US citizens in Dublin to protest at Bush visit

A group of US citizens living in Ireland is staging a protest at the American Embassy in Dublin tonight to call for the cancellation…

A group of US citizens living in Ireland is staging a protest at the American Embassy in Dublin tonight to call for the cancellation of next month's EU-US summit.

The anti-war group calling itself US Citizens in Ireland for Alternatives to war will hold the protest at 5 p.m.

The group said it was "appalled and dismayed by the policies of their government in Iraq" and are calling for the Bush's visit to Ireland on June 25th/26th to be cancelled.

"The Bush administration's war policies have shamed the American people and shamed the constitution upon which our country is based. the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the shredding of the Geneva conventions and last week's bombing of a wedding - with no apology - are policies of a regime which is out of control," said Ms Mary Van Lieshout, one of the groups co-founders.

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Ms Van Lieshout said there was little a US citizen could do to protest in Ireland other than "stand before our embassy and challenge their right to represent us."

The group is also calling on the Government to stop allowing US military refuel at Shannon Airport.

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy is Digital Production Editor of The Irish Times