Sligo Peace vigil + protest to meet Government meet

sligo | anti-war / imperialism | press release Thursday September 04, 2003 19:08 by Ruairi muscailt at yahoo dot com

Wednesday Sept. 10, Thursday Sept. 11

A coalition of concerned citizens are planning on marking the September 10th-11th Government ‘think tank’ meeting in Sligo by staging a peace vigil and ‘Need B-4 Greed’ Protest.

We are calling on the general public to take their concerns and demands to the Sligo Park Hotel where government Ministers will plan their upcoming Dail term.

It is clear that Ireland is becoming more corrupt, more expensive and less democratic by the hour. Prices have gone through the roof for the basics of food and shelter. Insurance prices are crippling small businesses, community groups and ordinary taxpayers.

Our public services are near collapse with schools under funded, hospitals on the brink of chaos, and public transport outdated and inefficient.

Despite signing up to the Kyoto treaty and facing the prospect of massive fines for breaching it, the government continues to invest in a car and oil based economy where so called ‘development’ and a quick buck takes precedent over the beauty and health of nature. Future generations are sure to pay through their pockets and their health is something isn’t done to stop the destruction of our environment.

Disabled people, people fleeing from wars and abuse and the poor are falling victim to European and National laws that give priority to a small privileged majority.

Our neutrality is a sham as U.S warplanes and weapons pass through Shannon airport on a daily basis on their way to bomb Iraq and secure control of its vast oil resources.
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The Irish people are rapidly losing their chance to change this terrible status quo as more and more power is being donated to multinational corporations, the European Union and foreign superpowers. It is a far cry from the Ireland of equals that our predecessors struggled so long for.


We are calling on young and old, workers, students, the unemployed and whoever else feels that the Ireland we desire is being hijacked, to come along and make your point to the decision makers, our employees, our representatives, our government. You can do so in whatever way you so fit, whether it be through music, art, dance, speech, prayer or simply by standing up to be counted.

PEACE VIGIL

A ‘Peace Vigil’ will be held on the morning of Wednesday September 10th between 8am-10am to mark the opening of the Government session. People are invited to come along with banners, shrines, candles, poems and prayers to call on the Irish government and local TDs to work for peace in the world, to end the U.S Military base at Shannon airport and to devote more resources and time to achieving peace in the North.

PROTEST

On the evening of Thursday September 11th, between 5pm and 7pm, as the government sits down to a gourmet feast, protesters will gather for a ‘Need Before Greed’ protest which will call for investment in public services such as schools, health care and transport, radical and effective environmental laws and enforcement, a debate on the future of Irish democracy and law making and a drastic rethink of Irish foreign policy.

The entire country sees the wrongs of the government. The radio phone-ins, the letters to the editor columns, the pubs and the bingo halls are buzzing with talk of government corruption and failure.

We are calling on the general public to follow the example of last year’s student protests and make your voices heard in whatever way you can. We are calling for a change in modern Irish culture: instead of moaning and complaining to each other, we need to realise that the power lies with us and that we need to take action in whatever way we see fit. One thing is for sure; nothing changes until we demand it to.



ENDS