*Photograph: Plane Spotting Shannon.
THREE WOMEN have been arrested, an aircraft has been damaged and a female Garda injured at Shannon Airport.
Activists aligned to Palestine Action Éire breached the perimeter fence of Shannon Airport shortly after 4pm on Saturday. They proceeded to move towards an Omni Air International aircraft which was then covered in spray paint and damaged.
Airport security and Gardaí responded once the activists were spotted. The three women all aged between twenty and fifty were apprehended and were arrested. During the course of their arrests, a female Garda was injured, she has since received treatment at University Hospital Limerick.
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána told The Clare Echo that they responded to “an incident of criminal damage”. The three women were arrested at the scene and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Garda stations in Co Clare.
“During the course of the arrests one member of An Garda Síochána was injured and has since been taken to University Hospital Limerick for assessment. Her injuries are non-life threatening,” the spokesperson confirmed. Garda investigations are ongoing.
Operations at Shannon Airport were suspended for half an hour due to the incident but no flights were impacted, a spokesperson for the Shannon Airport Group confirmed. “Individuals unlawfully entered a restricted area this afternoon. Airport security and Gardaí responded immediately, and the individuals were apprehended by Gardaí. Flight operations were suspended for 30 minutes but the airport’s flight schedule was unaffected,” the spokesperson said.
It is the second incident in the space this month at Shannon Airport. Three individuals were arrested on May 1st after they attempted to drive a van onto the runway of Shannon Airport.
