State accused of bullying protesters

SINN FÉIN accused the Government yesterday of using the Army to intimidate the anti-war campaigners at Shannon Airport.

The party's International Affairs spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh claimed the use of our army was designed to frustrate the anti-war effort here and to defend the breaching of Irish neutrality.

Mr Ó Snodaigh told a press conference launched by Ógra Shinn Féin that young people always lead the way and take the first stand against war and injustice.

Ógra Shinn Féin members dressed up as British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US soldiers to highlight their protest. But a Government spokesman rejected the claim that the Irish Army is being used to intimidate anti-war campaigners at Shannon Airport.

"The Government has a very clear duty to ensure the laws of the country are upheld and no one has the right to go around engaging in mindless acts of vandalism to further their own causes," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr O'Snodaigh praised Ógra Shinn Féin and the Peace Campers for the courage of their convictions and he claimed the Government had grossly underestimated the depth of Irish and international opposition to the impending war.

The Dublin South Central deputy claimed the protesters who attacked a US war plane should not be characterised as violent.

"Their actions were purely symbolic nobody was harmed," he said.

It was regrettable these activists felt compelled to resort to such direct actions because their government was not listening, Mr O'Snodaigh said.

"The real wrong in all of this is that the Government is pursuing a policy against the wishes of the people of this State and in violation of the laws of this land. Put simply, Irish neutrality and an independent foreign policy are being exchanged for 40% of the business of Shannon Airport," he said.

Mr O'Snodaigh said Sinn Féin will oppose the new Terrorist Offences Bill as a draconian piece of legislation being rushed through the Dáil.