Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Catholic Worker Anti-War Resistance at Northwood HQ on"Feast of Holy Innocents"

lcw | 30.12.2010 11:30 | Anti-militarism

NORTHWOOD PERMANENT JOINT HEADQUARTERS (British Military)
 http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo...s.htm

Catholic Workers from St Francis House/ Oxford, Farmhouse/ Rickmansworth  http://www.thecatholicworkerfarm.org/
and Giuseppe Conlon House/ London communities www.londoncatholicworker.org were joined by 20 anti-war activists, in solidarity with the imprisoned Pfc Bradley Manning,  http://www.bradleymanning.org/
and in resistance to the continued war on Afghanistan, at the gates of Northwood HQ/ London on Wednesday morning Dec 29th.

ACTION DESCRIPTION

The participants marked the Catholic "Feast of the Holy Innocents" while seeing the contemporary victims of imperial power as those marked for death as "collateral damage" in wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. The British components of these wars are directed from Northwood HQ, located in leafy London suburbia!

Largely ignored by the more mainstream Britiish anti-war organisations, the central warfighting role of Northwood HQ and has been addressed consistently, in word and NVDA deed, over the past decade by the Catholic Worker movement. Resistance actions have also been undertaken recently by "Justice Not Vengeance"  http://www.j-n-v.org/ and in the late 90's by "Reclaim the Streets" In recent years, the cashed up military have responded to such nonviolent resistance by redesigning the entrance to the base and remodelling the "Northwood Headquarters" sign. A sign that that has been regularly "enhanced" over the years by Catholic Workers staining it with red paint - symbolic of the Iraqi and Afghani blood spilt as the result commands issued from Northwood HQ.

As a group of 20 gathered at Northwood tube station for a preliminary vigil and procession to the base, seven Catholic Workers arrived at the gates of Northwood. They were surprised to find the base sign had been removed in keeping with the military's growing awareness of the relationship between the liturgical calender and potential nonviolent resistance actions at the base! With the sign unavailable for redesign, the red paint was poured in the shape of a cross on the roadway leading into the base.

80 year old Quaker, former Britsh Army veteran and Palestinian solidarity (CPT) activist John Lyons, Sr. Susan Clarkson of the Oxford CW, London CW/ retired social worker Angela Broome, London CW/ college teacher Henrietta Cullinan, London CW/ musician David Turley and Bristol university student activist Tim Saunders took up position blockading the entrance to the base. Veteran Catholic Worker/Plowshares activist Ciaron O'Reilly wearing a photo of imprisoned U.S. Pfc Bradley Manning spontaneously scaled the base fence, slowly negotiated his way through the razor wire and leapt in to the base.

The resistance group was joined by 20 anti-war activists who had processed to the base form Northwood tube station. This group included a combat veteran of the Iraq/Iran war of the '80's, a U.S. Air Force veteran, a former Trident 2000 plowshare prisoner, members of the Catholic Worker movement, Justice not Vengeance, Trident Ploughshares, Christian CND. Speak, as well as English, Irish, Scottish, Australian, Iranian, Polish, U.S., Swedish, Dutch, Brazilian paricipants.

This larger group formed an expanded blockade of the entrance at the roadside of the entrance and for the next 90 minutes respectfully read the names of Afghan and British war dead.
* British war dead in Afghanistan
 http://www.icasualties.org/oef/Nationality.aspx?hndQry=UK
* A list of some Afghan war dead
 http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mwherold/memorial.htm

They were joined in the "Presente!" response; after each fatality was read out, by the six blockading the gate. O'Reilly maintained an inaccessible position inside the fence of the base for the next 90 minutes conversing with police, the combat veteran solider deployed to block any further advancement into the base and support people. An attempt by Tim Saunders to enter the base was thwarted by police. Tim was arrested taken to a police van, questioned and release rejoining the blockade line at the gate.

After 90 minutes O'Reilly made a speech form within the base, read out the statement of faith and surrendered to the military. He was taken by a soldier to the police within the base questioned and searched. The blockaders collectively read out the statement of faith and concluded their blockade. After some negotiating with the police the demonstration temporarily withdrew and O'Reill was released. This was followed by a closing circle, transportation from the site to a debrief.

STATEMENT OF FAITH & RESISTANCE

“We come here this morning, the day after the Feast of the Holy Innocents to remember, to repent, to pray and to act.

We remember the innocent children slaughtered by Herod in his pursuit of thethe child, Jesus. We also remember the innocent children slaughtered by Herod in his pursuit of the child, Jesus. We also remember all innocent victims of war, cynically defined by our government as "collateral damage", especially those in the current war on Afghanistan.

We repent the actions of our own government that have resulted in such deaths. We come in a spirit of repentance too for our own failure to live according to the teachings of Jesus, our friend and brother,"

We pray for all victims of war, civilian and military, and for those whose lives have been shattered by the violence in our world and by the policies of our government.”

We act by entering Northwood Headquarters and kneeling in prayer for an end to war and war-making. We are inspired by the nonviolent resistance emerging from within the British and U.S. miilitary. We celebrate the courage of Joe Glenton who went to a Colchester prison rather than re-deploy to Afghanistan. We pray for Private Bradley Manning presently imprisoned in the United States accused of exposing the massacre of children, parents and journalists by US forces in Iraq. We pray for the day when the skills and talents of the personnel on this base are used for peace
not destruction, and Government budgets are used for better things than
war. Our belief in nonviolent ways of enng conflict is rooted in Jesus' message oflove and non-violence that is proclaimed in his Gospel.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Angela H. Broome
Susan Clarkson
Henrietta Cullinan
John Lyons
Ciaron O'Reilly
Tim Saunders
David Turley

RETREAT REPORT

The action at Northwood HQ was preceed by a 36 hour "Faith and Resistance" retreat involving 30 people aged 6 months - 80, there were folks from @narchist, Anglican, Evangelical, "No Faith", Quaker, Muslim. "No Faith" and Roman Catholic traditions. There were Aussies, Brazilain, Dutch, English, Gringo, Iranian, Irish and Swedish participants. We include veterans of ANZUS (20th. anniversary this New Year's Day 2011!), Jabiluka, Jubilee 2000, Pitstop, Riverside plowshare and EDO 9 disarmament communities. Our number included veterans of the Brtiish Army, U.S. Air Force and a combat veteran of the Iraq/Iran war ogf the 1980's. Present were people nonviolent resisaters who have been incarcerated for peace & justice sake in Australia, England, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Palestine, Scotland and the United States. We included academics, catholic workers, gardeners, homeless & refugee shelter workers, journalists, mathematicians, nuns, parents, priests, professional musicians, social workers, solidarity activists (Palestine, East Timor), students, teachers & techies.

