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Derry Anti War Coalition (link to website)

Eamonn McCann speech at Raytheon 9 meeting Wednesday 21st Feb

Wednesday 21st February 2007

Speech by Eamonn McCann of the RAYTHEON 9 to "Drop The Charges" meeting in The Junction, Bishop Street, on Wednesday, February 21st at 7.30pm. Also on platform: Jim Barbour, Fire Brigades Union, peace activist Caoimhe Butterly and Beirut man Fares Fares.

We have been charged with a "terrorist" crime for occupying a building. But the people guilty of occupying a country and terrorising its people are charged with nothing.

It should be Tony Blair who is in the dock, not Colm Bryce, Gary Donnelly, Dicey O'Donnell and the rest of us.

If the State goes ahead with this case, we will face the court not as the accused but as the accusers.

Our action last August led to unprecedented scrutiny of Raytheon's Derry operation. There can be no doubt now in anyone's mind that Raytheon is manufacturing guidance systems in our town for weapons used by US, British and Israeli forces in the Middle East.

A number of local parties promised to oppose Raytheon if it was ever shown that they were involved in weapons production in Derry. Well, now it has been shown. We call upon them again to live up to their word and tell Raytheon they are not welcome. We call on members of the parties in question to tell their councillors to withdraw support from these merchants of death.

We ask representatives of all political parties and none to speak up and demand that the charges against us be withdrawn. It is not a matter of approving the tactics we used to draw attention to Raytheon's role. It's a question of double standards--- applying the law to us, but allowing the illegal invasion of Iraq to go unpunished.

During the eight hours we were inside the Raytheon plant, innocent people of all ages were being massacred in Lebanon. It wasn't computers which were falling on their heads but bombs guided by Raytheon systems.

Raytheon is a politically-motivated company. It sees itself as part and parcel of the US war machine. Its offices in Derry are decorated with slogans to do with "Mission Assurance." It refers to George W. Bush as "our commander-in-chief." Campaigning against Raytheon in Derry is the same thing as campaigning against the Shannon stop-over for US troops going to Iraq.

ONE WORLD---ONE STRUGGLE!

SUPPORT THE RAYTHEON 9!

MERCHANTS OF DEATH OUT OF DERRY NOW!





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