BENEFIT NIGHT
Waihopai (NZ) Ploughshares
*FOR BRISABANE (OR CLOSE) FOLKS:
We are having a benefit night on FRIDAY 26th Feb at BlackStar coffee shop 44 Thomas St West End.
Hope you can make it.
Jim Dowling
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*LOCAL MUSICIANS *SLAM POETRY * SHORT FILM *GREAT COFFEE, FOOD AVAILABLE *SALE OF JEFF SIMMONDS CD “LETS SHUT DOWN WAIHOPAI” * Free admission *
They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation; and there shall be no more training for war. Isaiah 2/4
At 6am on the morning of 30 April 2008, three members of a New Zealand Ploughshares group entered the Waihopai spy base and used sickles to deflate one of the two 30 metre domes covering satellite interception dishes. They then built a shrine and prayed for the victims of the war with no end – the so-called ‘War on Terror’ led by the United States government which also controls the NZ taxpayer funded Waihopai base. The government claimed damages were over a million dollars.
The Waihopi spy base is part of the US ECHELON system and gathers satellite intelligence for US wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On March 8th the three go to trial, and face possible jail sentences.
All money made from this night will go towards expenses of the Waihopai Three trial.
For more information phone: Jim 3425 3003
Happy Birthday Ciaron and best of luck with the Trial Kiwi Cousins!
Dear Friends,
I’ve made a last minute decision to answer a call from the Waihopai Ploughshare defendants and this Thursday March 4th will head to Wellingotn/New Zealand to support them at their trial They face charges of $800,000 criminal damage to the warfighting Waihopai spy base. They have offered us a gift of hope with their nonviolent resistance to the endless ‘war on terror”. *If you think this is a worthy venture and wish to contribute to the air fare, just send a cheque to “Ciaron O’Reilly” 38 Elbury St. Mitchelton Brisbane Q. 4053.
I turn 50 on Sunday March 7th. and the trial starts Monday March 8th….so hold the drinks at the Boundary. I’ll be back in Brisbane on St Patrick’s Day so see you at the Irish Club! I turned 40 in Darwin Jail after the Jabiluka Ploughshares action and turned 45 on the first day of our first Pit Stop ploughshares trial in Dublin – so 50 with the Waihopai resisters seems like a good place to be! Hopefully it will kick off another 50 years of solidarity and resistance for moi. We will need it as this present war (longer than WW2) has the capacity to go 50 years like the Cold War – much to the delight of the war profiteers and those who wish to keep us in a permanent state of fear.
*FOLLOW THE TRIAL ON BRYAN LAW’S BLOG WHICH WILL BE REGULARLY UPDATED – CHECK IT OUT
http://www.cairnspeacebypeace.org/?p=32
*On a surrealistic aside Jim Dowling is presently careering down the Pacific Highway in the recycled vegie oil fueled Catholic Worker van full of Dowling kidz – carrying Damien LeGoullon’s entry into this year’s Archibald Prize (Australian portrait competition). They’ll be swinging by the appropriate Sydney gallery before heading to a wedding. See Damien’s work attached to this email – the final portrait has a B52 Bomber and runway in the background!
Hi folks.
Hope you can make it next Friday to Blackstar Coffee Shop.
Jim Dowling