WHAT organisers are calling a “major national mobilisation” against the US military’s use of Shannon Airport will be held this weekend, with protesters set to call for an immediate end to US troops and planes regularly passing through the Mid West airport.
Organisers Shannonwatch said that a “particular context” for their protest is “the ongoing military support by the US for Israel’s genocide in Gaza”.
Speaking ahead of the demonstration, set to take place this Sunday (April 14), Edward Horgan of Shannonwatch said that the anti-war organisation welcomes “the Irish government’s calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and their intervention in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel”.
“However, this means nothing if they don’t do everything in their power to cut off the supply of weapons and other support to Israel. One of the immediate actions Ireland must take is to end the movement of US military planes through Shannon Airport and Irish airspace. If they don’t do this, they are supporting genocide.”
Mr Horgan claimed that his organisation has “documented US Air Force planes that have been in Israel within days of landing at Shannon or flying through Irish airspace”.
“The organisation’s calls over many years for these planes to be inspected at Shannon have been ignored by the government who say they rely on US ‘assurances’ that the aircraft are unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition, or explosives, and are not engaged in military exercises or operations.”
Zoë Lawlor, chairperson of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign added that “we cannot be silent while Israel commits genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. We demand action from our government to sanction that state, enact the legislation on its illegal settlements, and to stop the US military use of Shannon Airport”.
According to Mr Horgan, Sunday’s demonstration is expected to be “one of the biggest in many years”, and follows a number of similar protests at the airport in recent weeks.
