Protest- BUSH in BELFAST - GR call emergency Mobilisation

by greek imc mayday call Sat Apr 05, 2003 01:40

MAYDAY-MAYDAY GREEK INDY DOWN (english)
Patman 2:19pm Fri Apr 4 '03
[email protected] article#308597

The time is 01:19-SAT 05/APRIL 2003 in Athens, Greece (G.M.T. + 2) and both Greek INDY ports (athens.indymedia.org & thessaloniki.indymedia.org) are still down, following the brutal suppression of the big antiwar rally of Thursday 03-April-2003.

The only independent information site of Greece is offline for more than 34 hours. Fears have bean expressed that Greek police and government are connected this, since the sites went down after the violent suppresion of the demonstration outside the U.S. embassy earlier Thursday afternoon (circa 15:30). Police used dozens of tear gas rounds to disperse the protesters gathered ouside the embassy, aimed at various groups of demonstrators including junior high-school students. Even without the participation of the Greek Communist Party-KKE who staged their own rally later in the evening the rally had several thousands of participants from all other political parties as well as independent political/social groups and workers' syndicates (the rally was connected to an anti-war 24-hour general strike of ADEDY syndicate).
Meanwhile the corporate-controlled Media sought to understate the size and importance of the rally justifying the police intervention by blaming the usual "known-unknown anarchist troublemakers".
INDY sites might well be the target of government suppression as the only truly independent/non government-controlled newsgroup in Greece. Ever since the beginning of the war it has provided full coverage of the demonstrations in Greece and has attracted a lot of people who seek information for news and upcoming events. As a result early attempts to view the site were considered problematic due to heavy web traffic.
Very few unpleasant episodes have been noted in the past weeks (for perhaps the first time in Greece) due to the large participation of the otherwise unpolitical average Greek citizens, thereby restraining the everwilling crowd-control police units to take action. The fact that KKE did not participate in the rally is considered to be indicative of pre-planned action (KKE is a full-time parliamentary party and its organized members rarely conflict with police forces, often helping to maintain "peace and order" in demonstrations throughout Greece). More is yet to come...

by Aidan Sat Apr 05, 2003 12:37

Workers' Party call for mass anti-war mobilisation against Bush / Blair
by The Workers' Party Sat, Apr 5 2003, 9:02am
No credentials to lecture Ireland about peace
The Workers’ Party has condemned the proposed visit to Belfast next week of US President George W. Bush saying that the US President has no credentials to talk about peace to anyone.

Workers’ Party General Secretary John Lowry has written to the leaders of all the anti-war political parties seeking an urgent meeting to mobilise mass public protests at the Bush visit saying that the last thing Northern Ireland needs is a visit from someone who is leading a war for oil which has already claimed hundreds of innocent civilians lives.

“This is a highly provocative visit by President Bush. He must surely be aware that the vast majority of Irish people, north and south, are totally opposed to the war against Iraq and are appalled by the level of savagery and suffering being reined down on Baghdad and other cities”, said Mr. Lowry.

“This man, who is pouring millions of tonnes of bombs onto Iraq, has absolutely no credentials whatsoever to talk about peace and he would be of no value to assisting the Northern Ireland Peace Process. ~

The Workers’ Party calls on all parties opposed to war, including those who recently met Mr. Bush in Washington, to work together to show Mr. Bush the strength of feeling of the Irish people – Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter”.~

“We are also calling on Mark Durcan and Gerry Adams to boycott a proposed meeting with Mr. Bush. Whilst we can understand why the UUP leader Mr. Trimble would wish to meet him given his pro-war stance, we find it astonishing that Mark Durkan and Gerry Adams would want to meet this man on Monday and we call on them to immediately declare their position as to what they are going to do.

add your comments

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COMMENTS
Duplicate posting, how under any stretch of the imagiantion can these be called news!
by Aidan Sat, Apr 5 2003, 10:33am

To anti war activists of Ireland
by Davy Carlin - W/BELFAST SWP and Belfast AWM Sat, Apr 5 2003, 8:58am
[email protected]

I would urge all anti war activists to descend upon Belfast and take a stand with us against this 'Historic' warmongers war Summit

by James Sat Apr 05, 2003 12:46

Anyone know the agenda and places to go to protest in mBeal Feirste? I driving up but havent a clue where to go etc.
Theres no info out on this yet.
thanks

by . Sat Apr 05, 2003 12:50

lots of articles and press releases
by keeping it together. Sat, Apr 5 2003, 10:49am

Green Party NI
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40726&start=0&sid=10407

Sinn Fein write two hundred words:
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40716

Globalise Resistance write some more:
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40688

Raghillaigh writes lots
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40677

iosaf gives you his experience with Bushes.
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40673

Sparks gave you his article
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40647

Belfast anti war group thiers:
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40638

NOW BEFORE ALL THE POLITICAL PARTIES START THREADS CAN YE REMEMBER YOUR PRESS STATEMENTS HERE ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: THE BUSH VISIT IS ABOUT ·3· EGOS AHERN BLAIR AND BUSH IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

by Gurrier Sat Apr 05, 2003 14:11

That's actually a difficult one. Hmmmmm
So the choice is between a trotskyist who would lead us headlong back to the dictatorship of the party and a lunatic imperialist like Bush? That's not a choice I like.

