British Tourist Authority Occupied
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Saturday May 17, 2003 13:51
by Joe Mac
Gardai are investigating a protest in the British Tourist Office on Dublin's Dame Street.
Ogra Sinn Fein claim they`re occupying the office to highlight their opposition to the postponement of Northern Ireland`s Assembly elections. It is understood members of the group entered the premises at around 11.30am this morning.
In a statement, Ogra Sinn Fein said: "We are here today to highlight Britain`s ongoing denial of democracy in Ireland. For 30 years they have engaged in a dirty war that has resulted in the deaths of many people. "Even as these covert and murderous dealings in Ireland are being exposed, the British are subverting democracy by cancelling elections in the North. These elections should go ahead in June."
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7By members of an established political party!
well done!
That's a great phrase coming from Sinn Fein/IRA. (Oh, I forgot they're different organisations !! :) ) I don't remember the IRA using much in the way of due process before maiming, murdering or blowing people up...
The occupation of the British Tourist Authority office is not real direct action, but just a stupid stunt by Ogra Sinn Féin who think that they are real hard. It will achieve nothing. The British Tourist Authority are hardly instrumental to the democractic process in the North.
Meaningful direct action, means taking action directly that will help bring about change rather than simply appealing to others to make that change for you.
For example rather than simply calling on politicians to create more space in the city, a Reclaim the Streets actually creates that space even if only temporarily. Or rahter than calling on the government to boot the U.S. out of Shannon, direct action at Shannon, by pulling down the fence or tresspassing, actually threatens the use of Shannon as a warport.
If Ogra Sinn Féin want to take direct action for democracy why don't they start by taking action within their own organisation - Sinn Féin - which lacks any real democracy. Sinn Féin is a highly authoritarian party where all the members take their orders from Gerry Adams as we saw when he went to meet warmonger Bush, in defiance of the member's wishes.
I don't think anyone should be encouraging Sinn Fein / IRA to engage in "direct action"!
I want to see more DA by all poli parties - well done to ogra SF.
perhaps on any further da's you could post in advance minimum details to try get a cross section of left da supporters.
Many people in this country rely on tourism to make a living. The majority of tourists to Ireland are British, and their cash is well welcome. This sort of stunt puts working peoples jobs at risk, things are bad enough this year after Bush and Blairs Imperialist adventure in Iraq, without Ogra Sinn Fein carrying out pointless sectarian and anglophobic actions like this. Ireland of the welcomes? Not if the sectarian bigots in Ogra Sinn Fein have their way. I hope you all felt very brave.
What did FOB do? So its Anglophobic to oppose the actions of the British Government?
This type od logic was used against IAWM. They were called Anti American because they opposed the actions of the US Government.
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