CAWC calls for support for Mary Kelly

national | anti-war / imperialism | press release Monday June 30, 2003 19:27 by Cork Anti-War Campaign corkantiwar at hotmail dot com

PRESS RELEASE 30/06/03

CORK ANTI-WAR CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR SUPPORT FOR MARY KELLY

Mary Kelly, the well-known anti-war activist, went on trial at Kilrush Courthouse in County Clare today (Monday, 30 June 2003) for her courageous attack on a U.S. warplane at Shannon airport. The Cork Anti-War Campaign (CAWC) is calling on people to actively support Ms Kelly over the coming days. The trial is expected to last five days and witnesses for Ms Kelly will include Scott Ritter, Ramsey Clarke, and Denis Halliday. There will be a daily support picket outside the courthouse, beginning at 9.30am each morning of the trial.

Commenting on the case, Dr Fintan Lane of CAWC said: “Mary Kelly’s action in attacking a U.S. warplane at Shannon was a brave and principled protest against the undermining of Irish neutrality. Her decommissioning of that plane was no different to laying a sub-machine gun on the ground and hitting it with a sledgehammer. Her intention was to save lives in Iraq – it was an act of compassion and resistance.”

He concluded: “It is an outrage that Shannon airport is still shamed by the presence of U.S. warplanes.”

PRESS STATEMENT ENDS

To contact Fintan Lane, phone 087 1258325