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news report
 Saturday April 27, 2002 20:03 by EoinMaher eoin_maher at hotmail dot com
 Cries of "Aluah Akbar" and "Free free Palestine" echo through streets of Dublin. Cries of “Alloo akbar”, and “Free, Free Palestine” were heard again today on the streets of Dublin as at least a thousand people marched in protest at the Israeli action in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as The now seemingly inevitable war on Iraq. The march was organised by the Irish-Palestinian solidarity organisation, the socialist workers party (who as ever used the situation to sell their publications as well as look for recruits) the green party, and the Irish anti war movement. The march, which started at the garden of remembrance on Parnell square continued down o’connell street, around college green and back onto Dame street to the central bank. At the bank a number of speakers fought against failing sound equipment to broadcast their messages to the crowd. Those marching included many Palestinians as well as Irish and Americans, chanting “down down with Sharon”, as well as putting the blame for the recent violence squarely on the Bush administration, the latter of which they branded a terrorist. Leaflets were handed out urging people to boycott Israeli and American goods. T-shirts were worn with slogans such as “F**k Bush”. There were a handful of People with placards equating the star of David with the nazi swaztica or saying that suicide bombers were not terrorists. Apart from these most placards called for an end to the IDF actions in the occupied territories and the implimentation of UN resolutions, including 242. The chants of “Free free Palestine” boomed impressively around narrow Church lane, the crowd refusing to be beaten by the abissmal weather. The mood was generally high spirited with everyone smiling and shaking hands, although the mood was respectively sombre as the crowd gathered at the central bank to listen to the speakers. The chairperson of the Irish anti-war movement Richard white Barrett led the Speakers who ranged from Brid Smith of the socialist workers party, Pronsious De Rossa Labour MEP, Mick O’Reilly of the ATGWU, Joe Higgins socialist party TD, speakers from the Irish Palestinian solidarity organisation and the campaign for human rights in Iraq. Mick O’Reilly of the ATGWU, said that Israel had “humiliated Yasser Arafat” and continue to do so, and said that Israel had no right to take away from Palestinians the right to elect their own leader. He told the assembled that Israel was compromising its own security by its “So-called war on terrorism”. Quoting an early Zionist who said that Israel would be judged by their treatment of the Palestinians he siad the state of Israel was an abismal failure. The speakers from the campaign for human rights in Iraq called for an end to sanctions and real democracy for Their country. One speaker said that a second holocaust was being commited in the middle east, and said that the Palestinians had now become the “Jews of the Jews”. Many speakers urged the protestors to use the upcoming general election as an opportunity to voice their opinions to candidates in the election. Pronsious De Rossa, Labour MEP and member of the recent EU delegation to Jenin said he had “Promised the people of Jenin he would tell their story to the European Parliament”. He said he was now here to tell the same story to the Irish people. He told of a man Who’s 37 year old crippled and mute brother was crushed as the IDF pulled down his home around him. The mans mother pleaded with Israeli soldiers to let them take the crippled man out, but they would not allow it. He also told of the man who watched his 78 year old Mother bleed to death as Israel soldiers watched and refused to let him get help. He said that these people were no possible threat to Israel. He said that he had no doubt that the people of Jenin resisted the Israeli’s and said that they had every right to do so. He called on the Irish government and the EU to suspend trade agreements with Israel and demand their immediate withdrawal. The speaker from the Irish palestinian solidarity organisation called on people to “pester the TD’s and hopeful TD’s who would be knocking on doors in the next few weeks. He criticised the Irish media’s pro-Israeli coverage of recent event, inducing a laugh from many saying “David Horovitz, David Hanley, All these Davids, who support Goliath”. He called on the implimentation of UN resolution 242. The protest ended with a minute silence for all those Palestinians killed in the past weeks. Eoin Maher |
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Comments (20 of 20)
Jump To Comment: 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Stop using cheap labor from the arab world obviously they are brainwasing your young into believing their lies. Learn your facts about the so called Palestinians. And if you think for one minute that there would be religious freedom in a Palestinian State or if yout think there is religious freedom in any arab state you are mis-informed. Stop usin cheap labor especially from known terrorist lands.
Dear Friends -
Firstly, before the gripe, congratulations on your indispensable service!
Eoin Maher, in his report on the April 27 demo, was unable to come up with the correct name of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, or with my own name (I was the speaker he quotes towards the end). Surely a little research would have clarified both matters!
Regards -
Raymond Deane (IPSC)
Actually it is true that America has the highest rate of infant mortality in the world and no i did not pull that out of my ass , more like national geographic .
Did you pull your comment about America leading the world in infant mortality rates out of your ass? Before you spout off, maybe you should check the facts.
America is the most powerful country in the world,no question.But it's power is from bullying and violence and death.
Supposedly its health system should be regarded as the best in the world.Truth:Highest rate of imfant mortality in the world.
How can anybody admire a culture that hugely accepts the use of nuclear biological weapons? Anytime America disagrees with a country it suggests that nuclear weapons are an option,they threaten smaller countries with poverty {more then country already has}, death{and disability for generations after}.America is doing little or nothing for those who have suffered because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and those far and few pissy programs are run by good people but are not being funded appropraitly by the guilty government.
