IRELAND: Irish anti-war groups have called for mass demonstrations in June against President George Bush's visit and also for the public to take part in a march this Saturday, the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
At a press conference yesterday in Dublin, commiserations were expressed with the people of Madrid and organisers said they saluted the Spanish people for voting out a government that supported the war in Iraq.
Three groups, the Irish Anti-War Movement, the NGO Peace Alliance and the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, announced the protest march in Dublin and their Stop Bush campaign with the support of the Labour Party, Green Party and Sinn Féin.
Mr Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement said Saturday's protest would also be a springboard for the far bigger protests that would take place when President Bush came to Ireland on June 25th/26th.
"Any leader who calls himself a democrat, particularly one like Bertie Ahern, who claimed he opposed the war on Iraq, should not be opening his arms to George Bush," he said.
Mr Brendan Butler of the NGO Peace Alliance called on the public to refuse to allow the Bush campaign to use the visit to influence the Irish-American vote to bolster his re-election. "We believe the majority of Irish people are opposed to Bush's visit and we intend to facilitate the greatest possible peaceful protests yet seen in Ireland," he said. He said he expected protesters from all over Europe as it was an EU summit.
The venue of the visit was kept secret but the groups said they would be there whether it was in "Carrauntoohil or Croagh Patrick". They would be organising two main demonstrations, one at the venue and the other in Dublin.
Mr Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance said allowing Shannon to be used by US military had endangered the lives of all Irish people.
Saturday's protest will be part of an international day of action in 108 cities throughout the world. In Dublin, the march will begin at 3 p.m. in Parnell Square.
Mr Boyd Barrett said they did not expect the number on Saturday to be as large as last year's anti-war march, which attracted 100,000 people.