A Pro-choice Activist Addresses The Rally

On Saturday 30th of June, 2007, Choice Ireland held a rally at the Central Bank Plaza at 2pm. The theme of the rally was "Fight for a Woman's Right to Choose". In attendance were Senator David Norris as well as Ivana Bacik and a representative from Doctors for Choice, who spoke on their different experiences of the issue of reproductive rights, as well as the status of the campaign in the light of a recent M-R-B-I poll that presented that a majority of people now support legislating for abortion rights in the Republic of Ireland.

It was a busy Saturday noon, and Dublin's hive-like activity carried on as usual. While tourists, emo/goth teens and shoppers walked around, some people were handing out fliers in order to try and get some last-minutes attendants to the rally which was about to begin. Choice Ireland had been slowly gaining notoriety due to their work during the recent D case, in which a young woman was denied the right to travel for an abortion since she was in the care of the Health Service Executive. Moreover, recent polls commissioned by the Irish Family Planning association show a great change in attitudes to abortion in Ireland. Capturing the mood of those polls, Choice Ireland held a brief leafleting event in front of Dail Eireann on June 27th, with a suitcase or backpack for each Irish woman that, statistically, travels daily for an abortion either to the UK or elsewhere in the European Union.

Related Links: Images and Audio From Previous Rally | Alliance for Choice Calls "D" Case A Tragedy | Teenager Seeking Abortion Challenges HSE | Report of Rally In Support of Miss D | Doctors For Choice Advocate Choice | Founding Documents of Choice Ireland | Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminsit Group Hold Meeting On Choice and Class | A UCD Student Reports On Her Experience with Rogue Clinics | European Court Of Human Rights Turns To Restrictive Irish Abortion Law | Report From Rally At Rogue Information Clinic | Choice Ireland

Bigots Verbally Abuse Pride Attendees

“We’re marching in the park, but we should be marching in the streets but we’re fenced in like animals, while the other animals are outside. We are here to support our brothers and sisters of Latvia with the atrocities they have to go through in a homophobic society.” Audio interview.

There are three audio recordings. The first is a collection of peoples thoughts and descriptions of the experience of the day, the second and third are an interview with Anna, a spokesperson from Mozaika, who kindly shared some time to tell some more of the story of Human Rights in Latvia.

Related Links: List of events for Riga Pride and Friendship Day | Belong2 Ireland | An interview with Zappone and Gilligan | A personal account of this years Riga Pride | ILGA-Europe | Last years Indymedia Pride Feature | 2006 Polish Equality Parade Attacked By Far Right | Cork's First Ever Pride Parade A Success | Dublin, June 2005 Gay Pride Parade | Gay Pride Weekend in Cork, 2004 | McDowell Attacked by Ancient Order of Hibernians and Mother and Child

Ray O'Reilly and Amy

From the newswire: The Independent Workers’ Union exposed the latest case of the exploitation of migrant workers in the Celtic Tiger Economy. The case concerns seven Chinese females all working for Klean Fit limited located at unit 1, Old River House, Templegoue, Dublin 6 West.

A member of the WSM travelled to last week's protests against the G8 in Heilegendamm, Germany. He reports on the actions that were taken and then on his arrest and mistreatment.

We travelled to Rostock on one of the 30 buses going from Hamburg. When we arrived the city was awash with people and also a gargantuan police presence. We made our way to the starting point of the rally in which the anarchist block was due to march, the second rally being composed more so of NGOs and political parties. After an hour or so of boring speeches and the monotone gloom of David Rovics, the march set off.

A pretty impressive black bloc had formed at the rear-centre composed of AntiFa, anarchist groups and of course the Autonomous movement people. Black clad protesters are a much more eclectic bunch politically, this is worth remembering.

Eamonn Ryan TD, protesting outside Dáil Éireann

Following several years of campaigning with the Shell to Sea campaign, Green Party TD Eamonn Ryan has been appointed to the ministry with responsibility for the Corrib Gas project in Co Mayo.

On Thursday (June 14th), Taoiseach Bertie Ahern appointed Ryan to the new portfolio of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, where his brief will include overseeing the controversial Corrib Gas project. Ryan's fellow Shell to Sea campaigners will be watching with interest to see how he proceeds with Corrib. At their conference in February 2007, the Green Party adopted a resolution that, in government, it would not sign a pipeline consent for the Corrib gas project until “a full, independent review” had been conducted into the project.

Related Links: An Comhaontas Glás | Shell To Sea | Rossport Solidarity Camp | Indymedia report on protest at Shell HQ in Dublin attended by Trevor Sargent (February 17th, 2006)