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Warships Visit Cork To 'Celebrate Culture' cork |
anti-war / imperialism |
feature
 Tuesday June 21, 2005 18:49 by Ray Hanrahan - Cork Anti-War Campaign
 When Cork 2005 Thinks of Culture, Do They Reach For Their Guns?
While the British deathship remained sullen and inactive behind the gates of the Custom House dock and nestled in the 'protective' embrace of An Garda Siochana, its Australian counterpart laid on the glad-handing and soft sell with band music and guided tours for members of the public. Needless to say none of the protestors took up this insincere offer. One supposes that a good look around and a goodie bag to go home with makes global warmongering all right then. The Garda presence around the two ships was very visible, and once again illustrates the subservience of the Irish state to the established state terrorist order. Special Branch were there too, looking all important speaking into their mobile phones and sucking up the overtime. Some Irish army brasshat was spotted coming off the Aussie ship - could he have been receiving his orders for the coming year? While these two obscenities were parked at the city docks this afternoon, Ireland's own mickey-mouse contribution to the global war machine, the LE Eithne, was cruising around in the harbour entertaining an motley crew of what would be represented to us peasants as 'dignitaries'. Perhaps this was one of the 30% of cultural events not accessible to the general public, as stated by Cork 2005 spokespersons in recent press statements? Given this kind of carry-on and sucking-up to international mass murder, this casts a sinister light on what notions the Cork City Council and Cork 2005 have about culture. It looks like that this kind of state terrorism is what they aspire to. As for me, I just feel intimidated, which is what these deathships are here to do. The cynic in me thinks that if ever there is a genuine threat to the shower in power in this land, then these warships will be back, making Ireland safe for Bertie, Harney, McDowell, Willie O'Dea and their likes. They come in peace now, but they may return in the future to kill and subjugate. These won't be the only floating platforms of mass destruction disfiguring the harbour and docks over the coming week. Warships from Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Pakistan will join the already arrived affronts to any decent notion of culture, and underline the deepening complicity of Ireland's ruling elites in global war, exploitation and oppression. Protests will be mounted during the week while the flotilla of Death Culture assembles on the Lee. Just because Lord Mayor Sean Martin says that these floating atrocity factories are welcome does not mean that Cork's citizens want to be within range of their weapons systems.
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The arrival of the first two of an expected six foreign warships to Cork was marked by pickets mounted by Cork Anti-War Campaign (CAWC) and also by Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). The presence of the warships to 'celebrate' Cork 2005 reflects poorly on the organisers of the Capital of Culture. The protests were there to remind them and the visiting warships that not everyone here in this city is taken in by this hogwash.
Protests took place today in Cork at the presence of two floating killing machines in the city, on a so-called 'courtesy visit' to the city to 'celebrate' the Cork 2005 Capital of Culture scam. The warships in question were from Britain and Australia, the HMS Grafton and HMAS Anzac respectively. Pickets were mounted alongside both ships in a good-natured and non-confrontational manner. Protestors from the Cork Anti-War Campaign (joined by the redoubtable Tim Hourigan) picketed the Anzac, while protestors from Republican Sinn Fein picketed the Grafton, which had docked at the Custom House, presumably to frustrate any protestor who wished to get any closer. 
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Comments (22 of 22)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 222 points:
1. Shouldn't these people protesting be waving the current Iraqi flag:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Iraq
The flag being waved by Mr. Cronin is the one that is clearly associated with the Saddam regime. How disgusting. Of course, perhaps that is deliberate and an indication of support for the past dictatirship.
2. I presume the Anti-War protestors will educate the RSF people about the ways of non-violence. Or are they only concerned about non-Republication violence?
The current flag has arabic writing that was ADDED by Saddam.
Tony is waving the pre-saddam flag (an it's uspide down so the Aussies can understand it)
the real issues here are not that the flag is wrong (cos it's not)
or that RSF also happened to protest (as if CAWC can be criticised for that)
There's a british warship sitting at the Michael Collins bridge, with it's cannon pointed at the city centre, and this ship was recently on active duty as part of the coalition of the killing that attacked and now occupies Iraq.
