The initial reaction to their act of nonviolent disarmament was dramatic. The Irish Army & Navy were deployed to the airport to protect the U.S. war machine against a nonviolent anti-war movement, 4 private U.S. companies transporting troops to the war theatre evacuated (rerouting for the following 4 months) Ireland due to the action, the plane abandoned its mission (originally to U.S. Navy Base in Sicily & on to the Gulf) and was returned to Texas/ grounded for 4 months, activists were denied bail & imprisoned in Limerick (1-3 months), 2 Government ministers lied that the CW's attacked & assaulted a Garda in the hanger (the Garda has since testified 3 times under oath that he was not hospitalised & attacked but was comforted by the activist when he had a stress attack during the disarmament action), the activists were placed under strict bail conditions (first year on bail required to sign on at a specific Garda station, banned form County Clare and a two mile radius of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin).

The Pit Stop Ploughshares first went to Trial in March '05, the trial collased one the 6th. day when the Judge trial acted illegally. They returned to Dublin's Four Courts for a 2nd. trial in Oct. '05 The 2nd. trial collapsed on the 11th. day when defendants confronted the judge with his long personal firendship with U.S. Prez George Bush Jr. (the Judge had attended the first innaugaration, the intermediary was now disgraced/retired Tom Delay leader of the Republicans in U.S. Congress at the time).

The Ploughshares face a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment if convicted. The defence opens today Wed July 12th.
Court Report from Trial Day 3 (J11)
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77179

More background & info on Pit Stop Ploughshares
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/77179

Furhter Background & Continually Updated Feature on Irish Indymedia
www.indymedia.ie

General Background, Chronology on the 26 year old Plowshares Movement
www.plowsharesactions.org

General Background on founder Dorothy Day & the 73 year old Catholic Worker Movement
www.catholicworker.org

Backgorund & info on the latest "WMD Here Plowshares" (North Dakota ICBM Missile Silo) action & imprisoned activists
www.jonahhouse.org