Cobh Protest at US Warship

cork | anti-war / imperialism | news report Sunday July 09, 2006 21:39 by james

Anti war protestors picketed a US warship in Cobh today.

About a dozen people picketed the US warship Sullivan in Cobh today. They were met by crash barriers and a heavy garda presence including armed Gardai. A Garda photographer took photos of every protestor and any member of the public they talked to.

A number of people came and expressed support for the picket, including several American visitors who had their photos taken holding placards. They refered to themselves as "anti-war Americans". There was local support from both Sinn Fein councillor Kieran McCarthy and Workers party rep John Jeffries who organised the protest. WP and WSM activists travelled down from the city to take part.

This is the second picket organised in Cobh by Anti War Ireland on US warships, a town with a long seafaring history, and a strong current of people who have always opposed imperialism.

However not everyone supported the protest, some Israeli tourists expressed hostility as did a local bar owner who was quite upset when she saw press photographers taking shots of the demo. She explained how her bar "needed theses ships" "employed 20 people". The pub is bedecked in Four large US flags and has a huge sign welcoming the ship. Some Cobh publicans were notorious for this sort of behaviour during the British occupation also.

John Jeffries reported that US naval personnel were on guard duty on the quay on Saturday night, a clear breach of the constitution of the state. This behaviour was not in evidence on Sunday as the Gardai had taken over in numbers.