Jailed anti-war activist Margaretta D’Arcy to be freed on 22 March

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

‘By their actions, Irish governments have turned Shannon into a gateway to a holocaust that has taken the lives of more than one million people’

JAILED ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST Margaretta D’Arcy (79) has been given a release date by the Mountjoy Prison authorities in Dublin of Saturday 22 March.

D’Arcy is serving a three-month prison sentence for refusing to stay out of unauthorised zones at Shannon Airport during protests against the use of the airport by US military planes and suspected CIA flights.

Making an announcement on Tuesday evening, the Galway Alliance Against War also said Margaretta and her co-accused, Niall Farrell, have again been before Ennis District Court at which the trial date of 24 June was set in relation to their peace action on the runway at Shannon airport on 1 September 2013.

Niall Farrell said on behalf of the Galway Alliance Against War:

“We are delighted that Margaretta will be released soon. However, we have to admit that we are not shocked by the actions of the Government in imprisoning a seriously-ill elderly peace activist. We are not shocked because we have witnessed for more than 12 years how consecutive Irish governments have allowed millions of US troops, million of tons of US weaponry to travel freely to war via Shannon Airport.

“By their actions, Irish governments have turned Shannon into a gateway to a holocaust that has taken the lives of more than one million people. So how could we be surprised that they would imprison Margaretta? They have done much, much worse.”

Niall Farrell pointed out that the Council of Europe has found that Irish governments have, in his words, “colluded willingly in Washington’s horrendous extraordinary rendition programme”.

He said that Article 29 of Bunreacht na hÉireann – which affirms its devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality – has been violated time and time again since October 2001.