The schedule included check in & introductions, a theological presentation by Scott Albrecht of the CW Farm on the "Feast of Holy Innocents" and a political presentation by Gabriel Carlyle on the "War on Afghanistan".

DONATIONS

If you couldn't be with us, but would like to financially support the gathering and nonviolent resistance you can send a cheque made out "London Catholic Worker" to
Ciaron O'Reilly "Faith & Resistance Retreat" c/- LCW 49 Mattison Rd. London N4 1BG

This would help to defray the costs of the gathering, provide transport to the gathering for some of our "time rich/ resource poor" participants, help finance our next "Faith & Resistance" rettreat in Lodnon during Easter season.

WHAT IS A "FAITH AND RESISTANCE GATHERING"

"Faith & Resistance" retreats come out of the Catholic Worker and faith based draft board raid movements of the Vetnam War period in the United States. As most people are aware, the Catholic Worker praxis is based on community building and the twin ministries of Christ - the acts of mercy and the nonviolent confrontation with the principalities, powers, governments and corporations that cause poverty, exploitation and death.

We see war preparations and making as the lynchpin in maintaining the global systems of exploItation that doom so many to homelessness, poverty, exile, early mortality and reduced to the status of "collateral damage" in the wars that sustain and expand empire. The Catholic Worker resists being boxed off as a mere charity, affirmed for its work with the homeless, it steps out to confront those who would prefer to patronise and co-opt us while continuing to cause homelessness and refugees on a massive scale. We refuse to be co-opted, "take the soup" - we choose to resist!

The Catholic Worker is quite miraculous considering how decentralised and inclusive involving people of varied and no faiths in its anti-war and homeless work. The CW movement remains coherent in word and praxis 30 years after the death of its founder Dorothy Day.

Sharon Nepstead in her recent work "Religion, War Resistance and the Plowshares Movement" (now free on the net ...)
 http://www.scribd.com/doc/40408179/Religion-War-Resista...ement
..makes the observation is that it is the shared risk and praxis of solidarity through the many trials and jail sentences that has knitted and coalesced the Catholic Worker as a movement, beyond a series of atomised grouplets. This has been our experience in England ovet the past decade as our Oxford/St. Francis House, Farmhouse amd Giuseppe Conlon/ London gathered once more to pursue peace and justice collectively.

While we gathered in England others will be at silmilar F & R retreats in
..... in Washington DC
 http://www.jonahhouse.org/FRDec10flyer.html

,,,,,,,,,,at STRATCom, Omaha, Nebraska
 http://groups.google.com/group/National-CW-E-mail-List/...df5ef

and at the Trident nuclear weapons base near Tacoma Washington USA
 http://disarmnowplowshares.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/an-...-war/

Our last "F & R" retreat in Oxford in Sept 2010 saw Sr. Susan Clarkson, Fr. Martin Newell and Chris Cole arrested cutting into Aldermaston (Nuclear) Weapons Establishment
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/97610?search_text=alder...aston

Our next F & R retreat will be in London during the Easter 2011 season
...stay tuned



lcw
- Homepage: http:// http://www.londoncatholicworker.org

Additions

Pictures

30.12.2010 13:28

Activists kneel in prayer in front of the gates of Northwood
Activists kneel in prayer in front of the gates of Northwood

Ciaron climbs the fence, navigating razor wire
Ciaron climbs the fence, navigating razor wire

Ciaron inside the base, with photo of Bradley Manning
Ciaron inside the base, with photo of Bradley Manning

The prayer-blockade from the front
The prayer-blockade from the front

Coffin carried by the procession from Northwood Tube station
Coffin carried by the procession from Northwood Tube station

The procession arrives at Northwood, commence to read the names of the dead
The procession arrives at Northwood, commence to read the names of the dead


Victims of NATO bombing
Victims of NATO bombing


Another activist attempts to follow over the fence...
Another activist attempts to follow over the fence...

...and gets pulled down (but no arrest or caution)
...and gets pulled down (but no arrest or caution)

Reading the names of the dead...
Reading the names of the dead...

Final speech before handing himself in
Final speech before handing himself in

Armed soldier looks on
Armed soldier looks on

Ciaron released
Ciaron released

Photos of the event, courtesy of Marcin Gulbicki

lcw
- Homepage: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org


Pictures - 2nd lot

30.12.2010 13:49

Vigil outside of Northwood tube station
Vigil outside of Northwood tube station

Talking to a passer-by
Talking to a passer-by

Procession to the base
Procession to the base

Base sign removed - guess they knew we were coming!
Base sign removed - guess they knew we were coming!

Ciaron speaks after being released
Ciaron speaks after being released

Leaving the vigil...
Leaving the vigil...

Leaving the vigil...
Leaving the vigil...

Second batch of photos, courtesy of Miriam Johansson...
(as before, please credit if used)

lcw
- Homepage: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org


More pics

30.12.2010 14:44

Outside Northwood tube station
Outside Northwood tube station


Outside the base
Outside the base


Protester inside the fence
Protester inside the fence






All pics Copyright (c) 2010 D. Viesnik. They may be reproduced free of charge for non-commercial use if credited. For high resolution versions / commerical use, please e-mail.

dv
mail e-mail: vd2012-imc [at] yahoo.co.uk


Comments

Hide 9 hidden comments or hide all comments

YOUTUBE (3.54): Ciaron O'Reilly speaks before arrest at Northwood HQ

30.12.2010 14:07

After compromising perimeter security at Northwood HQ/ London (command centre for all British forces deployed abroad), Ciaron O'Reilly reads the 'Statement of Faith' of the Feast of Innocents 2010 action. O'Reilly is wearing a photograph of Bradley Manning presently detained in military prison in the United States accused of the WikiLeaks release of footage of a U.S. helicopter gunship massacre of unarmed journalists, civilians and children in Iraq. The speech is made as the front gate to the base is blockaded by 6 other Catholic Workers. 20 more anti-war activists have gathered at the entrance to read the names of British and Afghani war dead. The speech is made just before O'Reilly is detained by the military and handed over to the police.

