Brits pull out in face of protest action

A decision by the British Army to withdraw its stall from a careers fair at a university campus in Derry has been welcomed.

Republican campaigners eirigi have held a number of protests at recent propaganda and recruitment stunts by the British military, including at the Tall Ships Festival and at a recruitment fair at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

The British army issued a statement saying that they had withdrawn from the Derry careers fair “as it was not seen as a good use of resources”.

In August, the British army originally said they had cancelled a parade by the Royal Marines at the Tall Ships event in August “due to wet weather”. It was only afterwards that the British army admitted publicly that the planned eirigi protest was the real reason for the change of heart

eirigi spokesperson Breandan Mac Cionnaith said: “In the city where the Bloody Sunday massacre was committed, it would have been an insult for the British army to attempt to recruit on a university campus.

“The fact that the British army has had to pull the plug on its recruitment stall due to a lack of interest is demonstrative of the fact that the vast majority of Irish citizens do not view the British war machine as an ethical career option.

“British military recruiters have been embarrassed and humiliated by recent eirigi actions during their publicity stunts; this may also have been a factor in the decision to cancel the Derry recruitment stall.”

Mr Mac Cionnaith concluded: “As long as the British war machine is attempting to recruit Irish citizens in public places, eirigi will challenge them. The cancellation of the Magee stunt is an encouraging sign that the recruiters are not making any headway.”

Urgent Appeal