Thursday January 01 1970
No Welcome for the English Queen
dublin |
rights, freedoms and repression |
event notice 
Thursday January 03, 2008 00:21
by Press Office - éirígí
press at eirigi dot org
Protest at Bertie Bending the Knee
On December 24, 2007 Bertie Ahern confirmed on RTÉ radio that the Twenty-Six County establishment plans to invite the Commander in Chief of Britain's armed forces, Elizabeth Windsor, on an official visit to the state in the near future.
The context for this visit is clear - the ongoing attempts to normalise British rule in Ireland and make partition a non-issue in public discourse.
In protest at Ahern's announcement, éirígí have organised a demonstration outside his St Luke's (Drumcondra) constituency office this Saturday (January 5) at 1pm.
éirígí's Daithí Mac An Mháistír appealed for all republicans, socialists and democrats to make an effort to attend.
"The parading of Elizabeth Windsor through the streets of Dublin would be a propaganda for coup for the British establishment. For them, it would signify that the people of Ireland had finally accepted the right of Britain to interfere in Irish affairs and maintain their undemocratic border in our country.
"Such a coup cannot be allowed to happen and we in éirígí will be working hard in the time ahead to ensure that no invitation is extended to this notorious figurhead and, if one is, that the occasion of her arrival will be a demonstration of the Irish people's continued opposition to the occupation of the Six Counties.
"We encourage all like minded groups and individuals to do likewise, commencing this Saturday in Drumcondra."
So if you're free on Saturday bring yourself, your flags and your banners along to St Luke's and make it clear to Bertie and his fellow travellers that until her forces of occupation get out, Mrs Windsor can stay out!
Comments (21 of 21)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21Calling all Republicans & Democrats!!
It is incumbent upon Republicans & Democrats to signal their opposition to any visit to Ireland by this British Monarch.
CS
unfortunately im working on saturday , otherwise id make a point of being there . Id echo the call for all progressives to get down there and tell the corrupt little scoundrel in his yellow pants to get stuffed along with that old monarchical parasite .
his encouragemnt of the irish people to debase themselves is a disgrace . Political and national dignity is desperately required
Are we still that small-time as a country that we're staging protests like this?
I'm not a member of any political organisation but I have not yet met anybody (outside of Ranelagh) who would welcome a visit by HM (Liz to her friend).
I think Bertie has called this one wrong. Perhaps its another sign of him losing the common touch.
I am an Irishman living abroad and I am saddened to read that such outdated and narrow minded attitudes still prevail in Irish society. I am glad that the vast majority of the Irish public have advanced their thinking and have moved on from the Brit Bashing of the past - just look at the farore that was made about their National Anthem being sung in Croker in the run up to the rugby match last Feb. I was so proud to be Irish that day when you could hear a pin drop and not one jeer nor heckle from the Irish supporters. That was respect and progressive thinking by all involved and present (the GAA especially). I work with many Brits and have lived in England and have been warmly welcomed and received. Your attitude degrades our country in the eyes of the British (English especially). You will find out that you will be in the minority and I pity you and your antiquated thinking.
Nobody showed up to greet her husband and I doubt very much she will get a good reception here, she will, of course, get a dramatic reception alright, but not a 'good' one. Sinn Féin Poblachtach were the only ones that bothered to turn up to 'greet' her husband with a loud and vocal protest - he, the fool, thought they were there to welcome him (I know I was there)! I wonder did anyone have the heart to tell him that absolutely nobody in Ireland bothered to turn up to welcome him and that he has no supporters in Ireland - only protestors and those who want his and his wife's head on a plate - and that really and truly his wife should stay at home, because nobody, absolutely nobody, wants the British Imperialist Royal family visiting here inflamming hatred in all decent Irish people. Should they dare to show their snooty faces here, well, need I say it, I predict a riot!
It's no wonder that Sinn Fein received such a pathetically low level of support in the last general election in the Republic of Ireland. The SF leadership, like their mouthpieces here on Indymedia, don't seem to realise that very few Irish people share their hatred of all things British. Like most Irish citizens I don't particularly care if there is a state visit by the Q of E or not. I wouldn't go to see her but I wouldn't go to protest against the visit either. I have other things to do with my life.
what other things ? like posting on the internet claiming your not that bothered , in order to pretend you arent bothered ? when its patently obvious you are quite bothered therell be no spontaneous applause for the british parasite/monarch ?
Being irritated by the nonsense being spouted about protesting at the Queen's visit isn't the same thing as being irritated at there being no warm reception, busy life.
2 +2 ≠ 17
protesting or not welcoming the queen of england is not racist or narrow minded. it is merely an out working of a political position. if you accept that one sixth of our country is occupied then you are hardly going to welcome the head of state of the occupying force. i doubt the Iraqis are running out to welcome bush on his unannounced visits.
If people like the SDLP's Martin Bradley want to be 'The Queen's Pet Paddys' then I'm sure that they're perfectly entitled to bend the knee and grovel. Sure isn't it the new enlightened Ireland were SF has accepted her Majesty's diktat and everyone is free to trip over themselves to be seen in her presence or God preserve us even be spoken to, while all the time she considers her Corgis to be a class above us mere Irish?
If people wish to demean themselves and act like Pet dogs or cats looking for a pat on the head then who am I or anyone else to stand in their way?