RAF Warrior Military Base, Northwood, Middlesex. U.K.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQHWLC16tq4

The Catholic Worker Farm
mail e-mail: thecatholicworkerfarm@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.thecatholicworkerfarm.org


DEMOTIX SLIDESHOW - (Hi Quality Photos,Youtubes) -

31.12.2010 04:42

DEMOTIX SLIDESHOW - (Hi Quality Photos,Youtubes) - D29 Catholic Worker NV Anti-War Resistance at Northwood HQ, London in Solidarity with Bradley Manning

 http://www.demotix.com/news/546841/anti-war-activists-protest-northwood-military-centre


YOUTUBES -

- Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly after release from custody (46 secs)
- Speech, reading of the statement by Ciaron O'Reilly while on base side of the periimiter fence preceeding surrender to the military. (3 mins 27 secs)
- Line of activists blockading the entrance to the base (57 secs)
- General footage including the reading of the names of Afghan and British war dead.
(1 min 41 secs)
- Footage of procession from Vigil at Northwood tube station to Northwood HQ (49 secs)

DEMOTIX
- Homepage: http://www.demotix.com/news/546841/anti-war-activists-protest-northwood-military-centre


Uxbridge Gazette coverage.....

31.12.2010 14:08

Protesters gather in Northwood to demand an end to Afghanistan war
Posted by Siba Matti on Dec 31, 10 01:05 PM in Northwood
ANTI-war demonstrators assembled outside Northwood Headquarters to demand an end to the current conflict in Afghanistan.
More than 20 members of the London Catholic Worker movement gathered at the gates of the NATO military base, in Sandy Lane, to hold a vigil and read out the names of the British soldiers and Afghan civilians who have perished in the war.
The peaceful protest, which took place on Wednesday (29), saw many carrying placards with anti-war slogans and images of those who have lost their lives.

Full article continued.......
 http://northwood.uxbridgegazette.co.uk/2010/12/protesters-gather-in-northwood.html#more

Uxbridge Gazette


DEMOTIX SLIDESHOW YOUTUBES -

01.01.2011 05:04

DEMOTIX SLIDESHOW YOUTUBES -

- Interview with Ciaron O'Reilly after release from custody (46 secs)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xAYLNw6DBQ&feature=play...edded

- Speech, reading of the statement by Ciaron O'Reilly while on base
side of the periimiter fence preceeding surrender to the military. (3
mins 27 secs)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKXGvoBU4wM&feature=related

- Line of activists blockading the entrance to the base (57 secs)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmB1GPcbeo8&feature=related

- General footage including the reading of the names of Afghan and
British war dead.
(1 min 41 secs)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsIFqEb7g30&feature=related

- Footage of procession from Vigil at Northwood tube station to
Northwood HQ (49 secs)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpc7dNSMg2o&feature=related



DEMOTIX SLIDESHOW YOUTUBES -


mmm, not really sure about this 'nice game' version of the Church of Rome...

01.01.2011 08:44

..satanic child abuse act. I think it would be better medicene to totally abandon the Catholic type moniker, and call our ('cos thats what it would become then) plowshares something like Real Jesus Plowshares, or even Pagan Plowshares, or like (in effect) Seeds of Hope Plowshares, Goddess Plowshares. But no. Lets 'carry on playing the game'...and thus half a dozen or token protestors instead of, potentially, foculising mass community awakening from the masonic satanic child abuse anti Mother Earth/occult/magic mechanism. My god you're an egoiser Ciaron. (sorry, tough love m8). And yes I have done at least one plowshare sabatarge direct action, before you react. The dieties/spirit guides allow you to make these 'nice game' versions of the truely evil bad karma masonic con trick blags, but I actually think that shouldn't be permmitted. Truth should should win. The truth is that the organised christian church is a totally evil anti magic (and the universe/s are made by auspcious magic) mechanism for control of the people.

JESUS CHRIST HALLALUA!

(dieties are multidimensional, thus there is not 'one' Jesus Christ diety, but infinite)

BLESSINGS

Mr Onaygin


Truth to power!

01.01.2011 13:02

Thanks. Very inspiring. Happy New Year to all at the LCW!

idiotbarnes
mail e-mail: idiotbarnes@yahoo.com


The truth is...

01.01.2011 15:30

That the Catholic church is pure and total poisonous screaming ritual abuse con trick imitation version of any sort of real Jesus trip. Using the moniker 'Catholic workers' will sap power..and the group will always stay a minority clique of 'hippy wierdo's' type thing...and never ever ever become the community wide participating movement that it potentially could be, and that would result in closure of these evil war machine facilities, and also totally and completely change society in a truely amazing way.

In other words plowshares, get your medicene right!

Mr Onaygin


reply to "Mr Onaygin"

01.01.2011 19:12

'Catholic workers' will sap power..and the group will always stay a minority clique of 'hippy wierdo's' type thing"...and never ever ever become the community wide participating movement that it potentially could be, and that would result in closure of these evil war machine facilities, and also totally and completely change society in a truely amazing way.
In other words plowshares, get your medicene right! "


Mr Onaygin

Hard to decipher ya syntax mate, let alone ya prejudices?

1,000 leaflets went out in Peace News mail out...event co-sponsored by seculay JnV, I leafletted folks around Assange bail hearings....4-5 folks not connected to CW turn up...so you want to blame the people who did turn up! Go figure?

10 years into the war and Brit anti-war organisations continue to ignore/ refuse to mention the command centre located on a tube line! Go figure?

