Martin Sheen thanks Ireland for the Pitstop Ploughshares embarrassing the Government

national | anti-war / imperialism | other press Saturday May 09, 2009 23:47 by indo

May 9th. "Irish Independent" ........As work/life balances go, he (Martin Sheen) seems to be onto something, looking at least a decade younger than his 68 years. The most recent arrest was less than two years ago, and related to trespassing on a nuclear test facility in Nevada. He has, he says, no plans to add to his impressive tally as he tours around Ireland this weekend with his grandson.

But he knows where to find the action if he needs to. "You have an extraordinary group here called the Catholic Workers and Ciaron O'Reilly of the [related] Pitstop Ploughshares which put Ireland on record against the Bush war in Iraq," he said.

The Pitshop Ploughshares, for those with poorer memories than Mr Sheen, were a group of five who damaged a US military plane that had stopped over at Shannon in 2003. They were later cleared of criminal damage.

"He embarrassed the Irish Government for turning a blind eye to that, because it's clearly illegal as you're a neutral country," Mr Sheen. "They took a lot of criticism and spent a lot of time in jail waiting for the trial. It's a credit to you."
Full article
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/activist-actor-...tical