Demo planned against royal visit

As the countdown to an official visit by the British head of state to the Twenty-Six Counties continues, details have been announced of the latest protests against the move.

With Dublin City Council now due to debate a motion opposing a British royal visit on the evening of September 6, eirigi will stage a demonstration between 7pm and 9pm outside of City Hall on Dame Street in Dublin.

The protest follows on the back of a similar, well-attended event at Dublin City Hall on July 5. On that occasion, the council failed to debate the motion due to an overrun of another item on the agenda of the monthly meeting of the full council.

The full text of the motion, which has been submitted by eirigi councillor Louise Minihan, reads: “That this council notes with deep concern the proposal for a state visit to the Twenty Six Counties by the British head of state. Such a visit would be entirely inappropriate whilst the British state continues to implement imperialist policies and commit human rights abuses across the world, most notably in Afghanistan, Iraq and here in Ireland.

“This council calls on the Dublin government to abandon its plans to invite the British head of state to Ireland and on behalf of the proud citizens of this city we declare that Elizabeth Windsor is not welcome in Dublin.”

Speaking in advance of the protest, eirigi spokesperson Daithi Mac An Mhaistir encouraged people to come along to City Hall.

“Those who support the British occupation of the Six Counties intend to use this visit to further cement the strategy of normalisation, to use a visit by the British head of state to deepen the partitionist mindset and further isolate the liberation struggle from the bulk of Irish society,” Mac An Mhaistir said.

“In opposing this visit, people in the Twenty-Six Counties have a unique opportunity to get onto the streets in support of Irish freedom, to show that they have not and will not forget those who are forced to live under British rule. Each and every one of us that live in the Twenty-Six Counties have an obligation to stop this visit from going ahead and now is the time to start getting people onto the streets. It is no good closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted, to only start organising opposition on the eve of a British state visit. Opposition needs to be organised and built, it won’t just happen.”

He continued: “Virtually all of the recent opinion polls on this issue have shown that the population is fairly evenly split on whether this visit should go ahead or not. The battle is now on to shift public opinion one way or the other. Over the next few months, the establishment will do everything in its power to win people over to the idea of supporting a visit by Elizabeth Windsor. Republicans, socialists and other progressives need to use their energies and influence to encourage ever greater numbers of people to oppose both this visit and the British occupation.”

Urgent Appeal