Republican News · Thursday 22 May 2003

Demand the Right to vote

All-Ireland Day of Action

29 May

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP on Wednesday called on people to come out on 29 May and demand the right to vote. He was speaking at a press conference to announce details of an islandwide day of action, in over 30 cities and towns, to protest the cancellation of the May elections and to call for the elections to go ahead in June.

"Next Thursday, 29 May, hundreds of thousands of people throughout the Six Counties should be going to the polls to elect 108 Assembly members and a new cross party Executive," he said. "Instead, the British government have cancelled the elections, shut down the political institutions and created a dangerous political vacuum.

"The cancelling of the elections is wrong. It is undemocratic. It is disenfranchising the people of the Six Counties. And it was taken against the wishes of those representing the majority of the electorate in the north and the Irish government.

"The British government cancelled the elections because they believed the outcome did not suit their gameplan. That is unacceptable.

"I want to urge people to come out on May 29th and peacefully demand your right to vote by joining protests in your local area.

"It is time for people to reclaim our democratic rights. It is time for people to reclaim the peace process."

There will be a nationwide poster and advertising campaign in the run up to the 29 May Day of Action with 10,000 posters and 200,000 leaflets.

Events have been organised for over 30 towns and cities throughout Ireland including - Dublin, Belfast, Derry, Letterkenny, Galway, Tuam, Westport, Castlebar, Sligo, Limerick, Cork, Tralee, Waterford, Omagh, Enniskillen, Lurgan, and Strabane.

Supporters of Irish democracy are also planning events in London, America and elsewhere.

An Ógra member, Daithí Doolan and Larry O'Toole are pictured at a picket outside the British Tourist Board offices in Dublin on Saturday [Inset] Freddy Scapatticci

Six Counties

10am All Assembly election candidates and elected representatives will hand in a letter of protest to local electoral offices in Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Derry, Omagh and Glengormely.

11.30am Sinn Féin Press Conference, Belfast.

12pm White line picket on the Craigavon Bridge, Derry

12pm-2pm City Centre protests in five centres. Street theatre in Belfast at the Corn Market and in Omagh. Mock Ballots in Enniskillen, Lurgan and Derry

5-6.30pm White line pickets in Belfast, Toomebridge, the Ballygawley roundabout, Strabane, Clough, Downpatrick, the Kinnego roundabout in Lurgan

7.30pm Belfast City Centre Rally, Belfast City Hall

Dublin

8am-9.30am Leafleting of DART stations locally and centrally

2pm-4pm Protest Flotilla on the River Liffey

5-6pm White line pickets along major city centre routes

8pm Rally outside the British Embassy, with musicians, street theatre and keynote speakers

Leinster

Protests on all the main roads during day, converging on Dublin for 8pm rally at British Embassy

N1/N2/N3 Navan, Drogheda and Dundalk - Dublin

N4 Longford, Edgeworthstown, Mullingar, Kinnegad - Dublin

N6 Athlone at 10am, Moate 12 noon, Kilbeggan 1pm, Kinnegad - Dublin

N7/N9 New Ross, Kilkenny City, Carlow, Naas - Dublin

N11 Wexford, Enniscorthy, Gorey, Wicklow, Bray - Dublin

Connacht/Ulster

Donegal Buses from throughout Co Donegal to Letterykenny for 8pm rally in Market Square

Galway Mock elections and local newspaper campaign. Street theatre on Shop Street, Galway City. Protests for Loughrea, Tuam and Ballinasloe

Mayo Protests in Westport, Ballina, Castlebar and Charlestown

Sligo - Protest outside GPO, 5pm-6pm

Munster

Cork Protests in Cork City, Mallow, Middleton, Clonakilty

Waterford Protests in Waterford City

Kerry Protests in Tralee