Mr.Bush has showed that he doesnt mind landmines and refused to sign a treaty.where world leaders promised not to allow the usage of them in Geneva,September 17 2000.
I could go on forever about reasons to hate the American government but allowing America{yes the governments you have voted for aren't doing anything to stop the power abuse , suprised?} to continue to destroy the earth shows far more about us.Those who show apaty for america are showing submission to evil.
May Allah have mercy on their souls
Israel has been suffering from endless attacks from all quarters and palestine has been acknowledged as being the creator of alot of these attacks. Israel has the right to defend its nations population, even to the extent of taking over an area of territory.
America has invaded Afghanistan on the concept of the War against Terrorism, and yet Israel is to be put down for their actions?
This is a bit much. Personally i think Ireland should support Israel for its policies in Palestine, since they are the only ones that have suffered from the hands of these terrorists. America retalitated for one attack, addmitedly for a major attack, but only one such attack. However Israel has suffered countless attacks, and more people have died as a result of these attacks than 20 world trade bombings.
Israel are being quite forgiving i believe, and i'm suprised that the world is so against what they themselves have consented to in Afghanistan.
I did noy comment on the comments you speak of because i DID NOT COMMENT AT ALL!! i just wanted to tell the story of the march.
P.S. - Why is "Alluah Akbar" not progressive!!?? it means "God is most great".
i have a question.
are there no antifascists in ireland or why are there no reactions on antisemitic phrases like
"second holocaust" or "jews of the jews" ?
only for nazis it will be good to play down the holocaust.
FIGHT FASCISM AND ANTISEMITISM !!!
EVERYWHERE!
p.s. "allahu akbar" is not very progressive...
Thanks phelim,
About SWP stuff, don't know if that was directed at me, but i am not anti-swp, and hope my comments didn't make it seem so. Simply pointing out the fact that they use these demos to sell their paper and look for recruits. Thanks for your comments, interest and comparing me to the finest newspaper in the state!
Eoin
Congrats to the writer of the article (Eoin?). It may not be as 'smooth' as the Irish times but its real news not D4-speak. All the same, criticism is good, and comments on typos and background facts are fair comment.
As for all those anti-SWP and pro-SWP comments please piss off to an Internet newsroom, you're like something out of Monty Python's Life of Brian. Is it possible to have one forum for anti-establishment views without people starting a civil war? No wonder the 'establishment' are running the place.
Keep it up indymedia.
P.s. there is a benefit trad gig in the Salthill Hotel in Galway this Friday (9pm) with money going to the Red Crescent in Palestine. Tickets at the door.
Just though the extra info + spelling might be helpful, and in addition, and this may be something to do with my own not entirely sober state at the time, 'Prontious' seemed rather funny...
Good report.
Why don't you put it in the news section?
You were all together against capitalism, but what were you for Marcos. Were you for some sort of left wing populist nationalism ala Chavez, were you for fluffy reforms, were you for anarchism, were you for socialism?
There is no point in being against capitalism if you don't have something to replace it with.
The point is that the SWP's activities are all geared to force their stuff down our throat. These people always talk about Seattle now, well I was there, the SWP wasn't, and they know that, that's why they expelled their US sister organization from their so called international. One of the most wonderful things about that day was that there was nobody around hawking tangential literature and using it as a recruiting ground.
We were all together against capitalism.
in ref to:Only a thousand, eh?
Hey,
I grew up there. Long ago. prejudice, support fo r the NAZIs was prevelent. I had some wonderful irish catholic friends. But the Synge St. Christian Brothers fostered a virulent anti-semitic creed. Support for the NAZIs was very obvious. "Wait til Hitler gets here. He'll know what to do with youse!" Meanwhile children were being sodomized, intimidated and brainwashed. Now it's time to treat the brainwashed. Remember, all of Jesus' values came from the Jews.
Islaus.
I thought everybody in Ireland supported the Palestinians.
Out of a population of nearly three and half million and about 40,000 arab immigrants mostly in Dublin, you would think you could get more than a thousand out on the streets of Dublin in support of the poor ancient Palestinian people.
Just shows the silent majority could not give a toss for those poor Palestinian people who elect a terrorist as their leader.
SWP give me the creepies.
I have no great love for the SWP (just read my post below on the subject of the UCD branch disafilliation) but this thing that people keep bringing up, the paper sales really gets on my nerves.
The SWP are at a demo where people who are dissatisfied with te political status quo are making their first foray into the arena of protest. Perhaps the politics of the SWP will appeal to these people. Are the SWP then not entitled to sell their paper to these people. You don't have to buy the paper. No one is holding a gun to your head. Another thing is that paper sales are essential for party funding, Socialists don't take funding from big business remember.
So while the SWP are far from perfect, neither are some of these keyboard anarchists who attend a few protests and then go back to their comfortable middle class suburban lives after graduating from law school (and deciding that capitalism might not be too bad after all with a few reforms here and there).
I was just to the side or either in front of that Palestinian flag. DAMN