Haven't got the time in the day to instruct the ignorant - you (altho it is one of the listed "acts of mercy" )

Haven't got the time to slice and dice the cowardlly - anonymous attack on an identified person, that would be you again dufus.

Just do some googling on the Catholic Worker, been going since 1933..resistance to WW2, wars on Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, nukes etc etc...that will solve ya ignorance proble.
Can't do much about ya cowardice, ya on ya own there, buddy!

Ciaron


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Church of Rome must fall...

01.01.2011 19:53

...Jah Bles

..that the catholic church of rome Ciaron. THE CATH-O-LIC CHURCH...and there is a reason why it must fall, because it is a construct of ritual child abuse.

..but NEVER MIND EH! Carry on playing the dumbass mainstream game eh?!

Jah Bles 'catholic' fool. Now stop being a blody catholic and be free!

JAH BLESS

Mr Onaygin


I mean ''feast of the Holy innocents''

01.01.2011 20:24

Urgh! Yuk! Enough to put anyone off even a nice game type Jesus trip - a free range one totally devoid of any masonic ritual child abuse connotations whatsoever.

WEIRDOS

Its doesn't matter what your name is


PLEASE Cairon etc

01.01.2011 21:31

..please its time to grow up. The 'medicene' base where you are coming from as an individual or group of activists is important. The Catholic Church really is not good karma m8, and even if the Catholic Workers are consciously not part of the Church of Rome senario in any way other than a name connection, there is that blody name connection! Yuk!..and all that SERIOUS biblical stuff! yuk! Connection with Mother Goddess is what is needed post masonic ritual child abuse order. The masons are by the way the temple builders for the organised christian church - temple as in spiritual temple/religious construct. An ex partner who I pyscikally merged with after making love is a survivor - thats how I know its for real - We met the fear in her consciousness that was the ritual child abusers, together. Think man - all that anti 13/lunar/goddess type horror occult stuff with so called christianity...its a result of screaming anti occult ritual abuse, that is unprecidented, ultimate evil!

I say again, Catholic Workers are a 'nice game' version of this nightmare, BUT the power would be even greater I think by losing the Catholic moniker.

Also I would DEFINITLY say that when doing actions in Ireland, make sure all work is published in Gaelic as well as English. Its medicene m8! Maybe only getting 6/8 or so people at the action is caused by lack of power to break through to the mass of the people...in turn caused by these sorts of factors.

...but yes OK CAIRON, GOOD FUKING ACTION. Now please Cairon, go and do something completely different from plowshare actions/lifestyle. Go travel to India and smoke charras at sacred sites or something (quite recommended). But dont go totally native on that one please. Your from Ireland buddy, The real religion of the country is old school celtic paganism/faery wicca. Thats so cool man, a really amazing thing that I've connected with for various reasons.

BLESSED BE!

head bowed down in prayer (sick)


VID/REPORT- Feast of the Holy Innocents Retreat and Witness at STRATCOM, Omaha,

02.01.2011 05:12

The 32nd annual Feast of the Holy Innocents Retreat and Witness at
STRATCOM was a low key affair by an measurement, never breaking the
double digit mark until our closing ceremony on Tuesday Dec 28th when
11 folks showed up.

It began with a reading of the Gospel of Matthew's Christmas narrative
at noon on Monday, Dec 27th at the main gate of Offutt AFB in Bellevue
NE, just south of Omaha. Offutt is the home of STRATCOM. The most
dangerous place on the planet.
 http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8810
 http://www.resistinc.org/newsletters/articles/stratcom-...raska

After the reading of Matthew's Christmas narrative we got in our cars
and re- gathered in the basement of St John's Church on the campus of
Creighton University. We spent the next 22 hours renewing old
friendships, building links of solidarity and community with
each-other, telling stories of Christmases passed and reflecting on
the meaning of it all - in our personal lives and in the nation we
live. Meals were prepared by folks at the Omaha CW. Mass was
celebrated by Fr Jim Murphy on Tuesday a.m. in the basement chapel at
St John's right before we headed out to the base.

After Mass we returned the the main entrance of Offutt AFB for our
annual presence.

It was a simple, poignant, very humble, seemingly unnoticed presence.
Given the reality of what takes place at Offutt and the mission of
STRATCOM - our efforts surely felt pathetic. Not much different from
the impression the first Christmas made on world scene.

Yankton CWer Mike Sprong began with reading Mathew's Christmas story,
than sharing how this years Feast of Holy Innocents Witness marked the
30th Anniversary of his first act of civil disobedience by his
crossing the line at Offutt in this very spot on Dec 28, 1980. Mike
said he was one of the youngest people gathered at Offutt in 1980. He
was also the youngest person gathered this year at the base....

The whole effort at the gate took no more than 20 minutes, most of
which was captured in the two below video links.

8 1/2 min Video - Mike Sprong reading the Mathew Christmas Text, than
sharing how this years Feast of Holy Innocents witness at Offutt
marked the 30th Anniversary of his first act of civil disobedience by
crossing the line at Offutt on Dec 28, 1980. This clips ends with Fr
Jim Murphy's brief comments. Video by Mark Welsch - NFP Omaha
coordinator. :
 http://www.facebook.com/NebraskansforPeace#!/video/video.php?v=490360528489

7 min Video - Elaine Wells, Dagmar Hoxzie, Denny Davis share briefly
and close witness with singing Christmas carols. Video by Mark Welsch
- NFP Omaha coordinator. :
 http://www.facebook.com/NebraskansforPeace#!/video/video.php?v=490371988489

Link to 7 photos taken by Mark Welsch - NFP Omaha coordinator.
 http://www.facebook.com/NebraskansforPeace#!/photo.php?fbid=10150093262494241&set=a.10150093262319241.268567.118178884240&pid=5668448&id=118178884240



STRATCOM


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Rii--gghht (eyes roll)..

02.01.2011 08:40

...sounds gree--eat man...(runs in opposite direction as full pace). I mean thats really gonna appeal to the youthman now isnt it?!

