Press Action Hero of the Week: MARY KELLY
Press Action
Friday, January 31, 2003
http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/hero01312003/
Mary Kelly took a hatchet to a U.S. Navy cargo airplane at the Shannon Airport in Ireland on Wednesday, reportedly causing about $545,000 in damage. The airplane eventually will be repaired and sent on its way to help the war effort, but Kelly’s action helped to expose Ireland’s complicity in U.S. military violence.
Kelly is one of a number of people who has been living at the so-called Shannon Peace Camp near the airport in recent weeks. They have been demonstrating against the use of the airport for refueling by U.S. military aircraft, arguing that it breaches Ireland’s tradition of military neutrality.
Police said Kelly scaled a perimeter fence and used a hatchet to attack the nose cone, front wheel and hydraulics system of the U.S. Navy C 40 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said this week that Ireland had provided landing facilities for U.S. military aircraft for 40 years, and he had no intention of withdrawing the privilege as long as the United States observed United Nations mandates. Currently, about two U.S. military planes a day use Shannon Airport in Ireland’s southwest for refueling.
Kelly’s act was the second attack on a U.S. aircraft at Shannon. In September, a Green Party activist was caught spray-painting anti-U.S. government policy slogans on another cargo plane.
Irish Green Party leader Trevor Sargent gave his support to Kelly, saying: “It is sometimes justifiable to damage property if, for example, a door has to be forced to access a burning house to save life. In relation to the U.S. war effort intent on killing innocent civilians in Iraq, there is in a similar way a legal excuse for non-violent direct action.”
Here is a statement from the Shannon Peace Camp, explaining why they are camped out:
“We are a bunch of concerned people from different backgrounds who share common beliefs: That we should not allow the U.S. military machine to commit mass murder, That our Government should not allow our civilian airports and neutral territory and airspace to be used in an unjust war, and without the consultation or consent of the people or the Dail We are NOT a political party, or a religious organisation. We are volunteers who have come together for our cause. We’re not ‘hippies,’ anti-American, terrorist-sympathisers, or malcontents. We give up time from friends, family, and fun because we believe in what we are doing.
“Shannon airport has been stealthily transformed into a low-cost unofficial airbase for the U.S. military. Monitoring of this situation began in late 2001, following the awful mass murder of thousands of innocent people in the 9-11 attacks. We realised that the Bush administration was going to do to the innocent people of Afghanistan what Al Qaeda had done in New York — Savage, indiscriminate, collective, and brutal punishment inflicted on the population for the sins of a few militants.
“On September 11th 2001, a small bunch of criminal fanatics killed almost 3,000 innocent people in the United States. These people had nothing to do with the reasons cited for the attacks, (alleged crimes of the United States government and military). There is no justification for killing them, and those responsible for their deaths should be brought to justice.
“On October 7th, 2001, the armed forces of the United States of America (under the direction of G.W. Bush the Commander-in-Chief,) began a bloody and brutal bombing campaign in Afghanistan. At least 3,000 innocent Afghan men, women and children have perished directly in the bombing, with many others dying from cold or starvation while fleeing the B-52s and F-16s. These people had nothing to do with the reasons cited for the attacks, (The 9-11 attacks by SAUDI fanatics loyal to Osama Bin Laden). There is no justification for killing them, and those responsible for their deaths should be brought to justice.
“The Irish people condemned the 9-11 attacks and did not give assistance in carrying them out. Equally, a great many of us condemn the attacks on the innocent people of Afghanistan, and Iraq. We should give no assistance or facilitation of these attacks by the U.S. military. Unfortunately, our Government has made that decision for us, without consulting the Dail as required in article 28 of the Constitution, and without properly informing or consulting the people of Ireland.
“We are hear to inform the Irish people about what is happening in Shannon airport and what it means for us, for innocent human beings in other countries, for our neutrality and the rule of law in this country. The government is operating outside of its powers and against the will of the people. We must oppose the use of Shannon on moral, legal and safety grounds.”