One of the five protesters charged with damaging a US aircraft at Shannon Airport has told the jury at their trial that "acting on the philosophies of Isiah rather than pi**ing off George Bush" was the motivation behind their actions.
He also said they hoped gardaí would join them in their protest similar to the way police and civilians joined together to chip away at the Berlin Wall and bring about its eventual fall in 1990.
Ciaron O'Reilly (45), an Australian national living in Dublin and working with homeless people under the Catholic Worker Movement, said "turning swords into ploughshares" was the inspiration behind him attacking the US aircraft on February 3 rd2003.
He told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that, for them, it was a choice of doing what they did at Shannon or travelling to Baghdad to act as human shields.
Following a visit to Glenstal Abbey in Limerick during which they discussed the issue, they chose not to travel to Baghdad as they did not speak Arabic.
Mr O'Reilly said, in reply to his counsel Hugh Hartnett SC, that Shannon Airport had become "a pit stop for death" and by damaging the aircraft he wanted to prevent the death of thousands of Iraqis and the destruction of property and of the infrastructure that kept the Iraqi society functioning.
He also told the packed courtroom that when he used a pickaxe to attack the aircraft, he had a genuine belief, honestly held, that by doing so he was going to protect "other people and property".
Mr O'Reilly was giving evidence on the fourth day of the trial. He, along with Damien Moran a student priest with the Holy Ghost Fathers in Dublin, sharing an address with him on South Circular Road, Rialto; Karen Fallon a Scottish marine biologist, also living at South Circular Road; Nuin Dunlop, from the United States of America, a trained counsellor who lives in Dublin city centre; and Deirdre Clancy, a copy editor, of The Spinnaker, Alverno, Clontarf are accused of criminal damage.
They all plead not guilty to one count of damaging a US naval plane and to causing similar damage to two glass door panels at Shannon Airport on February 3rd 2003.
Mr O'Reilly denied during cross-examination that he damaged the aicraft in Shannon to publicise to maximum effect his position on the war by getting himself arrested and by bringing about his trial.
The hearing continues before Judge Frank O'Donnell.