Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

The turkey has landed: US Secretary of Health has just arrived in Cork

category cork | anti-war / imperialism | news report author Tuesday May 11, 2004 20:29author by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland monitoring centreauthor email info at antiwarireland dot orgauthor phone 087 1258325

Top Bush official arrives amid high security

Bush minister has just landed in Cork within the past few minutes

Tommy Thompson, the US Secretary of Health, is currently parking at Stand 7 at Cork Airport. His plane was followed into the airport by Air Corp P254. A chopper hovers nearby. Gardai are on high security alert throughout the area.

Mr Thompson, who is speaking at an EU ministerial conference in the city at 9am in the morning (and giving a press briefing at 10.30am), is accompanied by a 51-strong entourage including bodyguards. Call sign of his plane is 924D.

His next stop is almost certainly the Hayfield Manor Hotel on College Road, which has been encircled by a security cordon all day.

The Rochestown Park Hotel is also being emptied of its patrons and will be completely closed to the public tomorrow. Gardai are also sealing off much of the Rochestown Road.

Tommy Thompson is a leading neo-conservative in the Bush cabinet and took part in the decision to occupy Iraq. His hands are steeped in the blood of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children.

The Cork Anti-War Campaign and Anti-War Ireland are picketing this warmonger from 8am, tomorrow morning. Assemble at the Rochestown Park Hotel. All welcome!

Care/act.

Comments (6 of 6)

Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6
author by squaw ipsiphi - on the night shiftpublication date Tue May 11, 2004 23:03author address author phone

in Louisville Kentucky,
Massachusettean "clam chowder" Senator, Mr Kerry, "clam chowder" has not been drawn into attacking Bush on Iraq.
"clam chowder" he has rather stayed on program, and spent the week criticising Bush's Health Program.
The homeland one.
clam chowder to chow mein
burgers to tofu.
"For four years, President Bush has been in office, and for four years the situation has gotten worse," Kerry told small business owners at a local pottery factory.
he also mentioned contributions that Bush has received recently which include pharmacy benefit managers Medco Health Solutions Inc. and health insurer Aetna Inc.

at end of March.
Bush had
Total Receipts: $185,074,755
Total Spent: $97,906,626
Cash on Hand: $108,784,827
Debts: $125,628
he had tallied almost $100,000,000 more than Kerry "oily clam chowder" who had
Total Receipts: $85,586,243
Total Spent: $53,371,231
Cash on Hand: $32,215,012
Debts: $7,655,264

Sen K. wants to offer tax credits of up to 50% & help small employers give their low- & moderate-income employees cover.
"We can't just stand back and pretend that they aren't struggling," said clam chowder.

Bush is backing the so-called Association Health Plans, which would mean a lot of oily medicine with less sugar to help it go dahn.

Pressed to talk about Iraq, Clam Chowder K. the king of killarney and Massachusetts, had only this to say :-

"The important thing is for the country now to get its path in Iraq correct. And we need to come together and I'm hopeful that we will."

The flag of Mass. shows an Indian.
and a star. There are no longer many Indians in Mass, but there are still stars.
The naval ensign for Mass, is no longer really used coz the militia don't get past swamp chowder chowder there aint no swamp in mass, depicts a tree, pine type on a green backround.

Welcome to Ireland
Tommy Thompson
it's not Dallas.
Fuck off now.
m'as é do thoill é.

The Flag of Massachusetts awaits you!
The Flag of Massachusetts awaits you!

author by Cork anti war headpublication date Tue May 11, 2004 23:31author address author phone

This is the most important Bush official to arrive in Ireland since Rumsfeld passed through Shannon airport. I would have expected certain types in Dubland to book buses and drive through the night to get there for 8am.

Anyhow, I hope lots of people turn out.

author by E Miesnerpublication date Wed May 12, 2004 01:54author address author phone

As an American I would like to say that you cannot expect the American public to do anything substancial about our abomidable government and it's reckless foreign policy. A large minority of us have been vocalizing our opposition to the war(s) for some time. But the power of the US media is very strong. The media conglomerates are how we wound up with the lame choice of Kerry as the apearent Democratic nominee. They simply assasinated the charactor of each of the other front runners one by one, and said that so 'n so does not have a chance of beating Bush. Many progressives here are so obsessed with beating Bush that they are willing to work hard to put someone in who is just as bad. This effort is mostly driven by unions and NGOs, many of which have lost touch with the public years ago. Kerry voted for the war and continues to support it, insisting that we just need to send in MORE troops, which is the main reason he is still trailing Bush in the polls. If one is for the war he will vote for Bush not Kerry. With that said Tommy Thomson is a former lame-ass Republican Govenor from Wisconsin who oversaw the degredation of that State's public shcools. I hope you all come out in force,
E Miesner (Disgruntaled American Subject/Former Citizen)

author by Homerpublication date Wed May 12, 2004 11:50author address author phone

They'll protest the arrival of the US Secretary of Health in Cork. There's a massive protest planned for when the US president arrives.

But where were the anti-globalisation and pro-democracy protestors yesterday when the Chinese Premier was in Dublin Castle? Multinational companies already use Chinese Sweatshop labour to manufacture their goods and every day more and more are investing in this practice to supply goods cheaply to the West. The wages and conditions of these factories are even worse than those in Latin America and Indonesia.

There is no political dissent tolerated in China and anyone who questions the governrnent is routinely locked up wthout trial. Then there's the oppressive occupation of Tibet.

But where were the protestors? I went along to show some solidarity with the Falun Gong protestors (who were dwarfed by the pro-Government UCD Chinese Students Association) but I saw practically no Irish there.

The issue of the oppressive Chinese Government surely is more important that a bloody squat on Leeson Street.

But then, China isn't a sexy cause and the Left Wing Revolutionaries would be forced to analyse their own ideology should they go protesting against the human rights abuses meted out by a Communist country.

In fact, if you look at the indymedia website, you'll notice that there is no Chinese Indymedia office [see bottom of page] and no reporting of yesterday's protest.

Hypocrites!

author by Joepublication date Wed May 12, 2004 12:14author address author phone

Last time the Chinese premier was here the left did organise protests. See http://struggle.ws/wsm/news/2001/china_sep3.html

You seem a bit confused on the issue of the left and China. Most of us don't see China as anything more than a form of state capitalism. Only the Sparts and SP see it as having any progressive element and ever there the SP demonstrated last time, you can see their banner in one of the pictures.

[editors Hommers comment and this reply to it are on two threads, you might like to delete one or the other]

author by Shane - FEIC Derrypublication date Wed May 12, 2004 12:29author address Guerrilla Daze in Irelandauthor phone

Put some manners on that Fecker Tommy Thompson, and the rest of the PPP hoors!

UTV internet have picked it up (see link)

Related Link: http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=45593&pt=n

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/64993

Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.