Two peace activists arrested in Shannon Airport runway protest against US military use

THE Galway Alliance Against War has welcomed the “peace action” on Wednesday morning at Shannon Airport in which two peace activists were arrested while waving a Tricolour flag on a runway in protest at the presence of United States military aircraft.

The two were named by Galway Alliance Against War as Dave Donnellan and Colm Roddy.

Galway Alliance Against War (GAAW) said in a statement that the action in the centenary year of the 1916 Rising “which at its heart was a stand in opposition to imperialist war”.

GAAW said that today’s republic “with its 15-year-long collusion in the imperialist war on terror” shames the memory of those who took part in the Easter Rising.

They said the two peace activists walked in broad daylight along the runway with a Tricolour in hand and were not spotted by those in charge of security of the airport.

“Indeed, a US warplane was taking off at the time and even the air traffic controllers did not see them paint a cross on the runway.”

It added it was only when the two peace activists had already walked past a jeep full of Irish Defence Forces soldiers guarding another US military plane, a US Learjet, were they spotted.

GAAW concluded:

“This incident not only highlights Ireland’s complicity in the slaughter in the Middle East and Central Asia but how easily security at Shannon warport can be breached. It is time to end this scandal at Shannon.”