IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT (IAWM) - PRESS RELEASE 03 February 2012

IAWM EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH THE BERIEVED EGYPTIAN PEOPLE AND CONCERN AT THIS LATEST VIOLENCE

SOLIDARITY PROTEST AT EGYPTIAN EMBASSY, CLYDE ROAD, DUBLIN THIS FRIDAY 03 FEBRUARY, 3PM ONWARDS

In a statement released today the Irish Anti-war Movement expressed condolences to the families and loved ones of the football fans killed in Port Said on Wednesday night, expressed concern at the obvious organized nature of the attacks and called for a picket at the Egyptian Embassy in Dublin to protest against the Massacre.

The statement continued by noting that:
“There is so much circumstantial evidence to suggest that this was not regular football banter and violence. Eyewitnesses claim that the crowd was not searched as they entered, there were many strange faces in the crowd, the police left many of the entry gates to the pitch open, those who attacked the Ahli fans were heavily armed, the security forces did not respond when the attacks occurred and the army did not try to open the exit gates which had been locked. In addition both the Governor and Chief of Police of Port Said did not attend the match, which is very odd given that they attend all the games.”

Follow this link to eyewitness report ¬- http://irishantiwar.org/node/1573

John Molyneux, from the Steering Committee of the IAWM noted that:
“This was clearly an organised attack with the connivance of the military/police, directed at the 'Ultras' football supporters who played a leading role in the overthrow of Mubarak and have recently been chanting anti-SCAF slogans at matches.”

Asmaa Nasser, member of the IAWM and of the Egyptian Community in Ireland said:

IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT

Organised by the Islamic Foundation in Ireland, the Islamic Cultural Centre and the Irish Anti-War Movement

The Irish Anti War Movement (IAWM) announced today that it will be co-hosting a Forum on the first anniversary of the Arab Spring tomorrow Saturday 28 January at 4pm in Liberty Hall, with a panel of expert speakers including a live link up to Tahrir Square, Cairo.

The statement noted the importance of both celebrating and reflecting on the impact of the Arab Spring both in the Middle East region and throughout the world. When Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Tunisia on 17 December 2010 he launched a movement that changed his country, the region and the world. On 14 January 2011 the Tunisian dictator, Zinedine Ben Ali fled and on the 25 January the Egyptian Revolution began. Since then we have seen the fall of Mubarak and of Gaddafi and revolts in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen that continue to this day.

The statement noted further that the Arab Spring and the occupation of Tahrir Square in particular has been an inspiration and reference point for events as wide ranging as the Indignados Movement in Spain, the resistance against austerity in Greece and the Occupy Movement in the US and many other places.

The forum, timed to mark the first anniversary of the 25 January Egyptian Revolution, will reflect on the meaning of these momentous events for the peoples of the Middle East and for us all.

Jim Roche, PRO of the Irish Anti War Movement, who recently returned from Cairo, said:

IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT

Contents

1. Agenda
2. Motions
3. Donating to the Irish Anti-War Movement
   1. Setup a Standing Order
   2. Donate with PayPal

1. Agenda

1. Standing Orders  13:00-13:05
2. Summary of last year’s activities 13:05-13:15
3. Reports from other anti war / solidarity groups 13:15-13:45
4. Discussion (30 minutes) 13:45-14:15
5. Financial Report 14:15-14:20
6. Motions (40 minutes) 14:20-14:50
7. Election of Steering Committee 14:50-15:00

2. Motions

To download a PDF version of the Motions submitted go to 

http://www.irishantiwar.org/files/IrishAntiWarMovementAGM-2012Motions.pdf

Motion 1: I propose that the IAWM should affiliate to PANA.

Motion 2: The assessment of the IAWM is that the effects of the recession will continue to take the foreground of political opposition in Ireland. But it also believes that, given the ongoing instability of the war on terror, the shifts in US foreign policy, and the inevitable nationalism that accompanies economic depressions, military aggression, war and occupation will remain a feature of the present period. We note, too, that in earlier periods, anti-war mobilisations can sometimes be the expression of more generalised political discontent. Our priorities for 2012 will therefore be:

Contents

1. Deadline for Motions for the AGM 10 PM Sat 14/1/2012
2. Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Sat 28th January 2012 - Liberty Hall Dublin.
3. Sat 28th Jan 2012 4-6pm - Public Forum The Arab Spring One Year On  - Liberty Hall Dublin
4. Donating to the Irish Anti-War Movement
   1. Setup a Standing Order

