[Sinn Fein]

29th March 2003

Sinn Fein TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh addresses anti-war rally

Sinn Fein TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh addressing an anti-war rally in Dublin City on Saturday afternoon said:

Níl mé chun labhairt ar fad tréimhse ró fhada, mar go bhfuil go leor eile. Ba mhaith tacaíocht Ard Fheis Shinn Fein a leathadh libh, tá ár n-iomlán tacaíocht libh agus ár brón nach féidir linn an dhá thráth a fhreastal.

The message should go out loud and clear to Bertie Ahern and to the US and British generals he is supporting in their slaughter. This is not a war game. This is war, people die in war, and in this war hundreds of thousands of civilians will die, men women and children, most killed from a distance from 10,000 feet, similar to a war game, but this is real life, this is real blood that is being spilt, these are real people being blown apart with the full backing of the Bertie Ahern's government.

I would appeal to everyone here to continually remind this government of their complicity, their culpability in these deaths.

They have allowed Shannon Airport to be used to transport over π of all the US troops on their way to this illegal war in Iraq. In doing so they have breached the policy of military neutrality of this state, they have sold it to the only bidder. And then they have the gall to say that ah well we've been doing it for years - so its OK

Well its wasn't OK during the Vietnam war and it is not good enough today

Shannon Airport, Baldonnell Airport nor any other airport or port or our airspace are not for sale. Irish neutrality is not for sale and we will continue demanding that the Irish people decide on this issue in a referendum, that neutrality be given a constitutional guarantee.

At our Ard Fheis this weekend we will be congratulating and commending all those involved in the anti-war campaign and encouraging more people to join the campaign. I wish to take this opportunity to commend former commandant Edward Horgan for taking his High Court case and I would also like to commend the building contractor Wallace who had the courage to stand up for his views during the Nice Treaty and now again has a huge banner hanging for a site on Ormond Quay saying ``we have the blood of Iraqi children on our hands''.

Fair play díobh ar fad inniu agus go n-éirí an t-ádh libh.

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