ON 9 August members of the Derry Anti-War Coalition occupied and decommissioned the offices of US-based weapons manufacturer Raytheon in Derry, N Ireland.
Nine protestors, including well-known journalist and civil rights activist Eamonn McCann, have been charged under the Terrorism Act with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly and face lengthy jail sentences if convicted. They need the support of the entire anti-war movement.
Their non-violent direct action was in protest at the involvement of Raytheon in supplying the weapons used in bombing Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Raytheon is the world’s largest missile manufacturer and the fifth largest military contractor. They are the makers of Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Patriot missile, the Sidewinder missile and dozens of other high-tech weapons of mass destruction used by US and British military in the Middle East. The Raytheon office in Derry is involved in designing computer software used in missile targeting systems.
During the recent bombing of Lebanon, 100 extra Raytheon Guided Bomb Units were rushed by US military transport planes to Israel, stopping to refuel at Prestwick airport. These ‘bunker buster’ bombs were used in attacks on civilian areas of South Beirut and in the atrocity in Qana in which 51 men, women and children were killed. The 100,000 cluster bombs dropped on Southern Lebanon in the last three days of the conflict were made by Raytheon.
What you can do to support the Raytheon 9
The Derry Anti-War Coalition is affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition in Britain and the Irish Anti-War Movement. We urge all anti-war groups, trade unions and individuals to raise the case of the Raytheon 9.
Sign the statement of support
An international statement has been launched, demanding the dropping of the charges against the Raytheon 9. It has already been signed by Noam Chomsky, Christy Moore, Tony Benn, Mark Thomas, Lindsay German (Stop the War Coalition), Richard Boyd Barrett (Irish Anti-War Movement), Jeffrey St Clair (Counterpunch magazine), George Galloway MP, The Samidoun Network in Lebanon, Jimmy Kelly (President ATGWU), Salma Yaqoob (Respect councillor Birmingham), Terry Eagleton, Daniel Bensaid and many others. IAWM supporters should approach local trade unionists; politicians; acadmics; musicians etc to sign the petition. The petition is at the foot of the page.
We have also launched an ‘In My Name’ statement of support for all members and supporters of the action on August 9 to sign. You can view both statements at www.raytheon9.org
The add your name to the statements email resistderry@aol.com
Pass the following resolution in your union branch
That this branch, noting the involvement of US-based arms multinational Raytheon in supplying many of the weapons of mass destruction used in the illegal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon,
Welcomes and supports the action taken by member of the Derry Anti-War Coalition on 9 August in occupying and decommissioning the Raytheon offices in Derry, in protest at Raytheon’s complicity in war crimes.
This branch calls for the dropping of all charges against the Raytheon 9 and pledges its support for their defence campaign. .
Raise money for the defence campaign
The trail of the Raytheon 9 will involve high legal costs. Please rush donations to Derry Anti War Coalition, Halifax Building Society, Diamond, Derry Sort Code 11-09-68, Account Number 00178353
If you would like to invite a speaker from the campaign to address your meeting or fundraiser contact 0044 7771 781958 or email resistderry@aol.com
Derry Anti-War Coalition www.dawc.org
RAYTHEON 9 PETITION
SUPPORT THE DERRY ANTI WAR PROTESTORS (THE RAYTHEON 9)
To: relevant politicians and authorities
The British authorities in Northern Ireland are mounting a very serious attack on the liberty and rights of anti-war protestors. Nine activists who took part in an occupation of the American arms corporation Raytheon’s offices in Derry have been charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly.
Raytheon is the fifth biggest arms manufacturer in the world. It manufactured the 100 GBU-28 bunker buster bombs urgently flown by the United States to Israel at the height of the destruction of Lebanon by the Israel Defence Force. Among the many services Raytheon has performed for Israel is supplying electronic equipment for the apartheid wall being built on Palestinian land. The National Lawyers Guild of the US has accused Raytheon of being ‘implicated in the commission of war crime’.
On 9 August 2006 the Derry Anti-War Coalition organized a non-violent occupation of Raytheon’s plant in the Ulster Science and Technology Park. This followed direct action that has been mounted by anti-war protestors against US military planes at Shannon airport in the South of Ireland and Prestwick airport near Glasgow. The Derry protestors decommissioned computer equipment used by Raytheon to produce software for its weapons systems.
Nine of them were arrested by the police, among them Eamonn McCann, well-known as a civil rights activist and campaigning journalist. They have been charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly. These are very serious offences that could mean the accused could be denied the right to trial by jury under British security legislation prevailing in the north of Ireland.
It is particularly ironic that this attack on the right to protest should be taking place under the authority of Peter Hain, British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Hain made his political reputation in the early 1970s as an anti-apartheid activist who organized direct action against tours by the South African rugby and cricket teams. As a leading figure on the Labour left, he continued to endorse direct action, writing in 1983: ‘the more direct action there is against nuclear weapons in Britain, the greater the freedom a Labour government will have to get rid of them.’
The Raytheon Nine are facing imprisonment for staying true to the principles Hain has abandoned. Like peace campaigners elsewhere in Ireland and in the rest of the world, they took non-violent direct action. Their trial is a threat to the global anti-war movement. At a time when the clouds of war are darkening and spreading over the Middle East, the right to protest must be defended. We demand that all charges against the Raytheon Nine be dropped immediately.