One thing I've think I've sussed by the way, christian plowshares...and this awareness is from personal experience as 'nice game' free range jesus trip plowshare activist, and also from studying indigenous free range Sadu type Hinduism in India itself: ok, (deep breath), you think that religious striptures are verbotem accounts of 'what Jesus/Mohammed etc said'. No the way it works is that the saint transcends material reality, to that where auspicious consciousness/dieties is/are channelled...not just experienced by the individual saint, but also to the folks around - community wide you could say. With especially powerful saints the change in community wide consciousness can be thus: experiencing huge reality changes so that real time miricles are experienced direct from Creation Dream. Thus the status quo power of the state is broken, and new auspicious reality folded out (at its extreme). I think thats what Jesus did in Palestine. Thus the need to crucify him - because the established order must survive...and thus the cosmic reality imploded, the Jews dissed out Jesus, and then the Roman empire created the ritual abuse blag version of the Jesus trip.

Then someone thinks, lets turn these mad mad cosmic events into written testaments (kinda like what I'm doing here!). These written scriptures then are modifed by the society that exists at the time (usually patricarchal, at least semi abusers) into something a little more 'acceptable' to the norm of money, power over etc...and (probably) in the case of the masonic type christain thang, totally gobbdegookised for loony perverted good measure.

One other thing. If Jesus really said/channelled that he was (the only) son of 'god' (i.e. creation dream), then he was egoising..as happened with many saints. (the magic of creation seems very tolerant of the channels foibles and ego modifcations of the process). He was just one channel for 'creation dream becomes manifest materially through one saint as a channel'..and that ego trip made the thing into this huge community wide shift in reality that was dependent upon one single man as foculising channel that subsequently imploded horribly back to normal reality. Farcial really...a lesson to us all!: Dont egoise, and dont ever get made into a religion, even if you do suss out what its all about. (like I hav haha).

Direct action is powerful medicene for community wide mass consciousness change - I've experienced this myself through protest...likewise the Luton based Exodus collective...and yes it is truely cosmic when the process happens fully, placing the 'pharoh', i.e. the state/government senario into implosion, whilst we, the people, go into a real time magic space (having broken the 'power' of the ritual child abuse construct in the masonic paradigm situation, i.e. in the 'west').

In terms of direct action, my thoughts are that it needs mass participation to make this happen for real. People who have done direct action know how powerful it is, what powerful medicene it is, or most of them do. Some people are of course ultra materialistic and never see this sort of thing - the magical/real religious i.e. occult aspect of the work. The universe/s are a construct of auspicious magic, the occult, the supanatural... which is located in (human being terms) in our dreamspace - thats where material reality comes from! It is dreamed into being! The masonic anti magic christian blag is a mechanism to block the magic, the creation dream, in order to contain people in materialism, work etc. It is an anti tribal sovereignty mechanism to trash, for example, real Cymru reality. (perhaps the lost 'Avalon'?

Thats a nice game version of 'Exodus', because the biblical tract is nonsense - all that stuff about stoning people etc...and I dont particularly like the new testaments...it seems rather pathetic, and I do think that Jesus was an egoiser for the sort of reasons stated above. Even in India where individual saints are respected (within certain constraints), I think it best to work from the viewpoint of an anarchist collective type thing.

That could have happened for real at the North Wales based Eithinog common land protest 13 years ago - we could have made community wide tribal collective anarchy real. We could have gone into that reality...like convoy meets the community...yes really. I couldn't foculise it in the group of protestors due to competing energies on the site (basically the bed medicene fem vampire clique that call themselves the Dongas), and so it couldn't be made real community wide..and once the state 'power' people realised the game the ex convoy dude was playing, they really did focus on trashing the energy, taking me out type thing..a great shame there was a potential for foculising real tribal sovereignty community wide there.

Anyway, I do know, thus, that this sort of community wide change to that of auspicious consciousness/reality is definietly possible through the various mechanism described.

OM

Raver


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Ciaron O'Reilly is a egomaniac christian nutter.....

02.01.2011 15:11

Look at me and cool I am and how much irrelevant pointless bollocks I have done over the years which has achieved absolutely fuck all and I mean absolutely fuck all! Blah blah blah.. I am brilliant....Blah blah blah oh by the way I am fantastic look what I have done.....

Aunty Christ


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Cairon means well

02.01.2011 20:04

..he ust doesn't know the full story. I saught to educate him and others with a comment about religion/occult and its relation to direct action earliler..its disappeared.

The main egomaniacs here are the moderators/censors. They really are managing the reality on this forum quite seriously..they also seek to protect this/their world view into the real world also...in terms of the activist scene.

(whats the betting this comment will be censored?!)

odds on I would say..oh but then we do love to play games don't we children?

Om


Report on the Feast of the Holy Innocents Faith and Resistance Retreat in D.C.

02.01.2011 20:10

Over 50 people from the Atlantic Life Community, the Southern Life
Community, New Jerusalem Community in Philadelphia and other
peacemakers gathered at St. Stephen and the Incarnation church in
Washington, D.C. for the annual Holy Innocents Faith and Resistance
retreat to commemorate the slaughter of the Holy Innocents--past and
present. The retreat included several talks, time for prayer,
reflection and discussion, and three nonviolent actions at the centers
of military, economic and political power of the U.S. empire: the
Pentagon, the World Bank and IMF, and the White House.


On the evening of December 27, flu-stricken Liz McAlister gave a
powerful reflection on the history of the Pentagon and the role it has
played in producing weapons of mass murder and waging war since its
inception.


On December 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents, retreatants witnessed
at the Pentagon calling for an end to U.S. warmaking and the abolition
of all weapons. Several children made an appeal to the Pentagon to
stop bombing other children in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Steve Woolford, Beth Brockman and Joan Wages were arrested by Pentagon
police for trying to leaflet workers and later released with a March
18 court date. Later that morning the group viewed a moving
heart-wrenching video called "The End of Poverty."


On the evening of December 28, Ramsey Clark, world renowned human
rights lawyer and former U.S. Attorney General under President Johnson
from 1967-69, gave a compelling talk on the 20 year history of U.S.
military intervention in Iraq and the devastating impact U.S.
bombings, sanctions and occupation have had in the Iraqi people. He
spoke of the urgent need for people in the U.S. to take to the
streets, like the millions of people in Iran and Philippines did, to
nonviolently overthrow the Shah and Marcos, and demand justice and
peace.


