A group of individuals in Galway have threatened to use airsoft rifles to shoot any red balloons The Galway Alliance Against War releases at its protest against the Red Arrows display this weekend.
The GAAW will hold another of its 99 Red Balloon peace events in the Spanish Arch on Saturday at 12 noon as a protest against the presence of the Red Arrows at the Galway Ocean Race stopover.
However the group received a threatening email which claimed it would sabotage the protest. The email said: “You d**kheads...Those balloons won’t be going into the air on Saturday be assured. A team of six will be at vantage points near the Spanish Arch with airsoft rifles. Any balloon we see will be immediately popped before it reaches five feet into the air.”
In response, the GAAW’s Niall Farrell replied to the email. He said: “Wow, that should make headlines: ‘Marksmen To Protect RAF Killers From Deadly Red Balloons’. Well, I suppose Airsoft Rifles (whatever they are ) sound a lot more dramatic than pins or knitting needles. I would suggest you procure automatic airsoft rifles, as we will have a lot of balloons.”
Mr Farrell also went on to say: “I have no doubt you and all your pals - including those who invited the RAF killers -were shocked and disgusted by the revelations of the Ryan report into the abuses in the industrial schools. You are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites as you refuse to face up to what these RAF killers have done to little children and their families in foreign lands.”