ON 9 August members of the Derry Anti-War Coalition occupied and decommissioned the offices of US-based weapons manufacturer Raytheon in Derry, N Ireland.
Nine protestors, including well-known journalist and civil rights activist Eamonn McCann, have been charged under the Terrorism Act with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly and face lengthy jail sentences if convicted. They need the support of the entire anti-war movement.
Their non-violent direct action was in protest at the involvement of Raytheon in supplying the weapons used in bombing Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Raytheon is the world’s largest missile manufacturer and the fifth largest military contractor. They are the makers of Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Patriot missile, the Sidewinder missile and dozens of other high-tech weapons of mass destruction used by US and British military in the Middle East. The Raytheon office in Derry is involved in designing computer software used in missile targeting systems.
During the recent bombing of Lebanon, 100 extra Raytheon Guided Bomb Units were rushed by US military transport planes to Israel, stopping to refuel at Prestwick airport. These ‘bunker buster’ bombs were used in attacks on civilian areas of South Beirut and in the atrocity in Qana in which 51 men, women and children were killed. The 100,000 cluster bombs dropped on Southern Lebanon in the last three days of the conflict were made by Raytheon.
What you can do to support the Raytheon 9
The Derry Anti-War Coalition is affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition in Britain and the Irish Anti-War Movement. We urge all anti-war groups, trade unions and individuals to raise the case of the Raytheon 9.
Sign the statement of support
An international statement has been launched, demanding the dropping of the charges against the Raytheon 9. It has already been signed by Noam Chomsky, Christy Moore, Tony Benn, Mark Thomas, Lindsay German (Stop the War Coalition), Richard Boyd Barrett (Irish Anti-War Movement), Jeffrey St Clair (Counterpunch magazine), George Galloway MP, The Samidoun Network in Lebanon, Jimmy Kelly (President ATGWU), Salma Yaqoob (Respect councillor Birmingham), Terry Eagleton, Daniel Bensaid and many others. IAWM supporters should approach local trade unionists; politicians; acadmics; musicians etc to sign the petition. The petition is at the foot of the page.
We have also launched an ‘In My Name’ statement of support for all members and supporters of the action on August 9 to sign. You can view both statements at www.raytheon9.org
The add your name to the statements email resistderry@aol.com
Pass the following resolution in your union branch
That this branch, noting the involvement of US-based arms multinational Raytheon in supplying many of the weapons of mass destruction used in the illegal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon,
Welcomes and supports the action taken by member of the Derry Anti-War Coalition on 9 August in occupying and decommissioning the Raytheon offices in Derry, in protest at Raytheon’s complicity in war crimes.
This branch calls for the dropping of all charges against the Raytheon 9 and pledges its support for their defence campaign. .
Raise money for the defence campaign
The trail of the Raytheon 9 will involve high legal costs. Please rush donations to Derry Anti War Coalition, Halifax Building Society, Diamond, Derry Sort Code 11-09-68, Account Number 00178353
If you would like to invite a speaker from the campaign to address your meeting or fundraiser contact 0044 7771 781958 or email resistderry@aol.com
Derry Anti-War Coalition www.dawc.org
RAYTHEON 9 PETITION
SUPPORT THE DERRY ANTI WAR PROTESTORS (THE RAYTHEON 9)
To: relevant politicians and authorities
The British authorities in Northern Ireland are mounting a very serious attack on the liberty and rights of anti-war protestors. Nine activists who took part in an occupation of the American arms corporation Raytheon’s offices in Derry have been charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly.
Raytheon is the fifth biggest arms manufacturer in the world. It manufactured the 100 GBU-28 bunker buster bombs urgently flown by the United States to Israel at the height of the destruction of Lebanon by the Israel Defence Force. Among the many services Raytheon has performed for Israel is supplying electronic equipment for the apartheid wall being built on Palestinian land. The National Lawyers Guild of the US has accused Raytheon of being ‘implicated in the commission of war crime’.
On 9 August 2006 the Derry Anti-War Coalition organized a non-violent occupation of Raytheon’s plant in the Ulster Science and Technology Park. This followed direct action that has been mounted by anti-war protestors against US military planes at Shannon airport in the South of Ireland and Prestwick airport near Glasgow. The Derry protestors decommissioned computer equipment used by Raytheon to produce software for its weapons systems.
Nine of them were arrested by the police, among them Eamonn McCann, well-known as a civil rights activist and campaigning journalist. They have been charged with aggravated burglary and unlawful assembly. These are very serious offences that could mean the accused could be denied the right to trial by jury under British security legislation prevailing in the north of Ireland.
It is particularly ironic that this attack on the right to protest should be taking place under the authority of Peter Hain, British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Hain made his political reputation in the early 1970s as an anti-apartheid activist who organized direct action against tours by the South African rugby and cricket teams. As a leading figure on the Labour left, he continued to endorse direct action, writing in 1983: ‘the more direct action there is against nuclear weapons in Britain, the greater the freedom a Labour government will have to get rid of them.’
The Raytheon Nine are facing imprisonment for staying true to the principles Hain has abandoned. Like peace campaigners elsewhere in Ireland and in the rest of the world, they took non-violent direct action. Their trial is a threat to the global anti-war movement. At a time when the clouds of war are darkening and spreading over the Middle East, the right to protest must be defended. We demand that all charges against the Raytheon Nine be dropped immediately.
