On Monday, October 4th seven human rights activists will stand trial for criminal trespass and resisting arrest after they were detained at Boeing Corporation’s World Headquarters in downtown Chicago on March 13, 2003. The defendants were protesting the imminent loss of human lives, only days before the “Shock and Awe” campaign was commenced by the United States military against Iraq.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate is flying to Chicago to speak at the trial of ‘the Boeing 7′ on 4 October. Kevin Cassidy of the Peace People Executive will accompany her. This is in response to a request from the group who believe that Mairead’s presence and witness will help their defence. They feel that her actions in 1976 in Belfast precipitated the emergence of the Peace People movement, a movement which contributed dramatically to a decrease in violence and the number of deaths and injuries and which sowed the seeds of non-violence as the way forward. It also contributed to building an ethos and culture for dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution which contributed towards the current Peace Process.

The case arose out of a peaceful ’sit-in’ demonstration, which was staged in the headquarters lobby of the Boeing Corporation in Chicago. Boeing is one of the biggest American weapons manufacturers. It was staged by a group of people, mostly young, but some older hands early in March 2003 just a few days before the unleashing of ’shock & awe’ against Iraq.

The 7 defendants are; Anthony Nicotera, a Chaplain at De Paul College, Dave Corcoran, a retired Chaplain at Loyola hospital’s cancer ward, his wife Barbara, Amelia Baxter, Angela Garcia, Ceylon Mooney, and Joe Ferrara.

The Defence is contesting Judge Colleen F. Sheehan’s rejection that their act of peaceful resistance could somehow have affected America’s leader decision to take the nation into war. She ruled out the argument of ‘necessity’ by the defendants as this being the only way they could influence decision-making.

Fr Dan Berrigan SJ recalling the case of the Catonsville 9 in 1968 who poured napalm on draft files starting a golden chain reaction throughout the country, has written a statement on behalf of the defendants. He believes that such acts on the part of individuals have throughout history provided the sparks that ignited what he calls a ‘golden chain reaction’- individuals in this world are not powerless, but each of us may make a difference. Fr Berrigan said that the defendants formed another link in a chain of gold, ancient as the nonviolence of Jesus, and recent as the spirit and politics of Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King.

The trial takes place right in the middle of the Presidential campaign in America with the focus on the Iraq war.

Spokesperson Kevin Cassidy said that the Peace People support the seeds of non-violence wherever they are sown. The fact that Mairead’s presence was requested at this trial was an indication that her experience and witness to non-violence is sought wherever there is worldwide conflict. He said that the defendants were doing nothing less than attempting to save lives and bring about a world free from weapons of mass destruction. Their peaceful sit-in was a symbolic act to highlight the increasing militarism of the United States which is exacerbating the violence and terrorism throughout the world. Boeing is one of the principal arms manufacturers in the world. He said that the defendants were doing this to bring about a more just and non-violent world. He called on America to show how truly democratic they were to the international community.

Mr. Cassidy said that the Peace People were in touch with the American Embassies in Dublin and London about the Boeing 7 and were enlisting the support of politicians in Ireland and the UK. He also called on the general public to lend their voice for justice for the Boeing 7.