This ship, the Aussie ship and the others due to arrive, were invited by an apparently foolish mayor of Cork, and are enjoying the protection of the Garda Siochana ( just like the US military at Shannon) and all at the expense of Iraqi blood and Irish taxpayers money.
Fair play to CAWC for making a stand when they could have been off sitting in the park or at the beach with their ice creams on such a nice day.
So RSF protesting against a British warship,and claiming to be anti war?
Thats a bit far fetched,isnt it?
It it just another way of saying "Brits Out?"
If you are going to protest,at least be honest about why you are protesting! Don't use the anti war platform to score points in your rascist beliefs!
As any fo' kno', that flag being waved by the protestor is the same as the ones used by Saddam's armed forces.
Check out the picture of the Hind helicopter @ http://www.aeronautics.ru/m/mi24124.jpg - yes, the self same flag on a helicopter used to carry out chemical attacks on Kurdish women and children. you should be ashamed of yourselves...
Cork 2005
Republican Sinn Féin Protests against British Naval presence in Cork and their continued occupation of the Six Counties.
Rebel Cork makes its stand - Republican Sinn Féin Protests against British Naval presence in Cork.
The McCurtain / McSwiney Cumann, Republican Sinn Féin Cork, in association with Comhairle na Mumhan Republican Sinn Féin organised a protest against a British Naval presence in Cork on Sunday June 19th, 2005.
Twenty members of Republican Sinn Féin placed a demonstration at both sides of the city’s Custom House where the British warship HMS Grafton stands at the junction of the Eamon DeValera and Michael Collins Bridges. Members of the Garda Armed Response Unit guarded her with their Uzi submachine guns along with regular Gardaí.
Flying from her jackstaff was the Union Jack. A symbol of suffering and death in Ireland. England is an occupying power in the Northern Six Counties and yet the 26 County Administration invites these English symbols of tyranny to our island.
Republican Sinn Féin strongly opposes the visit of this killer ship to Cork as being wholly inappropriate and hardly having anything to with culture. In particular it is an affront to the memories of the dead generations that fought to rid Ireland of English occupation.
Séan O’Murchú. P.R.O.
http://www.rsfcork.com
But it's foolish to come across silly with statements like "This ship, the Aussie ship and the others due to arrive, were invited by an apparently foolish mayor of Cork, and are enjoying the protection of the Garda Siochana ( just like the US military at Shannon)"
Protection?
These are men-o-war, designed to go into harm's way and perhaps survive. If the police weren't therre you would storm them? Don't be silly. They wouldn't have to shoot, their fire hoses would be quite sufficient protection.
Oh, and LE Eithne cruising around in the harbour is NOT silly. Regardless of the fact that she wouldn't stand a chance, her presence technically makes these visits "by invitation" and not at the discretion of the men-o-war which are allowed to enter any undefended port .
cork 2005 didnt have anything to do with these ships attending, why the fuss now over these "deathships", visiting their is always military ships visiting cork harbour everyone knows that. and in fairness id have special branch there too if rsf were around.
cork anti war supporters are correct to protest at warships that are part of the illegal invasion of Iraq been entertained in cork.These people are criminals and should be treated as such.Cork business and political leaders underhand support for the war in Iraq is a sickening example of greed for money hiding behind lying words.Crawlers for tyrants .Remember the UN has declared the invasion to be illegal and all who support it are COLLABATORS in a military dictatorship run from Bush HQ in washington.Might is the only debate they use.They will lose and we must remember ALL ,paticulary those in Cork who supported their cruelty and murders by their lies and deciet.
".....in a military dictatorship run from Bush HQ in washington....."
John, if THAT were our problem we would have a simple solution, encourage the people of the US to rise up and throw the bastards out. But the REALITY is about half the American people WANTED Bush.
Maybe you do not understand, but "democracy" is just a decision making process. Their is no guarantee that the decisions made by "the people" will be wise, good, or what YOU would want to see made (or I for that matter). The virtue of democracy is somewhere else, that the people live by the decisions that thye have made themsleves, for good or ill.
