Although we haven't seen it in America since the Vietnam War protests, there is such a thing as civil disobedience going on to protest the Iraq War, and more recently, the invasion of Lebanon, not in America, but in Europe, in Ireland.
Take look at the great faces in the poster below. These are the faces of ordinary Irish citizens, who gave a damned enough about the killings of tens of thousands of innocents in Iraq and in Lebanon this summer to lay their own freedom on the line in acts of civil disobedience.
They are part of the Irish Anti War Movement. Their belief is that resisting war crimes is not a crime.
These men are called the Raytheon 9, and they acted in the same way as some of those groups did during the Vietnam War protests through civil disobedience (Vietnam veterans, please believe that we love you for having put your lives on the line to serve in that war).
It was in response to the Israel's invasion of Lebanon that the Derry Anti War Coalition held a large public meeting where it was agreed that they would try to occupy the Raytheon plant in the city. See why below. Nine of them succeeded. The police prevented the rest from entering.
The nine were arrested and charged with criminal damage and unlawful assembly, offenses that were categorized as terrorist offences. They carry prison sentences.
The Irish Anti War Movement describes the full event and the reason for it on their site.
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.
The Derry Anti-War Coalition is affiliated to the Stop the War Coalition in Britain and the Irish Anti-War Movement.
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.
More recently, the Irish Anti War Movement focused its attention on stopping the attack of Iran. They are not waiting to see if it really happens.
They list a string of lies that they believe we are being told by the Bush regime as they apply to Iran.
They also hate Blair with a passion, even more than Bush.
http://irishantiwar.org/...
They believe that an attack of Iran must be stopped.
George Bush is gearing up to attack Iran and has refused to rule out using nuclear weapons. Condoleeza Rice wants a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, the same move that lead to the bombing and invasion of Iraq. Just like in Iraq the US case for war is built on lies.
What are those lies? (Listed here. Go to the site for specifics).
Lie 1: Weapons of mass destruction - Iran is a nuclear threat
Lie 2: Breaking UN resolutions - Iran has broken the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
Lie 3: The US is a force for disarmament and global stability
Lie 4: Spreading freedom and democracy
Lie 5: Islam is the enemy of civilization
Lie 6: US Military use of Shannon Airport is not important
Lie 7: Demonstrating about it will change nothing
150,000 marched in Washington against the war in Iraq and it still happened. The government didn’t listen. WRONG. The mass demonstrations brought a political crisis. Bush has the lowest opinion poll rating of any president, ever. Blair is known as a lickspittle and a liar. Shannon (used by the American military) has been a permanent feature of politics in Ireland. The recent demonstrations in France show that protest works. We need to stay on the streets this time to make sure the government listens to us, just like they did in France.
Demonstration Saturday May 6th 2pm US Embassy, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
The Irish Anti War Movement also supports Palestinian rights and freedom and links to various Palestinian organizations. I hope to cover the Irish-Palestinian coalitions at another time.
Thanks for reading.