The Guardian 15 February, 2006
Peace activist interviewed by ASIO
on return from overseas
Australian peace activist, Ciaron O'Reilly arrived in Brisbane on Friday February 3 after a
30-hour flight from Ireland. Agents of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
(ASIO) were there to greet the non-violent Christian, activist as soon as he disembarked.
Mr O'Reilly said they took him to a secure room in the airport where he was interviewed. When
asked if he had previous dealings with ASIO, he replied, "Well you're a secret organisation — you
tell me if I've had dealings with ASIO agents before!"
Mr O'Reilly is one of the Pit Stop Ploughshares defendants awaiting a third trial in Dublin on July 5.
Defendants have been allowed to leave the country but are required to return to Ireland a week
before the July trial.
The Pit Stop Ploughshares await trial on charges arising out of their non-violent disarmament of a
US Navy war Plane at Shannon Airport on February 3, 2003. Conviction carries maximum
penalties of 10 years imprisonment
Mr O'Reilly said he was questioned about his plans during his three-month stay in Australia, and
the civil disobedience that occurred during the Shoalwater "Operation Talisman Sabre" joint US/OZ
military exercises in 2005.
He was also questioned as to whether he planned to accompany his brother Sean to his Alice
Springs late February court date arising from his arrest following a peace demonstration at the
CIA/NSA outback base Pine Gap.
References were made to the Pit Stop Ploughshares case in Ireland. Ciaron assured the agents,
both he and his brother were innocent of all charges awaiting hearing.
After a few jet lagged attempts to tease out the meaning of "security", "violence/nonviolence"
"terrorism" and "war" the interview ended.
Mr O'Reilly stated, "We believe security is built on the pursuit of peace and justice through non-
violent action. Security is not secured by shrinking freedoms, crushing civil liberties and harassing
peace activists! If ASIO is serious about addressing violence and terrorism it should have
investigated the role and arms of the USS Ronald Reagan in Brisbane last week and the ongoing
targeting carried out by Pine Gap."
Ciaron O'Reilly is an Irish Australian. He recently worked at a homeless shelter in Dublin and is
long-time Catholic Worker and non-violent resister. He was a member of the "ANZUS
Ploughshares" which disarmed a B-52 Bomber in upstate New York during the 1991 Gulf War. He
was also a member of the "Jabiluka Ploughshares" that disabled uranium mining equipment in the
Northern Territory of Australia in 1998.