On the morning of December 29, Eric LeCompte, executive director of
Jubilee USA, spoke about Jubilee USA's inspiring work to cancel the
debt imposed on poor countries by the World Bank and IMF. The group,
which included many children, then held at witness at four World Bank
and IMF sites. One of the recurring chants that was offered at each
site is "Debt is Death", a quote from Wahu Kaara, of the Kenya Debt
Relief Network. (See below the readings and prayer that was offered at
each site). In the evening there was a sharing about Ramsey's talk and
stories of hope-filled resistance to the U.S. massacre of Iraq. The
night ended with a children-led talent show which lifted everyone's
spirits.


On December 30, retreatants had a concluding liturgy, during which
time we remembered the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us,
including those in our communities who have died. We then held a
nonviolent witness at the White House which focused on the words of
Martin Luther King, Jr.: "A nation that continues to spend more money
on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching
spiritual death." After processing to the White House five people
temporarily hung a long cloth graph on the White House fence showing
that the military budget is 59% of the total federal budget. Police
immediately threatened people with arrest if the graph wasn't removed
from the fence, so the five decided to stand on the ledge of the White
House fence holding the graph for the hour-long witness. Meanwhile,
the rest of the retreatants held another large cloth graph directly in
front of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. showing the total
breakdown of the federal budget and facts about how money spent on
warmaking could instead be used to help people get health care,
receive affordable quality education, and alleviate poverty. Eight
speakers then addressed various aspects of the military and domestic
budget, including the $85 billion the Obama White House and Congress
plans to spend over the next ten years on upgrade the nuclear arsenal.
This was followed by children showing how the military budget could be
converted to meet urgent human needs. The witness and retreat
concluded with a closing circle as retreatants committed to working
for a world without weapons and war, where we care for our wounded
earth and environment, and help create the beloved community.


For more information, check the Jonah House web site - www.jonahhouse.org -

by Art Laffin
- Homepage: http://www.jonahhouse.org


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Why is this Aunty Christ and Om infantile shite on this site?

03.01.2011 04:12

"Ciaron O'Reilly is a egomaniac christian nutter.....02.01.2011 15:11
Look at me and cool I am and how much irrelevant pointless bollocks I have done over the years which has achieved absolutely fuck all and I mean absolutely fuck all! Blah blah blah.. I am brilliant....Blah blah blah oh by the way I am fantastic look what I have done....."
Aunty Christ"
"Cairon means well 02.01.2011 20:04
..he ust doesn't know the full story. I saught to educate him and others with a comment about religion/occult and its relation to direct action earliler..its disappeared.
The main egomaniacs here are the moderators/censors. They really are managing the reality on this forum quite seriously..they also seek to protect this/their world view into the real world also...in terms of the activist scene.
(whats the betting this comment will be censored?!)
odds on I would say..oh but then we do love to play games don't we children?
Om"

Seriously, where is your argument here. There is nothing to work with here! Why should anyone take time to respond to your adolescent/infant shite when you haven't pu the time into an adult quality attack. This is an alternative media site...not a creche! I assume this story was censored by the mainstream media and that's what it is doing on this site. Why your shite is allowed on this site, I can't quite work out? Looks like trolling to me.

?


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

What to do?

03.01.2011 17:44

The real need is to cut off his locks - Ciaron's that is. Some of remember his abuse in Liverpool, his harrassments of a particular woman, and his sheer bullying approach that typifies hierarchical patriarchal abuse. Otherwise well did the rest of you. Ciaron your time is up, you are rotting from the inside, what d'ya know?

Scissorgirl


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Got to love you Brits

03.01.2011 21:26

Got to love you Brits
..there's a big fucking base there
directing two big fucking wars
...and you find the only Paddy in the picture to pick on!
Somethings never change.....

Got to love you Brits


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

It's not all brits...

04.01.2011 01:44

...just Ciaron's stalkers :-)

somebrit


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

What I KNOW and what I SUSPECT...a response to the LAZY IDIOTS on this thread

04.01.2011 06:15

"Scissorgirl
The real need is to cut off his locks - Ciaron's that is. Some of remember his abuse in Liverpool, his harrassments of a particular woman, and his sheer bullying approach that typifies hierarchical patriarchal abuse. Otherwise well did the rest of you. Ciaron your time is up, you are rotting from the inside, what d'ya know"

What do I KNOW and what do I SUSPECT?

I KNOW I didn't take the photographs or the youtubes or publish them on this site (I don't have the techie knowledge to publish photographs on the internet?

It's a bit like the accusation in '96 brought back to Liverpool from the U.S. by one of the middle class english "Seeds of Hope" women (I had voluntarily worked for and supported while she was in jail for 6 months and set up CW places for free accommadation for her north american holiday...) that I had tried to kill another activist in the U.S. by running them over in a car!
I don't have the techie knowledge to drive a car...I have never been in a moving car by myself! I did not try to run over someone in a car!
I later met up with the amnerican activist I was supposed to have tried to kill. He said similar lies and accusations had been made about himself
Likewise,I don't know how to drive or publish images on the internet or spelcheck!

I KNOW about English reserve and colonised Irish scepticism and how this informs white Australian "collective mediocrity" (and how aboriginal egalitarianism also informs this and how colonised "keep ya head down" experience is informed by this) AND how I push those buttons because I'm big and loud and working class and catholic (and "really don't know my place" on the left, in the @ scenes, on indy sites, anywhere really!...just don't know my place......

....and I KNOW the fact that I keep on keeping on resisting 30+ years on...... pisses off folks who were once acitve and who have given up...and pisses off the cowardly and the hangers on who were never active or took risks etc etc

I KNOW about the hatred the English Middle class have for the Working Class.
I KNOW the middle class dominate paid profesional movement occupations and positions.
I KNOW I am working class and have remained an unpaid activist and organsier.
I KNOW how the movement professional class hate the amateurs who do not show them deference.
I KNOW I'm not deferential.

