Army called in to protect Shannon

The Army has been drafted in to protect Shannon airport from attempts by anti-war activists to shut down the airport.

The threat level to the airport has been raised as a result of comments made by anti-war activist Ciaron O'Reilly that he and colleagues were looking into how the airport could be closed down using non-violent means, through occupying the runways and blockading the airport.

Mr O'Reilly made his comments last month after being cleared, along with four others, at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of causing $2.5 million (€1.99 million) worth of damage to a US navy aircraft in February 2003.

A review of security operations took place after the acquittal of the five and Mr O'Reilly's subsequent comments resulted in the Garda calling in the Army. Yesterday Army patrols were accompanying gardaí at Shannon for the first time in two years to protect the perimeter fence in a full-time deployment at the airport.

Along with an estimated 16 Army personnel, an additional 40 gardaí have been drafted in from Galway, Roscommon, Mayo and Clare, which make up the Garda Western Region.

The move coincides with 12 anti-war protesters arrested at Prestwick airport in Scotland on Monday after they boarded an aircraft to search for US weapons being transported to Israel. Mr O'Reilly yesterday applauded the actions of the 12.

The security plan at Shannon has been rolled out in recent days under the command of Assistant Commissioner Gerry Kelly.

A Garda source said yesterday that "the threat is being taken seriously and the threat assessment changed accordingly".