July 24th.

On arrival Paula from Galway sang "The Green Fields of France" & Eileen from Liverpool sang "You'll never Walk Alone". Carmen Trotta gave a farewell speech before departing for NYC. Deirdre, Damien & Ciaron spoke to issues of the war & soldiartiy. Present were folks from Liverpool, London, Galway, Bulgaria, Japan, Poland, France, Wales & Dublin.

11am The Judge continued reviewing the prosecution case, then reviewed defense witnesses.

Jury was sent out at 3.15 pm.

Jury requested to request the "Statement of Faith" left at the disarmament scene....that should have been included in the evidence bag.

Jury requested the written "Criminal Damage" law.

Jury returned to have relevant sections read to them.

7.30 pm, Garda sworn in to accompany jury to hotel.

Jury taken to hotel for the night.

Court resumes at 10 .30 pm.

**OFFER SOLIDARITY WITH THE PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES
ON THEIR LAST DAY OF TRIAL!

TUESDAY JULY 24TH.

*8.30am Anti-War Vigil at the Spire

9.45 am Peace Walk to the Four Courts (silent single-file in memory of the war dead)

10.30am Awaiting Verdict at Court 23 (defendants movement restricted to just outisde Court 23, while court is in session).

*Due to legal advice, defendants provide all the visuals (placards, banners etc). Please respect, travel light!

Link to photos & updates

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77440

Just a quick note for folks in melbourne as I break from packing for the big house. Hoping for the best preparing for the worst, good long term advice form my mother!

Many thanx to Paul & All for organising solidairty vigils at the Irish Consulate. thanx to Indy for making this story a feature. Many thanx to Margaret & Peter for the anarcho solidairty they have offered since letting me crash at their squat on railton Rd. back in Brixton '79. Also folks at the community radio & covering our 3 1/2 year journey although I haven't always been easy to nail down for an interview.

keep the faith folks & solidarity with the Pine Gap crew who go to trial in Alice in October
http://www.pinegap6.org
Ciaron O'Reilly

Ciaron O'Reilly to be interviewed on JJJ Hack this afternoon (Wednesday )...spread d the word.

Ciaron O'Reilly to be interviewed on JJJ Hack this afternoon (Wednesday )...spread the word.

***** BRIZ/ QLD ALERT- Ciaron will be Interviewd at 7.30 Pm TONIGHT (Thurs)
on the Steve Austin Show, ABC radio 612ABC local radio Queensland.

They're in Court for Us, We're on the Loose for Them!

Pit Stop Ploughshares: Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly Acquitted at Dublin's Four Courts, Dublin, Ireland.

http://www.peaceontrial.com
ploughsharesireland@yahoo.ie
"Ploughshares Defence Fund"
134 Phibsborough Rd. Phibsborough Dublin 7, Ireland
Ph. 087 918 4552 (mobile)+353 87 918 4552 (international)

On Feb 3rd. 2003, the Pit Stop Ploughshares(Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen fallon, Damien Moran & Ciaron O'Reilly) disarmed a U.S. Navy war plane at Shannon Airport, County Clare, Ireland. The five were arrested & charged with $US 2.5million "criminal damage without lawful excuse" & â‚¬100 criminal damage without lawful excuse" for the window of the hangar.

The first trial collapsed on the 6th. day of trial-March '05. The second trial collapsed on the 11th. day of trial Oct '05.

On July 25th.2006 on the 12th.day of thir 3rd. trial they were found not guilty of all charges by a unanimous decicison of the jury...........

