Friday, August 11, 2006
Derry Anti-War Coalition takes action against dealers-in-death Raytheon
On Wednesday 9th August Anti War protesters in Derry stormed into the local plant of US missile manufacturer Raytheon. Raytheon are the largest missile manufacturer in the world. Raytheon technology is supplied to the Israeli government. The campaigners were protesting against its use by the Israelis in their destruction and killing in Lebanon.
After eight hours in occupation of the plant nine protesters were arrested by the PSNI and are to be charged with "Unlawful Assembly" and "Aggravated Burglary".
Derry Anti War Coalition statement on Raytheon occupation
Derry Anti War Coalition is stepping up its campaign against the war in the Middle East, following the arrest and remand in custody of nine of its members after Wednesday’s occupation of the Raytheon office in Springtown.
And it has defended the actions of its members. DAWC spokesperson, Sarah Quilty said today “despite what police have said, there was no violence at all involved in the occupation. No one was hurt, or even had a hand laid on them, in the course of the occupation.
“It is, therefore, outrageous that our members have been charged with scheduled offences and with unlawful assembly and aggravated burglary. There were almost one hundred people outside Raytheon in the course of the day on Wed. Are we all to be charged with unlawful assembly? And anything that happened in the course of the occupation happened in an attempt to save lives and stop war crimes in the Middle East. There is no crime in that.
“In fact”, Ms. Quilty continued, “I have been amazed by the number of people who’ve told me that they had not realised that the Springtown Raytheon was connected in anyway to the arms manufacturer that produces components for Guided Missile Units (GBU) such as Patriots, Mavericks, Sidewinders and Sparrows, all of which are used by Israel and paid for with US taxpayer’s money. GBUs were the weapons responsible for the recent atrocity carried out by Israel at Qana.
The DAWC also emphasised in its statement that it is, and always has been, a very broad coalition where people with very different politics and beliefs come together with the one aim: to protest in a non-violent way against war in various parts of the world. Spokesperson Dermie McClenaghan said: “We have a range of people from Quakers, Buddhists and Christians across to socialists and republicans. No one is excluded from the Anti War Coalition because of their politics or beliefs, nor will they be”.
Mr. McClenaghan said “The protest was prompted by the current barbaric Israeli assault on Lebanon and Gaza, which has claimed over a thousand lives in just a few weeks. Many of the innocent lives lost have resulted from the use of GBUs produced by Raytheon.
Mr. McClenaghan continued “what Eamonn McCann replied when charged – that ‘when you look at the press coming in from the Lebanon, you have to be doing something’ is the overwhelming feeling of the DAWC. DAWC salutes the nine occupiers of the Raytheon plant.
After eight hours in occupation of the plant nine protesters were arrested by the PSNI and are to be charged with "Unlawful Assembly" and "Aggravated Burglary".
Derry Anti War Coalition statement on Raytheon occupation
Derry Anti War Coalition is stepping up its campaign against the war in the Middle East, following the arrest and remand in custody of nine of its members after Wednesday’s occupation of the Raytheon office in Springtown.
And it has defended the actions of its members. DAWC spokesperson, Sarah Quilty said today “despite what police have said, there was no violence at all involved in the occupation. No one was hurt, or even had a hand laid on them, in the course of the occupation.
“It is, therefore, outrageous that our members have been charged with scheduled offences and with unlawful assembly and aggravated burglary. There were almost one hundred people outside Raytheon in the course of the day on Wed. Are we all to be charged with unlawful assembly? And anything that happened in the course of the occupation happened in an attempt to save lives and stop war crimes in the Middle East. There is no crime in that.
“In fact”, Ms. Quilty continued, “I have been amazed by the number of people who’ve told me that they had not realised that the Springtown Raytheon was connected in anyway to the arms manufacturer that produces components for Guided Missile Units (GBU) such as Patriots, Mavericks, Sidewinders and Sparrows, all of which are used by Israel and paid for with US taxpayer’s money. GBUs were the weapons responsible for the recent atrocity carried out by Israel at Qana.
The DAWC also emphasised in its statement that it is, and always has been, a very broad coalition where people with very different politics and beliefs come together with the one aim: to protest in a non-violent way against war in various parts of the world. Spokesperson Dermie McClenaghan said: “We have a range of people from Quakers, Buddhists and Christians across to socialists and republicans. No one is excluded from the Anti War Coalition because of their politics or beliefs, nor will they be”.
Mr. McClenaghan said “The protest was prompted by the current barbaric Israeli assault on Lebanon and Gaza, which has claimed over a thousand lives in just a few weeks. Many of the innocent lives lost have resulted from the use of GBUs produced by Raytheon.
Mr. McClenaghan continued “what Eamonn McCann replied when charged – that ‘when you look at the press coming in from the Lebanon, you have to be doing something’ is the overwhelming feeling of the DAWC. DAWC salutes the nine occupiers of the Raytheon plant.