And don't delude yourself about WHY so many people in the US actually like Bush (though right now his popularity appears to be falling). What we face here is a coalition of disjoint interests between the "social conservatives" and the "big business capitalists". This is NOT something to blame on the capitalists. The "social conservatives" do not have a choice about with whom they might ally as the anit-capiltaist and "liberal" factions will not agree to go along with the social conservative agenda.
'about half the American people WANTED Bush.'
True - but its a bit more complicated than even that (and I'm not trying to peddle conspiracy theories here)
Best go read this....
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1318
.
'Remember the UN has declared the invasion to be illegal '
Would that be the same UN that left millions to die in places like Darfur and Rwanda?
QUOTE: But the REALITY is about half the American people WANTED Bush.
The population of the USA is approximately 296 million [1] and the voting-age population is approximately 218 million [2]. An estimated 120 million people voted and Bush received approximately 30.4 % of the eligible vote.[3].
That's not over half the population of the USA. Not by a long shot.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States
2. http://www.emergingdemocraticmajorityweblog.com/donkeyrising/archives/000929.php
3. http://www.fairvote.org/reports/CSAE2004electionreport.pdf
Thank you to RSF for clarifying that their protest had nothing to do with the Anti War effort,but was instead another "Brits Out" Protest.
The Ships were being protected by Gardai on this occasion because the last time A Royal Naval Vessel visited cork,one of your gang of ne'er do wells decided to try to Petrol Bomb the vessel.
Anti War indeed...(They Haven't gone away you know)
Looks like an Aussie on deck there..."if it moves shoot it, if it doesn't chop it down".
Australian Navy are death ships as they serviced the genocidal sactions on Iraq throughout the '90's killing up to a million kidz under the age of 5.
The Australian military has a colonial-sychophantic record second to none. First deployment was to put down a Maori uprising in Aotearoa, then off to the Boer War in Africa and then to the Euro imperial bloodfest WW1.
Deloyed to North Africa for WW2, had trobule getting the troops back to their bioregion following the fall of Singapore.
Following WW2 change of imperial masters Vietnam (one more favour top the Brits malayan emergency) and enthusiasts (both Labor and Conservative) for the Gulf Massacres.
There are presently 11,000 U.S. troops in Australia involved in military exeercises and building 3 permanent bases for US training
More info check link below....
Yesterday two activists in Netherlands, got through the gate, up the ramp and did their protest in style, and were very credible with it, not having ever been associated with armed groups or a murderous attack on civilians which claimed dozens of lives.
If you look closely you will see one of the activist has an eye-patch, this is so *you know* that activist is a pirate.
Both pirates were arrested and handcuffed afterwards for their brave and pacifist action. You can see that in the photos too.
"Reclaim the Sea from boys war toys" Action in Netherlands 23/6/05
I'm so HAPPY to see that even people as far as Ireland are sick of the bloodbath Bush has inflicted, WE AMERICANS ARE SICK OF BUSH TOO!! For anyone posting criticisms of the protest, if you're so sure, why don't we see you joining the military over in Iraq?
Americans are seeing past the lies Bush has perpetrated. Bush is disgusting.
Mike is wrong when he says "...the men-o-war which are allowed to enter any undefended port ."
We've got a constitution. Ireland is not unclaimed territory. People cannot come and go as they please, especially not people involved in wars which Dail Eireann has not agreed to participate in.
Where were the RSF Protest's at the Enniskillan and Newtownards Airshow??. I did not see any either at the Abbeyshrule Airshow either???
Prehaps all 6 people were busy burning all the sterling RSF robbed in the north earlier in the year. Funny they protest about British Warships of Death when they can access an arsenal hidden all over the country to kill our own people.
Thats a new one on me and everyone else. Tell us how you reckon this tiny group of six people youre scoffing at managed to blag the northern bank as well as look after this huge underground arsenal ? Quite a feat. If there were a few dozen more theyd have captured the warship and nuked Whitehall .