WA: Activist calls for more direct action against Iraq war

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2006
WA: Activist calls for more direct action against Iraq war

By Jane Hammond

PERTH, April 30 AAP - A controversial Australian anti-war activist due to stand trial
in Ireland in July for damaging a US warplane has called for more direct action from Australians
opposed to the war in Iraq.

In Perth to attend a series of speaking engagements, Ciaron O'Reilly said it was time
peace activists in Australia took a stronger stand to oppose the war.

He said there was currently more anti-war sentiment coming from the military than from
the peace movement and activists needed to use non-violent resistance to end Australia's
role in the Iraq war.

Mr O'Reilly, 45, was born and raised in Brisbane but now lives in Ireland, where he
works for a homeless people's shelter.

On February 3, 2003, he was arrested with four others after disabling a US warplane
at a civilian hangar in Ireland.

The group, known as the Pitstop Ploughshares, used hammers and a garden tool to dent
the aircraft, and stayed in the hangar to pray beside the plane until they were arrested.

Mr O'Reilly is due to face trail in Dublin on July 5 on charges of wilful damage, and
if convicted faces up to 10 years jail.

He has previously spent time in jail in Darwin for damaging uranium mining equipment
at Jabiluka in 1998 and in the US for damaging a B52 bomber in 1991.

A member of a radical Catholic organisation that advocates non-violent resistance,
Mr O'Reilly uses the Bible to justify his civil disobedience and destruction of military
property.

"The actions in damaging the warplane were inspired by the prophecies in Isaiah to
change swords into ploughshares," he said.

"I would encourage Australians to non-violently resist their government's contribution
to this war."

He called on Australians opposed to the war to up the ante and undertake non-violent
resistance actions at Pine Gap and at next year's massive military exercise, Operation
Talisman, at Rockhampton in Queensland.

"The war is getting worse, it is escalating and expanding, it is not just going to
go away, people have to proactively stop it," Mr O'Reilly said.

"Most of the responses I have had talking about these things at Catholic schools and
with peace groups in Australia have been positive."

AAP jh/wjf/nf

KEYWORD: PLOUGHSHARES

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