Protest in Shannon at 2pm on Sunday October 9th 2011 to remember a decade of lives lost and destroyed in Afghanistan, and to tell the Irish government AGAIN that the use of Shannon Airport by the US military is unacceptable.
At 9 p.m. (local time) on Sunday October 7th 2001, the US supported by Britain began an attack on Afghanistan, indiscriminately launching bombs and cruise missiles against suspected Taliban facilities. Ten years later the US military are still there, and the Afghan people are suffering greatly. Countless lives have been lost or destroyed since October 2001, and the country’s social, institutional and commercial infrastructures are now in a mess.
US troops started to move through Shannon in 2001, and in response, people from all over Ireland came to protest. The troops are still going through Shannon – over 600 of them a day going to and from Afghanistan. Shannonwatch are asking people to return to Shannon on Sunday October 9th 2011 at 2pm to protest against this ongoing mis-use of the airport.
Protest in Shannon at 2pm on Sunday October 9th 2011 to remember a decade of lives lost and destroyed in Afghanistan, and to tell the Irish government AGAIN that the use of Shannon Airport by the US military is unacceptable.
At 9 p.m. (local time) on Sunday October 7th 2001, the US supported by Britain began an attack on Afghanistan, indiscriminately launching bombs and cruise missiles against suspected Taliban facilities. Ten years later the US military are still there, and the Afghan people are suffering greatly. Countless lives have been lost or destroyed since October 2001, and the country’s social, institutional and commercial infrastructures are now in a mess.
US troops started to move through Shannon in 2001, and in response, people from all over Ireland came to protest. The troops are still going through Shannon – over 600 of them a day going to and from Afghanistan. Shannonwatch are asking people to return to Shannon on Sunday October 9th 2011 at 2pm to protest against this ongoing mis-use of the airport.
The US military use of Shannon has never been accepted or approved by the Irish people. It is an affront to the promotion of peace and human rights. Yet the present Irish government seems willing to let them continue using the airport, regardless of the lives lost and laws broken as a result.
As the October 2001 attack was being launched on Afghanistan President George W. Bush made a televised speech in which he said "The United States of America is a friend to the Afghan people." After a decade of US occupation, ongoing conflict and corruption, most Afghan people would disagree.
Peace, anti-war and human rights groups all around Ireland are organising to come to Shannon for the protest on October 9th. Shannonwatch are asking as many people as possible to join the one hour demonstration. It starts at 2pm and will take place along the road into the airport (at the small roundabout under the "Welcome to Shannon Airport" sign).
It is time to end Ireland’s complicity in global warfare.
For more details email shannonwatch@gmail.com or telephone 087 8225087