Fuck that, I choose neither!

Everyone to Belfast, for humanity, not for RBB and certainly not for Bush.

p.s. The SWP's lionisation of RBB is pathetic. Is a doomed hope of a council seat all that this war means to you?

by Murtang Sat Apr 05, 2003 14:24

Anyone know of any buses organised for Belfast
from Galway for Mon or Tues?

by Aidan Sat Apr 05, 2003 15:06

Okay everyone is falling overthemselves to condemn bush...got it already.

NI Greens condemn hypocrisy of Bush Visit
by Dr. John Barry - NI Green Party Sat, Apr 5 2003, 6:54am
[email protected]
NI Green Party condemns Bush visit

NI Green Party leader, Dr. John Barry last night condemned the visit by Pres. Bush to Belfast next week. He said "This visit by Bush represents a new low in hypocrisy., While Bush is coming to promote peace here in Northern Ireland, he is waging an unjust and illegal war in Belfast. He called on citizens, workers and students to engage in 48 hours of direct-action non-violent protest to send a clear message to Bush, Blair and Ahern, that the war in Iraq is not in their name.
He also called on NI anti war parties such as Sinn Fein, The Women's Coalition and the SDLP to have the courage of their convictions in telling Bush that this war is immoral and illegal and not bottle out as they all did recently in condemning the war here in NI yet hypocritically being only too willing to go to Bush's St paddy's day celebrations. Hypocristy, sadly is not just the preserve of the US President.
www.greens-in.org

related link: www.greens-in.org

by IMC Sat Apr 05, 2003 16:25

PLEASE add comments on this demo to this article rather than starting new articles for your own contribution!

Suggestion for anti-Bush demo
by John Sat, Apr 5 2003, 2:19pm

Hope people don't mind me putting a suggestion on Indymedia. My suggestion is that people bring placards with "Ulster Says No to War" followed by "Leinster Says No to War", Connacht, Munster, etc followed by the 32 counties. A whole line "Antrim, Armagh, Carlow.... all the way down to Wicklow" You could maybe even include Tipp (NR),(SR), Co. Fingall, South Dublin Co., Dunlaoighaire Rathdown etc. Just an idea..

by john doe Sun Apr 06, 2003 00:53

Have I missed something. Who/what is the GR calling this protest?
"Protest- BUSH in BELFAST - GR call emergency Mobilisation"

by i (official capacity) Sun Apr 06, 2003 01:23

'GR' is 'Globalise Resistance' - a front of the Socialist Worker's Party (SWP) aimed at hijacking the anti-globalisation movement.

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM), on the other hand, is another front of the Socialist Worker's Party (SWP) but aimed at hijacking the, well, Irish anti-war movement (they picked their name well).

In the excitement I suppose its easy to get one front organisation mixed up with another. In fact, the SWP have so many fronts they probably need a spreadsheet to keep track of them!

by IMCer Sun Apr 06, 2003 09:55

Never give your real names. I'm not going to engage in a pointless arguement here so you can forget it.

by the truth will out Sun Apr 06, 2003 20:54

the truth will out 'imcer'

imcer

by William MOHAN Wed Nov 12, 2003 16:58

As an Irish man who has moved away from the "ould" country in order to escape the bigotry and narrow mindedness of the people of my clergy infested nation, may I say that I am struck by the sheer hypocrisy and moral cowardice of the anti-war group not only abroad but most of all in Ireland. My country that has for generations been a hot bed of religious bigotry and intolerance, has suddenly decided to protest against a war that has no economical or political affect on any Irish man, women or child. I would like to ask all those marching against Bush, of whom I have no particular affection or otherwise, why were you so silent during the blood letting during the troubles. Whilst the leaders of all the paramilitaries were commonly known throughout Ireland especially by the intelligentsia, why were there no marches against Adams, Adair,Maguiness, and Billy Wright etc. It seems to me that you are all very selective in your choice of war criminals. You know that the most that can happen to you in the U.K. is a slap on the wrist from the magistrates for breach of the peace at some demo or another against Bush, but to march against the above individuals who were in charge of gangs of murderers is a different kettle of fish altogether. I don't remember large scale gatherings of demonstraters outside Connolly House or outside Adairs lair in order to protest the murder of innocent Irish civilians North and South. Where were all the bleeding hearts of Ireland when 29 innocent lives were taken in Omagh. Every person with an interest now knows the names of most of perpetrators of that act of murder, but surprising to say, no mass demonstration to root out these guilty men and women. No, it seems that to attack Bush is the latest trend, a bit like adopting the latest fashion accessory, something to boast about at the wine, chilean of course, and crackers ciruit. You really are the most morally and physically cowardly group of people it is possible to imagine. As for your position on Iraq I find it amazing that any one can support Saddam Hussein, but then again I am talking about Irish intellectuals to whom any murderer with an arsenal of weapons and a penchant for mass murder appears to be especially appealling.