LIBYANS LIVING in Ireland yesterday called on the Government and the EU to condemn the use of force against anti-regime protesters in Libya and clarify its position on the events unfolding there.
A crowd of more than 100 Liby- ans gathered outside European Union House on Dawson Street in Dublin yesterday afternoon before moving on to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Dáil.
At each, they handed in a letter urging the Government and the EU to “stand in solidarity with the innocent people” of Libya.
“Your support is needed if they are to achieve their freedom, restore their dignity, and transition peacefully to a democratic and socially just future. We would like to assure you of the peaceful nature of these aspirations and demonstrations,” the letter read.
It called for the Government to “unequivocally stand by the people of Libya and openly condemn the use of live ammunition against innocent Libyan protesters.” It also urged the Government to “state clearly [its] stance” regarding the situation and demand that the Libyan government lift its ban on media coverage. It also called for the prosecution of “Gadafy and his criminal aides who have the blood of innocent Libyans on their hands.”
Dr Ibrahim El Sherif, a consultant originally from the city of Benghazi where nearly 300 people have been killed since protests began last week, handed the letter to Pat Kelly, Middle East director at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“We have received sympathy from the Irish people but we are still waiting for a strong statement from the EU,” Dr El Sherif said. “Europe has to put pressure on Gadafy – its response so far has been very disappointing. We are looking for freedom and justice, and the right to political participation just as people have here in Ireland.”