The trial of two more Shannon peace activists, Edward Horgan and Dan Dowling, begins at the Circuit Court in Parkgate Street, Dublin on Wednesday June 15th. 

Over 5 years ago on 25th April 2017, the two men were arrested at Shannon Airport for allegedly causing criminal damage by writing Graffiti on a US Navy aircraft, and allegedly trespassing on the curtilage of Shannon Airport. It has been reported that the words “DANGER DANAGER DO NOT FLY” were written on the engine of the warplane, which was on its way from a US naval base in Virginia to a US air base in the Persian Gulf.

Over three million armed US troops have been moved through Shannon Airport since 2001 on their way to illegal wars in the Middle East. This is in violation of Irish neutrality and international law. Shannon Airport has also been used by the CIA to facilitate its extraordinary rendition program that resulted in the torture of hundreds of prisoners.

This case was initially before the District Court in Ennis Co Clare over five years ago. While cases involving graffiti writing are very seldom prosecuted in any court, the background issue in this case and the reasons behind the peace actions taken by the defendants are deadly serious. They involve wars of aggression and war crimes by the United States in the Middle East that were facilitated by US military use of Shannon airport.  This case was subsequently transferred to the Circuit Court for trial by jury, and then moved from County Clare to the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin.

Over 38 peace activists have been prosecuted for non-violent peace actions at Shannon Airport, while no proper investigation has ever been carried out into Irish complicity with war crimes and torture.

It has been reported that the defendants asked Irish army personnel and Gardai who were guarding the aircraft to search and investigate the aircraft, and that one of the defendants handed Gardai a folder containing the names of up to 1000 children who have died in the Middle East as a result of US-led wars of aggression.

Speaking in advance of the trial, a Shannonwatch spokesperson said "While justice delayed is justice denied, their trial Is now scheduled to go ahead on Wednesday 15th June. However, while Edward and Dan are still alive and well, up to one million children have died since the First Gulf War in 1991 due to war related reasons. Nothing can be done to bring those innocent children back to life."

"May the children who have been murdered in these wars rest in peace."

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