Being big and loud isn't a problem in African and Latino "if ya got it, strut it and, chances are, it will be collectively celebrated!" cultures AND even in white boy North American culture that (whether like it or not)) is informed by the heavy presence of Latin and African cultural input in North America.

I KNOW from a recent Bristol indymedia thread advertising a small talk I was giving in that city, (that wasn't even on the front page of the site) that turned into an ass-kickin' party (my ass)........that every spook and resentful burnt out activist and hanger on who detests me have me on "goggle alert" This explains how they get to these ass kickin' parties so quickly! It ain't rocket science!

I KNOW whenever anyone publishes anything on UK or Bristol indymedia sites concering myself I'm cyber stalked?
I KNOW a number of very good lawyers who respect my work and have defended me at trial, who could take up the legal issue of libel with this site!

I KNOW from the Sunday Times that we (Liverpool Catholic Worker) were '(96-'99) heavily infiltrated by agent "Alan Fossey"?
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85347?search_text=bae%2...14688
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/armstrade/story/0,,2060543,00....html

I know that "Fossey" was key in targeting me for a BAe high court injunction by Freshfields after I had only been in Britain for 6 weeks after a 17 year absence.
I KNOW that "Fossey" was key in the '99 eviction (of CW's and East Timorese guests) and shutting down of the Liverpool Catholic Worker.
I KNOW, due in large part to my activism and organising, that the Liverpool Catholic Worker and our East Timorese refugee guests were BAe's major problem in the ('96-'99) period following the acquittal of the "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares", the high court injunctions and the general collapse of the single issue anti-Hawks campaign.

Recently, I/we have been INFORMED by "Duncan" on that Bristol thread
........"When the Fossey affair broke CO’R circulated the picture of him, someone said that they might recognise him. I have spoken to them and they believe that his real name was Alastair (note spelling) but couldn’t recall his surname. CO’R is right that he’s ex-army and he was attached to 14 Intelligence Company in Northern Ireland but left the army after he returned to his original unit. He was apparently a sergeant. "

I KNOW that 14 Intelligence Company
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14_Intelligence_Company
did the targeting of Catholics (some lawyers eg, Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, non paramilitary political activists and unarmed Provos eg. Gilbralter 3") for the SAS "shoot to kills"/assasinations.

I KNOW there were two places in the world during the 1990's where you could be slain just for being Catholic - East Timor and the north of Ireland

I KNOW more about "Fossey" now then I did then!
80 year old Quaker John (pictured above blockading Northwood HQ) use to attend anti-BAe meetings at "Fossey"'s apartment in Hull.
I asked John, "Were you ever suspicious?"
"Did anything in the apartment indicate something was not right?"
He replied, in his understated Quaker way,
"Well I went to look at his bookcase to see what political books he was reading. And all he had on his bookcase was a huge collection of porn!"
(So folks check the bookcase along with the shoes!)

I KNOW that a lot of ex British military who "served" in Ireland are now working in privates security and intel gathering.
I KNOW the Lancashire Special Branch offered a former policeowman £200 for ewvery meeting she attende with me and bonuses in relation to good intel.
I KNOW this because this wonderful woman got wired up went into a second meeting with Special Branch, taped it, and handed it to "The Guardian".

I SUSPECT that the last posting on the Bristol thread is done by a cross dressing former British (has a preference for female names when posting anonymously, I haven't got anything against cross dressing, I was an altarboy for 8 years!....are you listening Scissorgirl?)....marine who did three tours of the North of Ireland out of Cullyhana.

I SUSPECT he infiltrated "Voices in the Wilderness" on behalf of the British military in the late '90's to do recon in pre-invasion Iraq, while part of Voices delegations.
I KNOW (from her book) that U.S. "Voices in the Wilderness" founder Kathy Kelly while in Federa Prison for anti-war NVDA was approached by the U.S. Feds and offered a deal to use "Voices" for pre-invasion recon. for the U.S.invading military forces She refused.

I SUSPECT this former British marine "went native" like Stones, and like Stones left his wife and kidz for an activist (a Liverpool CW) woman who had been previously romantically pursued by "Fossey"

The last comment on that Bristol thread, like this one by "Scissorgirls", named A.H. as the victim of harrassment by myself (the Bristol thread began with an accusation that I was guilty of similar harrassment in the 1980's in Australia..no names, no places, no specifc incidents quoted).
I have since contacted A.H. through a mutual friend (who was a paid worker for CAAT that was infiltrated by 6 agents at the time Liverpool CW was infiltrated by "Fossey"). A.H. stated that there was no such sworn statement or accusation of harrasment, sexual or otherwise.

This former British marine is presently banned from Catholic Worker events for a consistent recent history of sabotaging our NV resistance at Northwood HQ and other sites related to the ongoing Briitish wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was the one who delivered the news to him of his present "disassociated status". He has a personal grievance with me due to my role on behalf of our community.
I DO NOT SUSPECT he his still a paid agent.
I DO SUSPECT he is tormented by his previous role.
I SUSPECT he is "Scissorgirl"

I KNOW that the "patriarchal abuse" slander is powerful in terms of alienating liberal/ progressive support for radicals confronting the state. See its power in the recent Assange case (very few in support of him outside the courts). See the use of liberal feminist rhetoric to justify the invasion of Afghanistan (10 years in those napalmed women look really liberated Hilary!) and the use of the gay issue to support the IDF who kill both Palestinian straights and gays from their hi tech aerial assauts)

Those who wage war, market war, redeisgn the entrance to Northwood HQ are smart and hard working in response to new developments by those who they perceive as enemies.

The IDIOTS who have posted attacks on me on this thread are basically LAZY ....incapable of developiing an argument or a decent attack on me...either lacking the intellectual capacity or the work ethic to do so!
Who knows? Go figure?

I KNOW that many of the attacks on me on a British indymedia site are because of deep seated anti-Catholicism in the history of this country, this is more a factor than the adolescent identity politics that tries to pass itself oas @narchism on this site. I guess if I was a Jewish anarchist I should expect the same vitrol in Germany and other parts of Europe with deep seate histories of anti-semitism

I am in 7 of the 24 photographs above. Why?
Another good question along with the "what do you know?"