It's not particuarly Brit-bashing to abhor the occupation of the North, or to want Ireland out of Bush/Brown/Blair's war. Plenty of Brits even agree with this.
later this year the pope will visit Ireland, unionists will of course let the old stormtrooper in without so much of a fuss, bertie ahern will visit the 6 counties and the proddies will not say boo to a goose.
but on the other hand, should Queen Elizabeth have the temerity to visit the only country sharing a land border with her own country republican bigots will howl from the rooftops!
Oh well, the timed release of government papers available to peruse in Dublin, Belfast & London this week 30 years after their creation shows she wrote in 1977 that she understood the aspirations of the Irish people. http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/1229/1198....html Jolly nice. I met her twice & one thing I noticed is - you'd want to be very wee to get a pat on the head from her. Sure she's a scut of a vertically challenged creature..,
I suppose there will be burning photos & stuff.
I don't like the pope either....
Fear not, the Majority of Irish people don't give a hoot about sovreignty, as long as the killings have stopped.
I shed a tear when England came to Croke Park.
For a moment, we had grown up, forgotten the squabbles we held as kids, and shook hands.
And then we thrashed them English, which was nice ;)
But they took it in good sport.
If Mrs. Windsor wants to visit, then let her.
There are so many other, more important things to campaign about.
Some old woman who is a tourist attraction in Britain is coming to Ireland. So what?
I look forward to the Queen visiting Ireland and I will definitely go to see her if and when she visits. She is, after all, the most famous woman in the world and it's not every day you get to see someone that famous. I personally cannot understand why people are so ultra-sensitive about her. She is the respected head of state of our closest neighbour and I see no reason against her visiting here.
Some cite the continued British occupation of Northern Ireland as a reason. As a nationalist I would certainly like to see a united Ireland achieved (peacefully, through democratic means), but I would like to remind people that the reason Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom is becuase a majority of its people want to maintain the union. That has nothing to do with the Queen in actual fact, bacause as the Constitutional Monarch of a democratic state she is bound to act on the advice of her ministers - i.e those people elected by the people to represent them. Whether we like it or not the majority of MLAs and MPs elected in Northern Ireland are unionists.
As for the idea of Monarchy as a form of government, well, I don't think it would work here, nor do we desire it here (although we could certainly do with a more high-profile head of state) - but it certainly does work for Britain. The Queen gets more attention on state visits across the world than pop stars or movie stars get - other heads of state can only dream of the sort of interest she arouses wherever she goes. Whether it be in America or France, Latvia or Germany, or Uganda even, the Queen draws large crowds and huge media attention. No other head of state can do this and do it so well.
Elizabeth II has undoubtedly served Britain brilliantly over the past half a century and she continues to do so now in spite of her considerable age. She raises the profile of the United Kingdom wherever she goes and she is respected around the globe. As an Irishman and a nationalist, I admire her for her dignity, her sense of duty to her country and her steady, calming, presence as British head of state.
I cannot see why anyone would object to a visit by the Queen to Ireland. I think the majority of Irish people would extend to Her Majesty a welcome of the kind only we Irish can give, and I believe that such a visit would really symbolise how Anglo-Irish relations have moved to a new and brighter place, and how we, as a nation, have left the trouble and strife of the past well and truly behind us.
the slavishnes this visit will evoke will be reminiscent of the last time a British monarch visited dublin and the queues round the block to kiss the royal behind . That shameful spectacle led to anger and a resurgence in the movement for national soverignty and ultimately armed rebellion . The plan for a rising was originally triggered by the degenerate state Ireland had fallen into .
This will rake up coals Mrs windsor and the bought off lowlifes whove invited her may wish theyd left undisturbed . For every action theres a reaction .
Maud Gonne spent the day of the last royal visit hanging a series (or one) black petticoat
from a broom handle, the state authorities kept ripping it down until she got the boyscouts
in to protect her black flag...
The protest went on for many hours and of course was carried out by a woman
of Anglo-Irish birth who fought for the Irish along with other republicans.
Petticoats are always obtainable and dylon (or such) do the lovely black dyes,
a symbolic visual protest wd get the message across?
Barry, has indeed ‘hit the nail on the head’ when he states ‘every action has a reaction’ and we are all acutely aware what that reaction will be to the arrival of the British Imperialist Queen to Dublin. Such a visit will only stoke-up the flames of hatred in all Irish people who have suffered so brutally at the hands of her army in the six counties and, indeed, in many decent Irish people in the twenty-six counties who have a profound knowledge of Irish history and of the innumerable abominable atrocities and murderous campaigns perpetrated by her army on the Irish people. There is not a village throughout the 32 counties of Ireland that does not have a brutal history of the British Imperialist Army’s murderous and heinous war on the Irish people. To not protest at this visit by the British Crown would be unforgivable, and a great insult to the memory of all those who fought or were killed in the pursuit of Irish independence from 1169 to date.
But, by vigorously protesting at the visit of the British Queen, we can by doing so, honour and respect the memory of all Irish people down through the ages who died or suffered in any way as a result of the British Imperialist Army’s murderous campaign here and commemorate all those brave Irish patriots down through the years who died defending the Irish people from attacks by the British Crown forces and for a 32 county united Ireland which, unfortunately, remains outstanding. Until such a time as Britain returns the remaining six counties to its rightful owners, the Irish people, no visit from the Commander and Chief of the British Imperialist Army should ever take place here.
p.s. There are too many open and sore Irish wounds remaining that are a long way off being healed and these wounds will be aggravated and opened further by such a visit from the British Monarch!
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