Ireland for All march

Protest and politics

Sir, – Una Mullally bemoans the lack of any visible presence by Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael at Saturday’s “anti-racism” demonstration (“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had no visible presence at Ireland for All march”, Opinion & Analysis, February 20th).

Speaking, not as a Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael member, but as a centre-right voter of a sceptical tendency, I didn’t join the march because I would have found myself in uncomfortable proximity to people whose dedication to community harmony is rather too recent for my taste, and to organisations sporting banners associated with ideologies that history has proved inimical to human rights, irrespective of race. I also suspect that policies ensuring immigration is seen to be legal, and its benefits shared and its burdens imposed more equitably, would do more to end the current disquiet about immigration, and disarm the extremists who would exploit that disquiet, than noisy demonstrations.

And by the way, I’m not a member of the party “that waits to see which way the wind blows”, although by all accounts it was well represented at the march. – Yours, etc,

PETER MURRAY,

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Carrigaline,

Co Cork.

Sir, – Like many who attended the march in Dublin on Saturday afternoon, I marched to support migrants and the many individuals, communities and organisations working for an inclusive Ireland. This was not an anti-Government march but a pro-migrant march. Those seeking to commandeer the event for other political ends detract from this message. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN O’GORMAN,

Glasnevin,

Dublin 9.