At the above action there were 7 people willing to be arrested for NV resistance to the ongoing war on Afghanistan at Northwood HQ. 2 for staining the base sign and thereby naming Northwood HQ as a spiller of blood in Afghanistan. 5 for entering the site or failing that blockading the entrance..

When we arrived to do the resistance we were confronted by an entrance to the site that has been redesigned, at some expense, in response to our previous acts of NVDA at Northwood HQ.
They now have two "Northwood HQ" sign that they can eaily take down and put up. It was not there to be stained, that was a shock. At first sight of us, the police backed off down the entrance to the locked gate, indicating a no arrest policy and "giving us this entrance for the day". The lack of militray traffic trying to enter the base during our 90 minutes there indicates base personel were internally informed days before our action not to use this entrance for the day and to access the base form the other two gates.

My initial impression was this setting was now a dead zone and there would be no tension generated by our action (around the base's role in commanding the war efoort form leafly subrbia) due to the pre-emptive policing.

I backed off and crossed the road to get a better look at the whole picture. As I crossed the road to rejoin the folks blocking the gate. I had a thought to have a go at climbing the fence. I hadn't worn appropriate clothing or gloves to confront razor wire. But as my dear old dad R.I.P. use to say "God loves a tryer, hates a chancer!"

By getting over the fence and staying put in a relatively inaccessible position .........it kept a certain amount of tension for the next 90 minutes (what's he gonna do next? What's the soldier gonna do about him being where he is not supposed to be? Is he going to jump into the pond? etc etc)....that otherwise would not have been there. I'm not claiming tacktical brillaince here...it was fluke. I got lucky. Their choice ot release not arrest points to a sophisticated strategy to manage dissent, diffuse and deflate...they are good at what they do. Not like the Britsh anti-war machinie that repeats the cattle drives down main street and never goes to (or mentions) Northwood HQ

Young Tim's attempt to scale the fence heightened and kept the atmospghere testy, showed we sill had the initiative that the military/police thought they had completely taken from us with their extensive preparations for our arrival.

So maybe just maybe...that's why I feature in 7 of the above 24 photographs and youtubes etc.

Do I enjoy the affimration I get by "starring" on uk indymedia newswire items?
...well can't see a lot of fan mail here to be honest, bit of a pain in the arse really
...but hey we're tring to stop a war an we'll have to make sacrifices.
One of mine is atracting the spooks and anonmyous cowards who post here and try to turn this thread into an ass kicking party...that really should be nuked by the indy editors (who otherwise do a fine voluntary job with this site)

Keep on keeping on
see ya on the streets
Ciaron

Ciaron (Plowshares/London Catholic Worker)
- Homepage: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org


Very inspiring

04.01.2011 12:37

Wonderful action and vigil everyone!

It's so amazing to see faith and action together! Very encouraging and inspiring!

popcorn


In answer to attacks in this thread on Ciaron O'Reilly

04.01.2011 12:42


A couple of the above comments ( by Mr Onaygin and others) seem driven by vindictiveness, and miss the whole point of what this action was about.

Sure it was a bunch of Catholic Workers, but if you know anything about the CW movement you'll know that its ethic is not that of the traditional patriarchal 'bad old " Catholic establishment, But CW does hold onto the essential New Testament messages of love, faith, striving for justice, resisting the warmongers. And regularly that involves involvement with sympathetic priests to celebrate a mass, in preparation. More of a marshalling of resolve, courage and group solidarity than an arcane religious ceremny. After all you wouldn't deny Quaker resisters their quiet comtemplative gatherings as a way of preparing. Nor a Communist her focussing on some inspirational writings to remind herself what the issues are and why she's taking part.

So let's not shoot the messenger(s). And of course CW often takes the lead in resisting the war machine, But in this it's not being separatist. It just often acts before others have mustered the courage or organised themselves.

As it's shown over many decades, the CW will join with other groups ( religious or not) to wage the good fight, even if it does it in a self-styled way. PLease respect that for Catholics (and other Christians) a protest which includes biblical readings, the pouring of blood gives the protest more profound meaning, even if it doesn't for you. You would no doubt be pleased ( and grateful) that you're living ina pluralist society. So: Celebrate their courage ! The mere fact that they are there !

the CW and people like Ciaron are not your enemy, so why paint them as such ?

Simon Wells


A sight for sore eyes

05.01.2011 01:56

I was lucky enough to have known Ciaron quite well from 2004 until he left Ierland for projects in England. He actively supported many isolated projects and campaigns on the left with not an scintilla of proselytism - from Speaker's Square (Cearnóg na gCainteoirí) in Dublin, Laois and Cork, to to the Raytheon Nine solidarity in Derry. It's rare to find someone so outspoken, but even rarer to find such a person with refreshing insights and an eye for common purpose.

I've no time for the Catholic Church, but anti-Catholic means something else; for those hung up on the label, maybe they should try to tell the dancer from the dance.

an Atheist from Wexford


The first item..

05.01.2011 14:16

Brendan Behans (poet/ playwright/ Irish political prisoner/ ) is quoted as sating about every meeting of 'the left'....'First item on the agenda....the split..
Ciaron O Reilly has been a close friend of mine for several years, well used to being isolated by egomenichal politicos whos only involvement in issues concerning anti-capitalist activities is the profile they can garnish from it. In all my years knowing Ciaron ive never seen him benefit in any way other than what he may benefit in his own concience, being driven to act when silence is the prevailing theme in the face of oppression of the homeless...or the innocent in Iraq, Afghanistan and the military who were sent to kill these same people...
Im not here to defend him, Im not catholic,,,im atheist, i dont show defference, theres nothing to defend because all the accusations are baseless.... Seems to me that the mainstream press have the notion that if you repeat the lie enough it will become the truth...sounds like a witch hunt here ....im here simply noting the grand stupidity of those who vilify from a distance.
Paul O Toole
 pauljotoole@ericom.net

paul


Hide 9 hidden comments or hide all comments

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech