The County Kildare
Anti-War Movement was
formed by a group of concerned
local people who attended
a public meeting on 1st
April 2003 in Lumville
House Hotel.
This meeting was organised
by Gerry O'Donoghue with
approximately 50 people
in attendance. The speakers
were Fr. Michéal
MacGréil (SJ),
Ken Maye (on behalf of
Anne Behan), Clare O'Grady
Walshe (NGO Peace Alliance)
and Kieran Allen (Irish
Anti-War Movement). Following
these presentations, contributions
were heard from those
present. These mainly
focussed on:
- the use of Shannon
Airport by the US Military;
- the failure of the
Irish Government to
listen to the demands
of the Irish people
with regards to the
situation in Iraq;
- the effects of the
war on Iraqi civilians;
- the impact of the
war on Irish children
due to the constant
violence shown on television.
Due to the high levels
of concern expressed
at this meeting, it
was felt that a viable
Co. Kildare Anti-War
Group could be formed
and sustained.
A subsequent meeting
was held on 8th April,
with 22 people in attendance.
The group consisted of
people from Newbridge,
Naas, Kildare, Kilcullen,
Prosperous, Athy, Kilmeague,
Ballysax, Cutbush, Sallins
and Brownstown. At this
meeting it was agreed
that we would travel to
Shannon Airport on Saturday
12th April to protest
against the use of the
airport by US Forces.
12 people made the trip
to Shannon, where our
Co. Kildare Anti-War Group
Banner was unfurled for
the first time. Two people
from Kilcock joined us,
so the 14 of us marched
proudly behind the Co.
Kildare banner.
Another meeting was held
on 15th April, with 16
people in attendance.
At this meeting we finalised
plans for our Demonstration
in Newbridge which took
place on the 19th April.
At this stage, we need
YOUR help. If you
have the time, energy,
interest or commitment,
we would love to have
you on board. You can
make a real difference
to our campaign.
For details of our next
meeting, please contact:
Elaine (045 449
675) or Gerry (087
2642 887).
The County Kildare Anti-War
Movement was founded in
Co. Kildare in the Republic
of Ireland to campaign
against the war on Iraq.
The group believes that
war is not the answer
in international conflicts
and has been attending
antiwar marches in Dublin
and at Shannon airport,
where the Irish governments
decision to grant overflying
rights to American military
aircraft on their way
to war in the gulf caused
outrage among Irish people,
the vast majority of whom
are opposed to the war.
One of the reasons which
caused the Kildare Anti-War
Movement to be set up
was the protests on the
15th of February 2003,
which saw 15million people
worldwide take to the
streets to vice their
opposition to any military
action against Iraq, including
over 100,000 people from
Ireland. There was worldwide
anger when the people
were ignored and the illegal
Anglo American invasion
of another country happened
anyway.
The Kildare Anti-War
Movement will continue
to campaign against any
Anglo-American military
occupation of Iraq, or
the imposition of any
government that is not
chosen freely by the people
of Iraq.
The Kildare Anti-War
Movement wish to see an
end to the use of Shannon
Airport in Limerick, Ireland
by warplanes, and Ireland's
restoration as a truly
neutral country. We wish
to see an end to all unilateral
wars and the place of
the UN restored as the
arbiter of International
conflicts.
The Kildare Anti-War
Movement does not endorse
any one politician or
political party, we are
just a group of ordinary
people who are concerned
about illegal wars and
the current disregard
of public opinion in our
own country and other
countries. We take our
lead from the patron saint
of Kildare, St. Brigid,
who swopped her sword
for food.
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