CONTENTS

1) Thurs July 27th. 7.30 pm *Public Meeting in Dublin Joshua Casteel, former Abu Ghraib Interrorgator & present member of (U.S.) Iraq Veterans Against the War". This meeting is organised by IAWM.
2) Reports from Pit Stop Ploughshares Post Acquittal Press Conference Wed July 26th.
3) (For the Record) Ploughshares Court Reporter Files Last Report
4) Caoimhe Butterly Heads for Lebanon

5) "Post Acquittal Statement", Drawn Up, Consented On & Released to the Media - Before Pit Stop Ploughshares Five Leave Court 23
6) Revolt Video Link - Defendant Statements Following Acquittal & Remembering the War Dead
7) Irish Indymedia Feature - Background to Pit Stop Ploughshares Action, 3 Trials & Acquital
8) "Every Once in a While", Dave's Photo Essay on Acquital
9) Pit Stop Ploughshares Five, Richard's Photo Essay
10) "The Australian" Coverage of the Acquital.
11) Kathy Kelly Reflects on Closing Speeches in Pit Stop Ploughshares Trial

1) IAWM PUBLIC MEETING *THURS MAY JULY 27TH. -
*JOSHUA CASTEEL, FORMER ABU GHRAIB INTERRORGATOR & NOW A MEMBER OF (U.S.) "IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR".

Public Meeting
7.30 pm Thursday July 27th.
AGTWU Hall, Middle Abbey St. Dublin

Since leaving the U.S. military Joshua has lived at the Catholic Worker Community in South Bend, Indianna. Some members of the Pit Stop Ploughshares will be attending this meeting. At least one of them will be heading on to the anarcho punk gig at the Lower Deck Pub after this meeting!

*More background on public meeting & Joshua, see link.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77186

2) REPORTS FROM PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES POST ACQUITTAL PRESS CONFERENCE, WED JULY 26TH

In response to media reports that the U.S. Embassy has summoned the Irish government to meet in the wake of the Ploughshares acquittal, to discuss its consqequences & response to it.

"I have heard of an ambassador being summoned by a government to provide explanation, but this must be the first time when a government has been summoned by an Ambassador!"
- Joe Noonan Pit Stop Ploughshares, solicitor

"It doesn't surprise me that the U.S. treats Ireland like a colony, it just surprises me they are so public about it!"
-Ciaron O'Reilly, Pit Sop Ploughshares

Check link for more reports on the press conference......
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77486

3) (FOR THE RECORD) COURT REPORTER POSTS LAST REPORT

Many thanx to Justin, Sean, Elaine, Tim, USCW's, Harry, William, Eoin who provide this woderful service to folks wshing to stay in contact with out trials & jubilations.

See link for last report of day of the acquittal....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77493

4) CAOIMHE BUTTERLY HEADS FOR LEBANON
Former member of the NY CW & co-conspiritor with thePit Stop Ploughshares, Caoimhe Butterly heads for the war torn Lebannon.
See link for more info.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77474

5) "POST ACQUITTAL STATEMENT", DRAWN UP, CONSENTED ON & RELEASED TO MEDIA - BEFORE PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES FIVE LEAVE COURT 23

The jury is the conscience of the community chosen randomly from Irish society. The conscience of the community has spoken. The government has no popular mandate in providing the civilian Shannon airport to service the US war machine in it's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

In 1996 in Liverpool, the Jury acquittal of the four 'ploughshares' women contributed to the end of arms exports to the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia and the independence of East Timor.

The decision of this jury should be a message to London, Washington DC and the Dail that Ireland wants no part in waging war on the people of Iraq. Refuelling of US warplanes at Shannon Airport should cease immediately.

Deirdre Clancy
Nuin Dunlop
Ciaron Fallon
Damien Moran
Ciaron O'Reilly

6) REVOLT VIDEO LINK-DEFENDANT STATMENTS FOLLOWING THE ACQUITTAL & REMEMBERING THE WAR DEAD
Video Link:

http://video.indymedia.org/en/2006/07/428.shtml

Related Link: http://www.revoltvideo.blogspot.com

7) IRIISH INDYMEDIA FEATURE (BACKGROUND TO PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES ACTION, 3 TRIALS & ACQUITAL.
http://www.indymedia.ie

8) "EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE", DAVE'S PHOTO ESSAY OF ACQUITAL
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77477

9) PIT STOP PLOUGHSHARES 5 ACQUITAL, RICHARD'S PHOTO ESSAY
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77472

10) "THE AUSTRALIAN COVERAGE OF THE ACQUITAL"
http://sydney.indymedia.org/node/37939

11) KATHY KELLY REFLECTS ON CLOSING SPEECHES
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77455