New Mary Kelly Trial Soon

clare | anti-war / imperialism | feature Monday October 20, 2003 21:32 by Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group - Indymedia Ireland

Pretrial Hearing on Tuesday, 21st of October

''What I am fighting here is a criminal government that has been involved in an illegal war. We have facilitated more than half the US troops that went to fight in an illegal war. Also they've turned our Constitution to shreds. They've not allowed our Gardai and security forces in Shannon to go on board these planes and even find out what was [in] them. They have had no regard for the safety of the citizens living [near] Shannon and it's been reported that there is a huge arsenal of weapons flying over at least Shannon and there is no concern for the safety of the citizens in that area.

So, I will be fighting this case vigorously, but as I say, I need support, very strongly I need support, and I call on anybody who might be free next Tuesday or whatever court dates are set in the future, to come and support, to come and picket outside, to write about it, to do media interviews, and to put the word [out] that Ireland has been complicit in an illegal war, despite the will of the Irish people.''
- Mary Kelly, 17 October 2003
MP3 interview streamed / download (2.8megs - 4:09 mins)

UPDATE: ReTrial date set for early February, 2004 (new photos)

Past Features on Civil Disobedience at Shannon Airport:
· Mary Kelly Trial: Hung Jury, Re-Trial Possible in October (Jul 4 2003)
· Good Friday Resistance at Shannon Airport (Apr 18 2003)
· Pit Stop Ploughshares 5 action at Shannon Airport (Feb 3 2003)
· Peace Activist vs. US Military Jet (Jan 29 2003)


Mary Kelly Interview 17 October 2003
Location: Dublin Castle, Chester Beatty Library
interview: redjade
transcription: Bolshevik Jedi

Quote:
''I had a trial last July, the first of July, and on [American] Independence Day the 4th of July, in fact, the jury could not find me guilty ... at least three of the jurors refused to convict me and I was released, it was a hung jury and there was a possibility that the DPP could come back in October this month and call for a retrial.

I have just heard two days ago that the DPP asked for a retrial and the case is due to start next Tuesday on the 21st of October again in Kilrush and in front of the same judge. I personally am not ready to go ahead, all my legal team are tied up in a huge murder case. I am calling for a judicial review of the last court case for just this [judge] would not even allow Scott Ritter to speak in the witness box [he] would not allow very crucial video evidence in the court to be seen and heard by the jury and [he] will not grant expenses for my legal team to bring expert witnesses to mount my defense.

That is just my last trial, I presume they will not allow me bringing in another team, they won't give me financial aid to do that. I am up against it at the moment but nevertheless I will appear on Tuesday and say that I am not ready to go forward and that there is a judicial enquiry pending in the High Court.

Nevertheless if anybody is free to come to Kilrush this Tuesday, I think it is very important to have persons there outside the court and show the DPP and Bertie Ahern that this case will be fought very, very vigorously. Ever since my trial last July, a lot more evidence has come out due to the power of discovery that activists have [gathered] in court cases and we have been able to get access to a lot of documents about what went through Shannon and there has been some media coverage about the range of weapons that has gone through Shannon.

What I am fighting here is a criminal government that has been involved in an illegal war. We have facilitated more than half the US troops that went to fight in an illegal war. Also they've turned our Constitution to shreds. They've not allowed our Gardai and security forces in Shannon to go on board these planes and even find out what was [in] them. They have had no regard for the safety of the citizens living [near] Shannon and it's been reported that there is a huge arsenal of weapons flying over at least Shannon and there is no concern for the safety of the citizens in that area.

So, I will be fighting this case vigorously, but as I say, I need support, very strongly I need support, and I call in anybody who might be free next Tuesday or whatever court dates are set in the future, to come and support, to come and picket outside, to write about it, to do media interviews, and to put the word [out] that Ireland has been complicit in an illegal war, despite the will of the Irish people.''