IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT – PRESS RELEASE 04 NOV. 2011
· END THE SIEGE OF GAZA – LET THE SHIPS THROUGH!
· CALL ON IRISH GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT MV SAOIRSE
· EMERGENCY PROTEST AT 6PM TODAY CALLED BY ISTG AT THE SPIRE, O CONNELL STREET, DUBLIN.
IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT – PRESS RELEASE 04 NOV. 2011
· END THE SIEGE OF GAZA – LET THE SHIPS THROUGH!
· CALL ON IRISH GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT MV SAOIRSE
· EMERGENCY PROTEST AT 6PM TODAY CALLED BY ISTG AT THE SPIRE, O CONNELL STREET, DUBLIN.
In a statement released today the Irish Anti War Movement praised the courage of the crew and passengers of the MV Saoirse and condemned threats by Israel to stop the ship reaching Gaza. It also called on the Irish Government to support the efforts of the people involved and asked supporters to gather in protest at the Spire in Dublin this evening at 6pm.
Responding to an urgent call for international solidarity from 46 civil society organisations in Gaza, the Irish ship MV Saoirse and a Canadian ship Tahrir have successfully reached international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on a mission dubbed Freedom Waves to Gaza. The boats, two civilian vessels carrying 27 passengers from seven countries, are currently en route to Gaza. They are sailing through international waters directly to Gaza, and will not pass through Israeli territorial waters.
Contact was lost with the MV Saoirse at approx. 11.00am today. Just before that passengers on board reported that they were surrounded by Israeli military boats.
Richard Boyd Barrett, Chair of the IAWM said:
"I want to pay tribute to the bravery and determination of those onboard the MV Saoirse and the other participants in the "Freedom Waves" effort to bring desperately needed aid and solidarity to the besieged people of Gaza. The people onboard the "Freedom Waves" ships are literally taking their life in their hands to try and bring assistance to the suffering people of Gaza and to challenge the cruel and inhuman Israeli siege of its 1.5 million citizens.”
He continued by noting that:
“It is an outrageous indictment of the EU, the United States and the international community generally, that ordinary citizens of Europe and elsewhere are forced to risk their lives because of the failure of governments to take real action to end Israel’s illegal and brutal blockade of Gaza. It is simply shameful that the EU and US, in particular, continue to treat Israel as a normal state; to trade with it; to carry on normal political and diplomatic relations with it, while it inflicts the most cruel and systematic persecution on Gaza’s people. Israel is a rogue state and an apartheid state, every bit as bad and worse than apartheid South Africa was and yet the EU and the US continue to do business with it and allow it to act with impunity. Ordinary citizens of this country and other countries are forced to step in where governments have shamed themselves through their inaction, when it comes to Israel’s savage treatment of the citizens of Gaza and the Palestinian people generally.”
He further noted:
“I appeal to the Irish government and to the minister for Foreign Affairs to demand publicly, and in the strongest possible terms, that Israel allow free and safe passage to Gaza for the MV Saoirse and the other participants in "Freedom Waves." I urge our government to tell Israel that there will be severe consequences – diplomatic, economic and political – if the Israel authorities make any attempt to interfere with the boats or harm in anyway at all those on board.”
The statement concluded by urging the Irish public to rally in support of our citizens and all those on board the "Freedom Waves" boats and to come to the protest at the Spire at 6pm this evening to demand that the Irish government take action to secure the safety of the participants in "Freedom Waves" and to show active solidarity with the persecuted people of Gaza."
The protest is organised by the Irish Ship To Gaza campaign – http://www.irishshiptogaza.org/
For further info contact:
Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Chair IAWM, Tel. 086 781 4520
Jim Roche, PRO Steering Committee IAWM and Member ISTG, Tel. 087 6472737
Claudia Saba, Steering Committee IAWM, Land Team ISTG 087 988 9244
Daryl Southern, IAWM Coordinator, 085 2776505
www.irishantiwar.org
