Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly - Perth Indy Radio - 27 April 2006
Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly - Perth Indy Radio - 27 April 2006INTERVIEW: Ciaron O’Reilly. Brisbane-born O'Reilly is one of the Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants awaiting trial in Dublin on 5 July on charges of causing $US2.5 million criminal damage to a US war plane that was to be deployed in the 2003 Iraq conflict. Defendants have been allowed to leave the country, but are required to return to Ireland a week before the July trial. O'Reilly is in Australia to visit family.
"the liberal position is its okay for you to have your protest as long as we can have our war."
MP3: Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly - Perth Indy Radio - 27 April 2006
Click link to listen or right-click and save: ciaronorielly_april2006_perthindymediaradio.mp3
Background:
On 3rd February 2003, as part of ongoing resistance at Shannon Airport, the Pitstop Ploughshares disarmed a US warplane. Within the month, three of the four companies contracted to ferry US troops and weapons had left Ireland.
International peace activist Ciaron O'Reilly will be giving a free lunchtime lecture at UWA on Friday 28th April talking about his commitment to active non-violence in waging peace.
The Pitstop Ploughshares 5 will return to trial again at Dublin's Four Courts on Monday July 5th 2006. The trial is likely to run for two weeks.
Ciaron O'Reilly is currently awaiting trial in Ireland for disarming an American war plane on its way to the Iraq war in 2003. He has previously served jail terms in the USA and Australia for similar 'ploughshares' actions and remains committed waging a non-violent fight for peace. He is part of the Catholic Worker movement, which he describes as "a radical Catholic anarchist pacifist movement".
Ciaron is a controversial figure who has received acclaim from prominent people around the world including Desmund Tutu, while also stirring the ire of some within peace movements abroad and in Australia.
Come along and hear this inspirational and challenging presentation. Organised by the Student Christian Movement
Ciaron O’Reilly Dinner:Anarchist lookin@10yrs Jail 4PEACE: Ciaron is a controversial figure and he’s looking at 10 years in Jail for causing over $2.5 million damage to US war plane on it’s way to Iraq.
Catch him while he’s in Perth and join us for dinner. Friday 28th April 7PM Venue: Christian Centre for Social Action (Corner of Canterbury & 879 Albany Hwy, Victoria Park) $20 if waged, $10 if your not BYO drinks “When they have a war they expect protest and the liberal position is ‘it’s okay for you to have your protest as long as we can have our war.’” - Ciaron O’Reilly for catering please rsvp to oi_jarrod@hotmail.com or 0411 203 555
2.5 mil damage2 War Machine talk@UWA 1:00 PM
International peace activist Ciaron O’Reilly will be giving a free lunchtime lectures at Murdoch and UWA in the first week back after Easter break talk Ciaron O’Reilly is currently awaiting trial in Ireland for disarming an American war plane on its way to the Iraq war in 2003. He has previously served jail terms in the USA and Australia for similar ‘ploughshares’ actions and remains committed waging a non-violent fight for peace. He is part of the Catholic Worker movement, which he describes as “a radical Catholic anarchist pacifist movement”. UWA Venue: LAWLT Time: 1-2pm Date: Friday, 28 April Free!
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Deja vu? Peace activist detained by ASIO - CRIKEY
Date: 8 February 2006: Christian peace activist Ciaron O'Reilly was detained and questioned by ASIO agents at Brisbane airport last Friday after a 30-hour flight from Ireland. The interview took place in a secure room at Brisbane airport and one of the questions agents asked the jet-lagged O'Reilly was whether he'd had previous dealings with ASIO. "Well you're a secret organisation," he replied, "you tell me if I've had dealings with ASIO agents before."
Brisbane-born O'Reilly is one of the Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants awaiting trial in Dublin on 5 July on charges of causing $US2.5 million criminal damage to a US war plane that was to be deployed in the 2003 Iraq conflict. Defendants have been allowed to leave the country, but are required to return to Ireland a week before the July trial. O'Reilly is in Australia to visit family.
ASIO questioned O'Reilly about his plans during his three-month stay in Australia, and about his role in peaceful protests during the Shoalwater Bay "Operation Talisman Sabre" joint US/Australia military exercises in 2005. He was also asked whether he planned to accompany his brother Sean to his late February Alice Springs court date arising from his arrest following a peace demonstration at the Pine Gap joint defence and intelligence-gathering facility.
During the interview, O'Reilly was asked about the Pit Stop Ploughshares case in Ireland. If convicted, the five Catholic Worker activists face up to ten years in jail. The ASIO interview ended in a Keystone Cops moment when the agents had to call for outside assistance to open the interview room, having locked O'Reilly and themselves in.
O'Reilly's detention at Brisbane airport has highlighted the international cooperation of security agencies in tracking anti-war activists. Several of O'Reilly's American friends were raided by the FBI just before they left for Ireland to attend the June trial. They were charged with offences that arose from a 2003 action in which they occupied a US Marines recruiting office and poured blood on documents. They are now serving jail terms.
O'Reilly was also under surveillance when he was last in Australia in June 2005 and told Crikey he is assuming that his phone calls are being monitored this time.
Meanwhile, Newsweek recently revealed that field reports from the Pentagon's counter-intelligence unit show that Texas-based peace activist Scott Parkin had been under surveillance from at least June 2004.
posted by antipoet @ 12:17 am
