Pitstop Ploughshares
Encyclopedia
The Pitstop Ploughshares were a group of five members of the Catholic Worker Movement
who made their way into Shannon Airport
in Ireland
and damaged a United States Navy
C-40
transport aircraft in the early hours of 3 February 2003. Their actions were inspired by the vision of Isaiah
2:4 to "beat swords into ploughshares".
The five members were Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Ciaron O'Reilly
and Damien Mora.
. They went to trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March and October 2005 on two counts of criminal damage, €100 and US$2.5 million. Penalties, if convicted, would have been a maximum of ten years imprisonment.
Their March 2005 trial collapsed on the sixth day when Judge O'Donnell called a mistrial, having made biased comments about a defence witness. Media were instructed not to report on the reasons for the mistrial until legal proceedings were completed.
The October 2005 re-trial collapsed on the tenth day, after Judge Donagh MacDonagh agreed with defence counsel that his attendance at the United States presidential inauguration in 2001 of George W. Bush
(along with other meetings he had with Bush when he was Governor of Texas
) were grounds for his removal from the case, in that his role was tainted with a "perception of bias".
The third trial of the Pitstop Ploughshares trial started on 10 July 2006 and resulted in a unanimous not guilty verdict on both charges of criminal damage (to the warplane, and the door of the hangar) after twelve days of testimony and legal argument. Judge Miriam Reynolds had agreed with the defence on day nine of the proceedings, after extensive submissions and legal argument, on the applicability of the statutory lawful excuse defence.
After four-and-a-half hours of deliberation, the Dublin jury of seven women and five men returned and gave their decision that all the accused should be acquitted, as they were acting to save lives and property in Iraq
and Ireland, and that their disarmament
action was reasonable, taking into consideration all the circumstances.
Over 100 international and numerous Irish anti-war
activists converged in Dublin for all three trials. Public meetings took place around the trials, with well-known speakers such as Denis Halliday
and Kathy Kelly
.
Catholic Worker Movement
The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus Christ." One of its guiding principles is hospitality towards those on...
who made their way into Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and damaged a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
C-40
C-40 Clipper
-See also:-External links:* - retrieved 20 December 2006* - retrieved 20 December 2006* - retrieved 20 December 2006* *...
transport aircraft in the early hours of 3 February 2003. Their actions were inspired by the vision of Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
2:4 to "beat swords into ploughshares".
The five members were Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Karen Fallon, Ciaron O'Reilly
Ciaron O'Reilly
Ciaron O'Reilly is a long-time Catholic Worker, nonviolent resister and Christian anarchist. O'Reilly took part in the 1980s civil rights, social justice and free speech movement in Queensland, Australia, against state Premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson....
and Damien Mora.
Trials
The Pit Stop Ploughshares group spent between four and eleven weeks in Limerick PrisonLimerick Prison
Limerick Prison, Mulgrave Street, Limerick is an Irish penal institution. It is a closed, medium security prison, It has an official capacity of 290 male beds and 20 female beds...
. They went to trial in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March and October 2005 on two counts of criminal damage, €100 and US$2.5 million. Penalties, if convicted, would have been a maximum of ten years imprisonment.
Their March 2005 trial collapsed on the sixth day when Judge O'Donnell called a mistrial, having made biased comments about a defence witness. Media were instructed not to report on the reasons for the mistrial until legal proceedings were completed.
The October 2005 re-trial collapsed on the tenth day, after Judge Donagh MacDonagh agreed with defence counsel that his attendance at the United States presidential inauguration in 2001 of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
(along with other meetings he had with Bush when he was Governor of Texas
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
) were grounds for his removal from the case, in that his role was tainted with a "perception of bias".
The third trial of the Pitstop Ploughshares trial started on 10 July 2006 and resulted in a unanimous not guilty verdict on both charges of criminal damage (to the warplane, and the door of the hangar) after twelve days of testimony and legal argument. Judge Miriam Reynolds had agreed with the defence on day nine of the proceedings, after extensive submissions and legal argument, on the applicability of the statutory lawful excuse defence.
After four-and-a-half hours of deliberation, the Dublin jury of seven women and five men returned and gave their decision that all the accused should be acquitted, as they were acting to save lives and property in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Ireland, and that their disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
action was reasonable, taking into consideration all the circumstances.
Over 100 international and numerous Irish anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
activists converged in Dublin for all three trials. Public meetings took place around the trials, with well-known speakers such as Denis Halliday
Denis Halliday
Denis J. Halliday was the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq from September 1, 1997, until 1998. He is Irish and holds an M.A. in Economics, Geography and Public Administration from Trinity College, Dublin....
and Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly
Kathy Kelly is an American peace activist, pacifist and author, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. She has been described as "probably the most respected leader in the...
.