PROTEST: A number of protest organisations have condemned the OSCE meeting in Dublin.
The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) called for like-minded people to gather last night at the Central Bank plaza on Dame Street before marching to Dublin Castle where foreign ministers and heads of delegations were attending an official dinner.
The protest was supported by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Witness Bahrain Ireland, according to a statement from the IAWM.
The protest was to draw attention to “the contradictions between the stated aims of the OSCE regarding concerns for human rights and security and the actions of many of the participating countries that include the abuse of human rights, restrictions of free speech and media activity, use of torture, harassment of NGOs, support for dictatorships and the proliferation of warfare and nuclear weapons”.
It claimed that these contradictory actions occur in various forms across the membership of the OSCE from the US to Tajikistan and from Britain to the Russian Federation.
Participating states
Memet Uludag of the IAWM steering committee said: “There are 57 participating states in OSCE, including UK, US, Germany and the Russian Federation. Some of these countries are the very same countries that are occupying Afghanistan, supporting Israel in its daily suppression of the Palestinians, and constantly threatening to attack Iran.”
Jim Roche, PRO of the IAWM, said it was “deeply ironic that Ireland, as a neutral country, should be hosting such a collection of warmongers and abusers of human rights”.