Peace activists Colm Roddy and Dave Donnellan went on trial at Court 7 Dublin Circuit Court today, 2nd March, almost four years after they entered Shannon Airport to attempt to search and investigate US military aircraft that were on their way to and from US wars in the Middle East. They are charged with causing criminal damage to the airport fence and to the runway.
Shannonwatch are calling for an immediate review of the safety standards applied to US military and military contracted planes at Shannon Airport. A fire on an Omni Air International troop carrier brought the airport to a standstill on Thursday August 15th. This once again highlights the dangers posed by daily military traffic at a civilian airport like Shannon.
The troop carrier, which is reported to be carrying approximately 150 troops, was on its way to the Middle East. It had arrived earlier from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma USA.
To coincide with US President Donald Trump's visit to Ireland, protests will be held at Shannon Airport starting at 3pm on June 5th. The US President is expected to land at Shannon that day, to fly out and back again on June 6th, and to leave on June 7th. A Peace Camp will be set up outside the airport for the duration of his visit, including overnight on the 5th and 6th June, and people are invited to spend whatever time they can there in order to maintain an ongoing protest against his presence in Ireland.
