Mary Kelly entered the airport last night and succeeded in damaging the nose of the plane with a hammer before she was apprehended. Mary said that she felt compelled to act after the statement last weekend from the Transport Minister that he was allowing the transport of munitions through Shannon and because the Gardai were not doing their job, investigating and preventing illegal military use of Shannon, properly.

Shannon has been the focus of much protest recently as it is being used a staging post by US military planes en route to the Middle East. This opposition has taken many forms, including a number of marches (the latest was attended by over 2000 people) and the establishment of a permanent Peace Camp at the airport. The Peace Camp said today that while Mary’s action was not planned by the Camp as a group, they “fully understood why she felt she had to do it” and “offer her our full support”.

A previous attempt to directly disarm a US Navy Hercules Aircraft was made in September last year when peace activist Eoin Dubsky entered Shannon and sprayed the windscreen of the plane. His case is came before the courts in December[1] and a verdict is expected in February.

Mary is currently being held at Shannon Garda Station and is expected to appear in court some time later today.

Further Information
 http://www.indymedia.ie (front page, main story)
 http://www.shannonpeacecamp.org
 http://refuelingpeace.org
[1]Notes on Eoin Dubsky’s trial are available at  http://conway.webspace.fish.co.uk/legal/DubskysTrial.html