Republican News · Thursday 29 May 2003

ger and frustration on streets

This concerted effort around the country due today shows the anger and frustration felt by party members and supporters, who at this point should have been consumed with election fever, caught up in last minute canvassing and endless handshakes, and asking people to use their vote.

In the last two weeks, Sinn Féin has steadily upped the ante, with activities ranging from occupations, mock auctions of the democratic process, the chaining of members to the British Embassy, an advertising campaign in local newspapers, white-line pickets, photo opportunities with Assembly members, and the distribution of tens of thousands of leaflets and erection of 5,000 posters.

Plans for today are even bigger. At 9.30am, the Assembly election candidates and elected representatives will hand in letters of protest to local electoral offices. At 10.30am there will be protests at polling stations throughout Derry. A press conference will be held in Belfast at 11am after which Gerry Adams will hand in a letter of protest to Castle Buildings. There will be city centre and whitelingprotests across the North during the day, culminating with a major rally at Belfast City Hall at 7.30pm.

In Dublin, at 7.30am, 12ft banners calling for democracy and announcing details of tonight's protest at the British Embassy are to be dropped from all the major bridges on the way into the city centre.

At 11am, a picket is to be held outside Leinster House to highlight the Dublin government's role in the election suspension. Throughout the afternoon, pickets will be held at major points in the city centre. In the evening, whiteline pickets will take place throughout the city, followed by a convergence on the British Embassy for 8pm. At the Embassy there will be numerous speakers and the crowd will be joined by a cavalcade travelling in on main routes from throughout Leinster. Everybody will receive a green ribbon and a mock ballot paper, which they will be asked to hold in the air for a minute's silence. At the end of the night people will be asked to cast their vote.

There will be protests in cities and towns across Munster and Connacht/Ulster, while Leinster Sinn Féin is planning pickets at major roads before heading in to meet up with the Dublin Cuige for the rally at the British Embassy.

Today should have been the day the elections took place, so naturally a large part of the campaign has become focused on it. But after today, protests will have to continue if there is to be any progress made on securing an election date in the near future.

Sinn Féin hasn't forgotten this, and more action has been planned for Saturday and for the coming weeks.