1. Deadline for Motions for the AGM 10 PM Sat 14/1/2012

The deadline for submitting motions to the AGM is 10 PM on Sat 14/1/2012.  All motions will be circulated by or on Sat 21/1/2012.  Motions can be submitted in the following ways:

1. By E-mail:- To the secretary via e-mail info@irishantiwar.org

2. By Post:- Send the resolutions to The Irish Anti-War Movement, PO Box 9260 Dublin 1.

2. Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Sat 28th January 2012 - Liberty Hall Dublin

The Irish Anti-War Movement will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 28th January 2012 in Liberty Hall Dublin starting at 1pm. For details of who can attend and submit resolutions at the AGM see below. A full agenda will be available soon.  To be kept up-to-date please join our mailing list or monitor this page. http://www.irishantiwar.org/node/1487

Directly after the AGM there will be a Public Forum "The Arab Spring One Year On" also in Liberty Hall for more details on this go to:

http://www.irishantiwar.org/node/1486

IPSC New Year’s Eve vigil to commemorate third anniversary of the attack on Gaza.

Sat, 31 December 2011, 14:00 Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin.

To commemorate the third anniversary of the Israeli ‘Cast Lead’ attack on Gaza, in Dublin the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) is calling on people to gather at 2pm at the Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin on New Year’s Eve. Please bring Palestinian flags and supportive banners if you have them.

The IAWM is calling on all its members to support this event.

It is now three years since the horrific attack of Operation Cast Lead on the people of gaza. Over 1300 people were slaughtered including almost 400 children while western leaders stood idly by.

And the killing still goes on. In 2011 over 100 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza including many fishermen just trying to eke out a living. This week several Gazans have died and others have been wounded due to Israli air strikes. A few days ago Israel' military Chief of Staff Benny Gantz warned that Israel will attack Gaza 'sooner or later' in a week that saw reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas and recognition by the latter of an Israeli within the 1967 borders.

Given these threats and its continuous military attacks it is clear that Israel is not interested in peace and justice for the Palestinians.

Please come out and support the IPSC vigil today at 2pm, Halfpenny Bridge, Dublin, Sat, 31 December 2011.

IAWM SOLIDARITY PROTEST THIS MONDAY EVENING, 19 DECEMBER, 5pm, AT THE EGYPTIAN EMBASSY, CLYDE ROAD, DUBLIN.

The IAWM has called an emergency protest this Monday evening from 5pm at the Egyptian Embassy, Clyde Road in Dublin to express solidarity with the pro democracy protesters in Cairo who have been brutally attacked by the neo-Mubarak military in the last few days.

Members of the Egyptian Community in Ireland will speak at the protest.

Please see this report from Al Jazeera which shows shows graphically the nature of the assault by the military:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/12/2011121884410921287.html

At time of writing ten protesters have been killed and hundreds wounded.

The IAWM calls for an end to this military crackdown and an end to the remnants of the Mubarak regime and expresses solidarity with the protesters. We also call for the Irish Government to make a statement denouncing the violence by the Egyptian military.

For further info contact:

Jim Roche, PRO Steering Committee IAWM 087 6472737

John Molyneux, Steering Committee IAWM 085 7356424

END

Contents

1. Galway Sat 10th December Evening of Films To Mark Human Rights Day.
2. Annual General Meeting (AGM) - Sat 28th January 2012 - Liberty Hall Dublin.
3. Sat 28th Jan 2012 4-6pm - Public Forum The Arab Spring One Year On  - Liberty Hall Dublin
4. Donating to the Irish Anti-War Movement
   1. Setup a Standing Order

1. Galway Sat 10th December Evening of Films To Mark Human Rights Day.

GALWAY ALLIANCE AGAINST WAR Press Release

An Evening of Films To Mark Human Rights Day

This coming Saturday, December 10^th, is Human Rights Day. To mark this date the Galway Alliance Against War is organising an evening of films in the Nun’s Island Theatre, Galway city centre.

Admission to both films is free.

Topping the bill at 8pm on Saturday night is the Irish premier of a documentary,

 4 DAYS INSIDE GUANTÁNAMO.

It shows for the first time ever an encounter between a team of Canadian intelligence agents and a child detainee in Guantánamo. The documentary is based on 7 hours of video footage recently declassified by the Canadian courts. The footage is shocking. At the time of the interrogation in February 2003, the boy, Omar Khadr, a Canadian national, was barely 16 and had been in military custody for seven months. Omar is now aged 25 and is still being held in Guantánamo.